Aymeric Alejo-Chaban EDSGN-100 AymericAlejo@psu.edu Section 013 Andrew Smith Dr.Ritter ats5447@psu.edu 10/9/2016 Victoria Garito vkg5055@psu.edu

Seedling Extendo Device for Ngozi. K

Mission Statement: To create a portable, efficient, and sustainable product which addresses the

difficulties of moving growing seedlings to farmers markets as to maximize profit for

entrepreneurs and growers.

Context/Customer Needs: The first step the group took towards the development of the project,

was contextualizing and understanding the client. This involved first identifying where the client

lived and/or where he imagined his project would be used. From that point on, research became

more specific and covered the client's cultural and social background as well as characteristics of

the region such as weather and the economy. When looking at an overview of Zambia as a whole

it became apparent that Zambia is a third world country landlocked in central Africa. Its capital

Lusaka holds the majority of its struggling population, which is very close in proximity to

Ngozi’s operation (Zambia&IMF, 2014). Ngozi, K. comes from a town situated outside the

major urban center of Kabwe in the country of Zambia. He lives a humble life with his wife and

three children; Mufasa, Pumba, and Gerald. His proximity to the capital, Lusaka and its National

Airport offers potential for massive expansion in the future. The reason for Ngozi’s selection is

largely due to him continuously striving to develop his business involving the growth and

distribution of seedlings. However, due to the sparsity of the population and the lack of

portability of his seedling farm, Ngozi struggles to expand his consumer base and maximize his

profits. Around 70 percent of Zambia’s population is living in poverty currently, and

unemployment has become an even worse problem with the economy declining (Zambia

History, 2016). This causes a demand for a cheap and reliable product to help these in poverty

take a stop towards self sustainment. The restrictions above are reflected in his day-to-day

agenda which mostly involves Ngozi traveling long distances between his customers and his

farm to sell his seedlings. Regardless of these limitations, Ngozi does his best to communicate

with his customers by using his excellent sales abilities along with the two cell phones that keep

him in constant contact. Furthermore, his entrepreneurial persona has lead him to seek new

technologies to better his business. He also sells to wholesalers, which is why he wants to have a

product that grows seedlings in big quantities. Ngozi has asked the group to invent a portable

seedling growth device to overcome the limitations that previously prevented his business from

growing. The aspect of portability is the most important requirement for this project. Without a

portable design his entire business strategy will be ruined as this is the basis of his operation day

to day. Next, he has asked the group to make the product “culturally benign,” to ensure that the

product does not “stick out like a sore thumb” for lack of better words. He lives in a very distinct

culture where people are used to a certain lifestyle, so the product must be simple, and humble in

design. Going off of this prerequisite, Ngozi was also persistent that the product did not detract

from his social status. If the device built was too flashy or bulky he could lose customers by no

longer blending in with the majority of the zambian population he is currently supplying. This

would be detrimental to his business and would reflect poorly on the Littany Lions.

Concept Generation and Selection: In order to meet Ngozi’s needs, the focus for the seedling

device was on portability and low cost. He has to be able to pick up the device and load it into

his truck, so it must be around 45 pounds and no more than 4’x3’x3’. Also, it’s crucial that each

seedling placed in the device gets equal amounts of sunlight. The earliest design ideas included

sketches of a cylindrical hanging seedling rack and a box that mimicked the function of a tackle

box, where the shelves are stacked and attached to hinged and pull upwards and outwards in a

tiered fashion. In order to generate appropriate design ideas, it helped to reverse-brainstorm

concepts–or come up with the most ridiculous and unethical designs to specify what is not

wanted. After suggesting multiple ideas, both good and bad, The Littany Lions decided to move

forward with the concept of a tackle-box-like seedling device, represented below by Victoria

Garitos own original sketch. This would allow every seedling to get an equal amount of sunlight

when the shelves are folded outwards. Additionally, it would maximize space and allow the

client to maximize profit by having the most amount of seedlings the design can grow.

Initial Drawing of Collapsible Shelf Design

By using the concept scoring matrix, we were able to narrow down our concept selection

process to concept B, the collapsible shelves with wheels. This best met the Ngozi’s needs

because it maximizes profit by maximizing the amount of surface area the plants cover on the

seedling device. Consequently, the plants would all get an equal amount of sunlight and grow to

the best of their ability. This allows Ngozi to get the most profit possible because all of his plants

will grow well which can be then sold for higher prices. Moreover, the handles and wheels

allowed the device to be portable which is exactly what Ngozi wanted. Finally, the design

involves a simple shelf system and uses materials found in Zambia. As a result, the design does

not detract from Ngozi social status and is culturally benign.

Table 1: Concept Design Matrix

Design Review and Concept Refinement: After the low-fidelity prototype was finished and

presented, the other groups pointed out many possible issues with the seedling device. The

biggest issue brought to the team’s attention was weight, and how a hinge mechanism that

supports the weight of the seedlings on the pull-out trays may be unrealistic. To accommodate

this issue, the team decided to make some changes to the original design. Instead of having trays

that would pull outwards and upwards from the top of the box and into tiered levels, the device

would feature drawers that pulled out from the sides. The bottom level would pull out three times

the length of the tray, then the second would pull out twice the length, and the top would pull out

until the end of the tray. With this design, the drawers still allow each plant equal sunlight to

promote efficient growth. It also allows the device to be compact while maximizing its utility.

