Project Readiness Package Rev 7/22/11

INTRODUCTION:The primary objective of this Project Readiness Package (PRP) is to describe the proposed project by documenting requirements (customer needs and expectations, specifications, deliverables, anticipated budget, skills and resources needed, and people/ organizations affiliated with the project. This PRP will be utilized by faculty to evaluate project suitability in terms of challenge, depth, scope, skills, budget, and student / faculty resources needed. It will also serve as an important source of information for students during the planning phase to develop a project plan and schedule.

In this document, italicized text provides explanatory information regarding the desired content. If a particular item or aspect of a section is not applicable for a given project, enter N/A (not applicable). For questions, contact Mark Smith at 475-7102, mark.smith@rit.edu.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:

Project Name (tentative): Stackable Cots for St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality Shelter Project Number, if known: P13431

Preferred Start/End Quarter in Senior Design: Winter Spring OK

Faculty Champion: (technical mentor: supports proposal development, anticipated technical mentor during project execution; may also be Sponsor)

Name Dept. Email PhoneSarah Brownell sabeie@rit.edu 585-330-6434 cell (no

txt)

For assistance identifying a Champion: B. Debartolo (ME), G. Slack (EE), J. Kaemmerlen (ISE), R. Melton (CE)

Other Support, if known: (faculty or others willing to provide expertise in areas outside the domain of the Faculty Champion)

Name Dept. Email PhoneMatt Marshall (human factors)

IE mmmeie@rit.edu 585-475-7260

Project “Guide” if known: (project mentor: guides team through Senior Design process and grades students; may also be Faculty Champion)

John Kaemmerlen

Primary Customer, if known (name, phone, email): (actual or representative user of project output; articulates needs/requirements)

Contact: Jen Harford (may change)Contact email: jenharford@earthlink.net Contact phone: 585-489-1060

Street address:St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality402 South Ave

Rochester, NY 14620

General number: (585) 232-3262General email: cathwork@frontiernet.net

MAILSt. Joseph’s House of Hospitality

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Fall/Winter Fall/Spring Winter/Spring

Project Readiness Package Rev 7/22/11

PO Box 31049 Rochester, NY 14603

Sponsor(s): (provider(s) of financial support)

Name/Organization Contact Info. Type & Amount of Support Committed

KGCOE $700St. Joseph’s House

PROJECT OVERVIEW: 2-3 paragraphs that provide a general description of the project – background, motivation, customers, problem you’re trying to solve, project objectives.

St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality is a soup kitchen and homeless shelter in the “Catholic Worker” tradition. Catholic Worker Houses uphold the tenets of hospitality, simplicity, and non violence and focus on the works of mercy, social justice, and treating all who come to them as “guests” (see http://www.catholicworker.org/ for more details). There are more than 200 decentralized “houses of hospitality” across the US and internationally. Not all houses or workers are actually Catholic and workers of Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Baha’i and other Christian faiths have frequented St. Joseph’s House. Anyone believes in the basic philosophy of the movement is welcome as a volunteer and everyone is welcome as a guest.

St. Joseph’s House has been in operation since 1942 and is a registered non-profit organization. It operates almost entirely by volunteer labor on a budget of $120,000 a year mostly donated by individuals. Aside from food from the local food bank, St. Joe’s receives no government or grant aid. It receives many in-kind donations of clothing, hygiene items, food, etc. They serve lunch daily to 80-100 guests and provide clothing, showers, laundry service, transportation, rent assistance, and memorial services for the poor and homeless. They offer transitional housing to 3-4 people in recovery from addictions, immigrants completing their paperwork, or other clean and sober guests in need of place to stay. Additionally, they operate a 10-12 bed shelter during the winter months, which sometimes continues in the summer months when volunteers are available.

