Cycle Driver.

When designing an item, one must first ask questions, such as "Will it benefit a specific user compared to a general audience", "If other people will wish for it" and "How is it better compared to different brands". This is what my class, Design and Engineering, is trying to answer. In this unit we had specifically focused on subjects that could help us design items such as graphing, Kinetic & Potential Energy, and much more. We had also met with multiple organizations such as Divvy, BFF Bikes, and others.

AS "Equations for Geogebra" blogger.com
Blogger, Oct 26, 2018

(meant to show the calculations of a graph)

What my class and I had to create was a small model for a bicycle that was meant for a specific person in Chicago. Not only that, but we also had to show the calculations on why it was better compared to other certain designs. One of the main struggles I had with this assignment was time and how my partner and I had to do multiple re-dos with either calculations or design on our model. There was also the task of working with a partner and the separation of communication. It was a bit of a struggle, but worth the effort.

AS "Geogebra graph" blogger.com
Blogger, Oct 26, 2018
(graph itself)

When creating bikes, you could either remodel the bike, or create add ons. Each one brings benefit to the user, while having certain effects onto the movement or speed of the bike. When I say remodeling, I would mean something such as an Evo or Bicymple, where the idea of a bike is questioned and remade. For Bicymple, it would be the loss of the chain and allowing a new way to ride a bike.

Add ons, on the other hand, is the idea where the body of the bike stays the same, while certain parts are specifically built upon to make the experience greater. An example would be a Denny with its lock up handle. It doesn't affect how the bike is ridden, but it does help with the experience. The bike Denny also has an electric power assist, which could help going up certain terrains.

This is what my partner and I thought of when creating a bike for our user. Travis, a 16 year old boy, wishes to bike 5.5 miles to school. Since he passes the coast of Lake Michigan, he faces harsh winds and amplified weather. He lives up three flights of stairs within his apartment. He wishes for a bike that can suit all his needs while also being fast enough to get to school.

“Sure, I think most bikes are either aluminum, steel, or some bikes are carbon fiber. So Carbon Fiber is really, really, expensive, and really, really light.” - Marcus

This quote is from a GCE instructor who I (JN) had the pleasure to interview. How this quote inspires the design of my bike! It brings up the idea of mass and weight, and shows that there should be a remodeling rather than an add on. The problem for most bikes is when lifted or brought by hand, the ride could have trouble only because of the fact that it’s too heavy. My bike, however, uses less of the same material. Yet it is built to balance weight like a bridge.

For my bike (The Breezer), I had to create a design and remodel it so that it wastes less money, is 3/4th as light, resistant to the elements, and impressive to look at. Based around the design of modern bridges and advanced architecture, The Breezer is the average body of a bicycle with 1 cm poles with an integrated structure rather than one tube. The handles, pedal mechanism, seat, and wheels all use similar materials compared to normal bikes. This bike benefits users and is better than other models because:

A.It is a well designed bike that pleases the eye with its geometry and can be see through to see what is inside of the body.

B. Uses less metal and therefore creates less weight that also has more creative ways to be locked down to a side of a wall.

C. The elements can easily pass through rather then push against the metal, like bars compared to boards.

It also has certain add ons such as bending handles to lessen storage space, and mountain tires dedicated to resist most of the elements. Finally, the seat has a lovely design that suits the bottom of any person.

JN "Calculations I Can See " blogger.com, 
Blogger, Oct 26, 2018

Here are the calculations for The Breezer written down. The calculations show equations for circumference, diameter, and radius of the wheel. Not only that, the conversions of miles to meters, speed, rotations, and so much more. There's also the calculations for the kinetic energy and velocity of the bike.

JN "Calculations For Me." blogger.com

Blogger, Oct 26, 2018

Next, we have both the original design as well as the model. The add ons being the weather resistant or mountain bike designed wheels, its bendable handles that allow easier storage, and its comfortable seating. It also shows what the tube design could have looked like.

Finally, we have the gear ratio, which determines the explanation of how fast the bike needs to be.

JN "Explanation" blogger.com

Blogger, Oct 26, 2018

(For this bike, I believe the best solution would be to have the gear ratio of 48/12.

The reason I believe this is even though the wheel is for mountain biking, The Breezer will always be within

the limits of the city. Therefore, it wouldn't make sense to either add multiple gears or

design the bike to go uphill. Not to mention that time is especially important for school, and being faster rather then durable would create a huge benefit for Travis.)

In conclusion, my partner and I tried to create a bike that was not only sustainable for one person, but for anyone. Travis is not the only person who has these problems, and it would benefit many to have a bike that's resistant to the weather. The two obstacles creating this project were redoing some of the calculations as well as communication with my partner. There was also confusion with creating the model and how much time was allowed. Besides that, I personally believe this project was a success.