Prototype 1: Collapsible Shelves Prototype 2: Collapsible shelf with irrigation system Final Prototype Testing: The Littany Lions set out with ambitious goals from early stages of

the process in all aspects of testing. The target specs consisted of criteria such as lightweight, low

cost, sustainability, small in size, and spatially maximized. After further examination of the

requirements definitions were assigned to each spec. Lightweight meant that the buyer of the

product has to be able to carry the product easily, and put it into his pickup truck. The design

also needed to be low in cost due to the poverty stricken area Ngozi resides in. It needed to be a

compact design portable enough to carry by oneself, and fit in the bed of a small pickup truck.

Finally it needed to have maximum utilization of its volume to fit as many seedlings as possible.

It was decided that if the prototype was scaled to a 45 pound or less model then it would be

considered “passing.” However, our prototype was estimated to weigh between 65-70 lbs with

the seedlings, which failed our “pass” test. After price calculations the models materials cost

about $55.50 which was below our target of $60. Testing the compatibility was simple, and the

model “passed” the target range of 4’x4’x4’; it was 4’x3’x2’ (in feet). When it came to the

maximization of space the calculations came out to 25% of empty space, however this would be

if the seedlings were only as tall as the trays they were stored on. It was necessary to leave space

for the seedlings to grow so as time went on the 25% empty space would be diminished to

between 10-15% by estimations, so this was considered a “pass” with all aspects in

consideration. Passing three of the four main goals for the product is exciting, although with a

weight of 65-70 lbs, portability is slightly hindered. A man of Ngozi’s size and stature could still

transport this device when necessary, although this failure has set the Littany Lions focus on a

new material for the next prototype developed.

Above: Final Prototype with trays inside Above: Final Prototype with trays out

User need/target spec Test description What is “pass?” Pass / Fail

1. Lightweight Weight by volume-Calculate the

volume of the device then multiply it

by the density of wood.

<45 lbs Fail

2. Low cost Find the sum of the materials used to

construct the device

<$60 Pass

3. Compact Measure the dimensions of the final

device

No more than

4’x4’x4’

Pass

4. Maximizes space Find the amount of space wasted by

subtracting the volume of empty

space from the total volume of the

device

<15% of empty

space

Calculations facilitated by (Home Depot, 2016) and (Wood Densities, 2016)

Final Design Model: With the creation of the Solidworks model, group member Aymeric Alejo

came up with the idea of trays that slid perpendicular to each other to ensure that sunlight was

maximized. (The top tray would slide out as a whole to be placed on the top of the device) The

inclusion of handles and wheels were also integral in improving from our second prototype. It

was ultimately decided that a switch from wood to plastic would ultimately improve our devices

weight problem, as well as the devices life. This device could easily be stored in a greenhouse

and expanded to its full form to give the seedlings time to grow. Then when the time comes for

him to go to the market it could be compressed, and put into his pickup truck to go to the market

and sell his product.

Prototype rendered in Solidworks

Material Quantity Cost

Plastic Framing 36 feet of 2’ wide plastic 28.60$

Hinge Devices 12 12$

Wheels 4 11.50$

Racks 3 (included in framing cost)

Total Total 52.10$

*consists of imported US materials intended to be assembled in USA and transported to Zambia*

With a change from wood to plastic, our device is designed to last for 10 years or maybe

even longer by eliminating the risk of rotting that accompanies the use of wood. However,

plastic is much less feasible when it comes to repairs so Ngozi would need to put extreme care

into every aspect of using the product.

Above: Instructions on how to build design

Conclusion: In regards to our customers needs, the seedling device developed by the Littany

Lions does a lot to meet them. Portability is achieved through a lightweight design that includes

wheels and handles to make it easier to move around. By doing so, it helps benefit Ngozi’s

business because he can now bring his plants with him to the market to sell. Furthermore, the

product uses materials found all over Africa and uses no electricity to prevent it from being

culturally and socially inappropriate. This benefits his business as well as it doesn’t detract from

Ngozi’s social status which could potentially lose him customers and networking opportunities.

In consideration to what could be done better next time, the Littany Lions recommend

working on reducing the weight of the product as it is still relatively heavy. Specifically, to the

point that the product could be held in one hand and be brought to markets to exhibit the

seedlings easily and effectively. If the team could change the DEM project, they would

emphasize the profit and/or yield aspect of the project because the design should attempt to

maximize the amount of healthy seedlings it grows as it will be the most important factor in

terms of the satisfaction of the client.

To conclude, the seedling device created by the Littany Lions effectively meet and

exceeded the requirements defined by Ngozi. As a result, the group believes that its final design

will better Ngozi business and allow him to maximize his profits in the seedling market.

References:

"A Brief History of Zambia." About.com Education . N.p., 10 June 2014. Web. 04 Sept. 2016.

<http://africanhistory.about.com/od/zambia/p/ZambiaHist.htm>.

"Framing Lumber & Studs." - The Home Depot . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

<http://www.homedepot.com/b/Lumber-Composites-Framing-Lumber-Studs/N-5yc1vZc3tc

"Wood Densities." Wood Densities . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

<http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-density-d_40.html>.

"Zambia and the IMF -- Page 1 of 11." Zambia and the IMF -- Page 1 of 11 . N.p., n.d. Web. 04

Sept. 2016. <http://www.imf.org/external/country/ZMB/>.