Due to a bedbug infestation in 2011, St. Joe’s had to get rid of their handmade wood benches which served as both seats for guests waiting for lunch and, with the addition of a foam mat, a bed at night for shelter guests. The low income apartments in the neighborhood are all infested, and bedbugs are brought into the house daily on the clothing of lunch guests. The spaces between the wood boards and open wood grain on the benches provided ideal hiding places for bedbugs to escape weekly treatments by the exterminator. St. Joe’s decided to avoid having the hospitality guests (who may carry bedbugs from nearby apartments) sit on the same furniture that is used for shelter beds in hopes of reducing the chance of re-infestation. They purchased stackable, white plastic bedbug resistant chairs for the waiting area and folding cots for the shelter. The cot was chosen from a selection of army/navy surplus cots based on feedback from shelter guests as to which were the most comfortable. The chosen cot can accommodate larger individuals (although one shelter guest last year was too heavy to use it) and is wider than standard cots. They are light weight and can be placed in the walk-in freezer for 24 hours if necessary to kill bedbugs while the bed linens are laundered on high heat. Unfortunately, the cots are difficult to open and close and are not very durable. The shelter volunteers currently do not fold them up when not in use because of fear that they will break. Instead they stand them up on end in the front window of the dining room, which creates clutter and blocks the only natural light entering the room (figure 1). Despite this gentle treatment, they only expect the cots to last one more shelter season.

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Figure 1: Current shelter cots in the window

Figure 2: Stackable cots

During Spring quarter 2012, RIT students in the Engineer for the Developing World course used the Human Centered Design Process to assess the needs of St. Joseph’s House and provide new design solutions to six different problems. One team worked on cot design to improve the shelter. Their final design concept was a stackable cot made from recycled plastic lumber, based on the concept shown here for children (figure 2). When not in use as beds, the cots can be stacked and used as benches, stored in the same window area without blocking as much light, stored in the hospitality room over the heat run (but not used for sitting), or stored in the bread room storage locker that is currently used for the guests personal belongings and bed linens. The RIT team made a You Tube video of their final design (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rt9JaVxvKc). Despite the fact that the volunteers at St. Joes were very interested in the general idea of the stackable cot, the course offered little time for analyzing and perfecting the design, and there was no funding available for building a prototype.

The goal of this MSD project is to design a stackable, bedbug resistant cot for the shelter at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality. The design should be able to be produced using the tools available in the shop at St. Joseph’s House or the team should make other arrangements to help provide them with 14 copies of the cot. The stackable cot idea also has potential as a product for other emergency/disaster shelters where the space must be available for multi-purpose use during the day in addition to sleeping many people at night, especially when many beds need to be set up quickly. A cot design that allows stacking to sitting bench height (although not required for St. Joe’s needs) could have added applications.

DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION:The goal of this section is provide enough detail for faculty to assess whether the proposed project scope and required skills are appropriate for 5th year engineering students working over two quarters. The sequence of the steps listed below may depend on your project, and the process is usually iterative, so feel free to customize. Emphasis is on the “whats” (qualitative and quantitative), not the “hows” (solutions), except for the section on “potential concepts,” which is necessary to assess the appropriateness of required skills and project scope. Not all of the information in this section may be shared with students. (Attach extra documentation as needed).

Customer Needs and Objectives: Comprehensive list of what the customer/user wants or needs to be able to do in the “voice of the customer,” not in terms of how it might be done; desired attributes of the solution.

The Cot:

No. Importance NeedCN1 1 The cot supports 1 male shelter guest lying down.CN2 1 The cot is comfortable for sleeping.

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CN3 3 The cot is easy to enter and exit for older guests.CN4 1 The cot materials resist bedbugs.CN5 1 The cot materials resist bacteria or are easy to disinfect.CN6 1 The cot materials resist permanent contamination from body fluids.CN7 1 The cot materials are easy to cleanCN8 1 The cot dimensions allow at least 12 cots to be placed in the hospitality room

simultaneously.CN9 3 The cots can be stacked at least 6 high for storing.CN10 3 The cots are stable when stacked.CN11 9 The cots can be stacked to a normal sitting height and used as a bench.CN12 9 The stacked cot bench can support 3 guests sitting.CN13 3 The cot supports the weight of a man standing (using it as a stool)CN14 1 The cot is light weight enough to be moved and stacked by one person.CN15 1 The cots can be stacked quickly (change over time from night to day)CN16 1 The cot costs less than $200.CN17 1 The design is safe to use.