JN"Robocop bike " blogger.com
Blogger, Oct 26, 2018

JN"Bike Design" blogger.com
Blogger. Oct 26, 2018

Here is AS (my partner) blog.

You gotta love the Tongue Spinner

The class Design & Engineering at GCE was mainly about the ideas behind creating/designing an item. It was also about being empathetic in order for that object to work with certain people. We studied concepts based around design such as angles, surface area, volume, force/distance, mass, and simple tools. In order for the class to further understand, the instructor had the class go to interview a gardener (user), look at tools in the market (Home Depot) and see the process of how tools are even made. All of this prepared us to create a project based around making a hypothetical gardening tool. My father, J.Neiza Sr, was my interviewee/user for this project to gain the empathy I needed for making said tool. What empathy is is a feeling where you could relate to a person or thing in some form. This relates exactly to my project, as it is an adjusted tool dedicated to helping out certain people in digging.

Still, I hope you enjoy.

What I learned from gardeners were three simple facts to help create the hypothetical tool. The first is that most people have a disability due to age when working with said tools, and designers normally don’t recognize that. The second is that the best tools are normally the ones that can still relate to simple machines.The reason behind this idea is from my father after he was interviewed. When he was ten, his favorite tool was a machete, a tool that in and of itself is a wedge with a handle. The machete is dedicated to not only its intended purpose, but also meant for taking away enemies, gaining fruit, etc. So the more complex a tool is, the less it could be used for a general purpose. The third idea was that technology is something that can always help improve a tool. However, my father would still prefer a tool that had done the work itself. Because of this, my hypothetical tool would have to include working with technology, or at least incorporate some elements in it.

Even with the interview, I still needed to research from various sources. From what I could learn, the tool I had(trench shovel) had certain flaws. For example, my tool had a certain angle to it, and users would have to be in a certain position depending on their height. This could be extremely problematic to the user if they are elderly. I also learned that you need to have physical force in order to operate a shovel. This isn’t just for my tool, as it is for any tool that doesn’t have assistance in any way. This I believe is a major problem, as most gardeners over the age of 50 cannot compare to the strength they had when they were forty.

My final observation regarding the tool could be resolved easily, and wouldn’t need much force to add on.There could simply be a plank on the flat end of the shovel to push the tool down. This is especially important since most shovels are expecting you to plunge the shovel into the dirt with full force. With a plank, you could get the weight of your body or a hammer to nail the shovel into the dirt.  

Since this is a hypothetical tool, I added new features that might seem impossible, but compared to other classmates' tools, are more realistic. There are multiple features to my new tool that have been improved on compared to brands such as Razorback, etc. For one, the biggest feature would be the twisting shovel head, where the head of the shovel twists with the crank that is located on the top handle. This way, it could allow digging to be done, and could clean/smooth the sides of the hole. There’s also the simple yet effective part or rectangular prism that allows the user to connect or move the shovel in a certain angle, which would make it far easier for a person to dig trenches in a certain way rather than a person risking their health in order to change their position. Finally, I added an extra large plank dedicated to distributing the force of a human body or a hammer into nailing the shovel. The main difference is that this plank is larger and therefore has a larger target to push down on.

For the most part, these add-ons allow the user to have less problems with the tool. The first is the position of the body thanks to the joint allowing certain angles between the shovel and handle. The second improvement is that the shovel is built for ergonomic purposes. This is shown through the crank and plank. For one part, it uses a wedge, which a simple tool that has a force being pushed to so that the tip can make a precise cut. In other words, it separates the two pieces of the object. The wedge, being the shovel, is connected to a joint which allows certain angles or vectors.

Personally, I enjoyed working on the project, mainly because it’s creative and didn’t include the hardest math. I did learn however that working with a partner can actually take more time than working alone, only because you cannot see eye to eye at times. What I enjoyed the most from it was the design, and how the model would move due to animation, as it took time and effort. The voiceover was also hard, as my partner had to do multiple takes in order to get it right. Still, I believe the effort paid off in multiple ways, and I would change he amount of time my partner and I had to work together in class. Still, thank you all.

Citations J.N/K.S “AP Design The Best” vimeo.com, Vimeo, Web, Sep 28, 2018

JN "Interview" no website. Sept 28, 2018

JN “Trenching Shovel Labeled” no website, no publisher, Sep 27,2018

J.N, “Vectors”no website, no publisher, Sep 27,2018

Unknown Photographer. “Razor-Back 47.5 in. Wood Handle Trenching Shovel” homedepot.com,HOME DEPOT INC, Web May 1, 2015

Unknown Photographer. “Razor-Back 47.5 in. Wood Handle Trenching Shovel” homedepot.com,HOME DEPOT INC, Web, April 8, 2015

With you have problems understanding the video or need exact words for reference, please click this link to see a script of the project.