Milestone 2.1

2.1: Project Plan

Step 1 - Data Collection

In order to begin designing our product, we will need to collect various information to make well educated decisions on what parts we will need. This includes:

  • Dimensions of the chosen phone model we will be making the case for. This includes factoring in the camera bump, as the phone case can't cover that.

  • Electronic specs for the phone such as charging voltage, average power usage, battery capacity, etc. This will be necessary for sizing the solar panel and battery, and also choosing compatible electronics.

  • Information about USB. Phones use USB protocol to charge, therefore any electronics we have must function with USB otherwise it won't work, even if the rest of the specs are right such as voltage and current.

Step 2 - Choosing Parts

  • The outside components such as the solar panel and display should utilize as much of the back of the case as possible. Positioning the solar panel under the camera bump and the display to the side of it should help with this.

  • All internal electronics should be light and small so they don't make the case too bulky or heavy.

  • The battery should hold some charge to maximize efficiency, so a sweet spot between size, capacity, and price should be reached through research.

Step 3 - Case Design

  • Once parts are chosen, we will model a case using CAD that will fit around the chosen phone and be able to hold all of the parts.

  • The final product of the case may need to have some airflow or be made out of a material that can conduct heat fairly easily as the electronic parts may produce an excess of heat, especially the battery.

Step 4 - Prototype Construction and Testing

  • Once a case is designed and created, we can put all the parts into it and make all the electrical connections.

  • Once constructed, we can perform testing on the prototype and see how it performs. This will allow us to fix any mistakes if there are any present and see where we can make improvements.

Step 5 - Revise and Repeat

  • Once any flaws or area to improve are found, we would essentially repeat steps 2-4. This would involve finding new parts, redesigning the case, reprinting, reconstructing the prototype, and testing again. Repeating these steps should also be faster than doing them the initial time, as we wouldn't be starting from scratch, but would already have something to work off of.

  • Ideally we will repeat these steps until there are no flaws left and no areas to improve upon. At the very minimum, all flaws that inhibit functionality of the product should be removed, especially if there are any safety concerns such as overheating or electrical issues for example.

Timeline:

  • Step 1 - September 1st to October 28th

  • Step 2 - October 29th to December 13th

  • Step 3- December 14th to January 13th

  • Step 4 - January 14th to January 28th

  • Step 5 - January 29th to May 5th? (Project due date)

GREEN CASE