Functional Decomposition: Functions and sub-functions (verb-noun pairs) that are associated with a system/solution that will satisfy customer needs and objectives. Focus on “what” has to be achieved and not on “how”it is to be achieved – decompose the system only as far as the (sub) functions are solution independent. This can be a simple function list or a diagram (functional diagram, FAST (why-how) diagram, function tree). 

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Rejuvenate the body in emergency situations

Facilitate Sleeping

Be easy to get in and out

Accommodate various size

adults

Accommodate large and

small stature people

Support weight of

lying person

Be Comfortable

Support back

Feel stable

Regulate temperature

Facilitate Sitting

Stack to sitting height

Support people sitting

Resist sliding (layers)

Facilitate Cleanliness

Resist bedbugs

Resist liquids

Wash easily

Disinfect easily

Facilitate Storing

Stack 6 or more high

Stack easily and quickly

Resist sliding

Resist tipping

Be safe to use

Reduce entrapment

hazardsReduce tripping hazards

Reduce pinch points

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Specifications (or Engineering/Functional Requirements): Translates “voice of the customer” into “voice of the engineer.” Specifications describe what the system should (shall) do in language that has engineering formality. Specifications are quantitative and measureable because they must be testable/ verifiable, so they consist of a metric (dimension with units) and a value. We recommend utilizing the aforementioned functional decomposition to identify specifications at the function/ sub-function levels. Target values are adequate at this point – final values will likely be set after students develop concepts and make tradeoffs on the basis of chosen concepts. Consider the following types of specifications:geometry (dimensions, space), kinematics (type & direction of motion), forces, material, signals, safety, ergonomics (comfort, human interface issues), quality, production (waste, factory limitations), assembly, transport/packaging, operations (environmental/noise), maintenance, regulatory (UL, IEEE, FDA, FCC, RIT).

Customer Needs

Spec No. Specification Direction Units Marginal Ideal Notes

CN1

Weight supported for a person lying down max kg 122

supports the weight of 95 percentile black male + factor of safety http://www.halls.md/on/men-weight-h.htm

CN1

Length of man supported lying max m 1.9

accommodates 95th percentile white male height http://www.halls.md/on/men-weight-h.htm

CN1

Width of man supported lying max m

accommodateds 95th percentile width?

CN2Cot is stable for sleeping yes

depends on design…sliding friction with floor, center of gravity for tipping, tendency to fold up, etc.

CN2

Cot meets ergonomic considerations for sleeping, back, neck, head support yes

CN3

Minimum height of sleeping surface off floor in 10 11

may require some discussion/testing

CN4Minimum size of crevasses max

crevasses are larger than x wide and less than x deep

no crevasses!

bed bugs hide in crevasses, we'll need to find out the smallest crevass that can be reached with standard treatments

CN4Are there dark hiding spots? no

yes, but they are easily inspected/ cleaned NO! bedbugs like dark areas

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CN4Number of seams min Negotiable? none

seams allow bedbugs to enter inside a piece of furniture, box spring, mattress

CN4

Materials allow bed bug inspection max yes yes

All parts of the cot can be easily inspected for bed bugs

CN4

Materials allow bed bug elimination max yes yes

All materials either wash/dry in washing machine in hot water, or can be reached by alcohol or chemical sprays (find out what St. Joe's uses)

CN5

Bacterial/viral disinfectants can be used on all part of the cot min

other disinfecting method

bleach or commercial disinfectant spray or laundering specify cleaning procedure

CN6, CN7Resists body fluids max

easy to launder, blood stain resistant

all parts waterproof, blood stain resistant

CN7Cleaning procedure min

hand wash, scrubbing with abrasives

machine wash/dry, spray on cleaners, wipe with cloth or paper towel check with St. Joe's workers

CN7

Active time required to clean/disinfect each cot min min 10 5 don't count laundering

CN8

No of cots that can fit in the hospitality room for sleeping max 12 15

CN9

Number of cots that can be in a stack (load capacity of bottom cot, final height of stack)

max within human reach >=3 >=6

CN10

Force required to tip stack of cots max

should be more than what a human can do easily/accidentally, include any sliding between layers

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CN11height cots can stack for sitting target in 16-22 18-20 normal chair height is 18-20

CN12

Weight supported by stacked cots as bench max kg >365

3 95th percentile men, evenly distributed in 3 spots on the bench

CN13

Standing weight supported by one cot Max kg

supports the weight of 95 percentile black male + factor of safety http://www.halls.md/on/men-weight-h.htm

CN14

Overall weight of cot to be stacked min kg 22

depends on how high the stack is…22 maybe too high

CN15

Time required to changeover and stack 12 cots from hospitality room to storage area min 25 10

may be negotiable depending on design…should this include disinfection?

CN16 Cost of cot 200 100lots of 12-15 (labor is free if done by volunteers)

CN2, CN3, CN10, CN12, CN17

Meets other ergonomic considerations depends on design…

Cn16Meets safety concerns

depends on design (entrapment, suffocation, tripping, collapse, tipping, etc.)

Constraints: External factors that, in some way, limit the selection of solution alternatives. They are usually imposed on the design and are not directly related to the functional objectives of the system but apply across the system (eg. cost and schedule constraints). Constraints are often included in the specifications list but they often violate the abstractness property by specifying “how”.

At least 12 cots need to be able to be constructed by the shelter in their shop or for the shelter by an outside agency within the budget of $200 each.

Project Deliverables: Expected output, what will be “delivered” – be as specific and thorough as possible.

o Two Working Prototypes (to show stackability)o Plan for making 10-13 more benches that is acceptable to customer (not in budget),

including suggestions for funding or in kind donations of materials.o Bill of Materialso Design Drawings for manufacturing or modifying all partso Assembly Plano User Manual / Cleaning recommendations

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o Test Plan o Clearly documented Test Resultso Technical Papero Poster

Budget Estimate: Major cost items anticipated.

Benchmarking, research, and mockups: $200Prototypes: $500 TOTAL $700

Intellectual Property (IP) considerations: Describe any IP concerns or limitations associated with the project. Is there patent potential? Will confidentiality of any data or information be required?

N/A: Students welcome to move forward with a good design following MSD

Other Information: Describe potential benefits and liabilities, known project risks, etc.

Continuation Project Information, if appropriate: Include prior project(s) information, and how prior project(s) relate to the proposed project.

This project is a continuation of a class project from the Engineer for the Developing World Spring 2012 class. See the YouTube Video for info. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rt9JaVxvKc Sarah Brownell can provide added information on St. Joseph’s House and this class project.

STUDENT STAFFING:

Skills Checklist: Complete the “PRP_Checklist” document and include with your submission.

Anticipated Staffing Levels by Discipline: probably 4 people total?

Discipline How Many? Anticipated Skills Needed (concise descriptions)

EE

ME1-2 Brendan Harder is interested. Machining, manufacturability (for small

scale or large scale production), static analysis, stress analysis, possible FEA (probably not necessary). DFM.

CE

ISE1-2 Ergonomics of sleeping, sitting, and lifting the cot. Safety considerations.

Manufacturability. DFMA. Sustainability of the design. Triple Bottom Line consideration and analysis.

Other0-1 Could benefit from an industrial design student considering the human

interface, comfort and aesthetics of the design. Could benefit from a Packaging Design student in terms of stacking…

OTHER RESOURCES ANTICIPATED:

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Describe resources needed to support successful development, implementation, and utilization of the project. This could include specific faculty expertise, laboratory space and equipment, outside services, customer facilities, etc. Indicate if resources are available, to your knowledge.

Category Description Resource Available?

Faculty Matt Marshall (human factors)

Environment Space in MSD area

Equipment Computer labs for FEA stress analysis

Materials

Other Bed bug expert, if available

Access to interview shelter guests at St. Joseph’s House

Prepared by: Sarah Brownell Date: 8/15/12

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