Facultatea de Design de Produs si Mediu

LUCRARE DE LICENTA

Absolvent: Rus Alexandru

Program de studii: IDP (lb. eng)

Conductor tiinific:

Prof. dr. eng. Anca BARSAN

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Contents

I. Documentation on hearing problems ................................................................. 3

Persona ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

Problem area ............................................................................................................................................ 7

Types of hearing aids ................................................................................................................................ 8

User requirement specification ............................................................................................................. 10

Types of solutions .................................................................................................................................. 11

Design arguments on esthetics, ergonomics and functionality ............................................................ 12

Environment context of use ................................................................................................................... 15

II. Product development .......................................................................................... 16

Product usability ..................................................................................................................................... 17

Design for manufacture and assembly .................................................................................................. 18

Product function ability system ............................................................................................................. 20

User testing ............................................................................................................................................. 23

III. Manufacturing final shape ................................................................................ 25

Evidence of prototype development considering aesthetics ................................................................ 27

Product aesthetics regarding color ......................................................................................................... 28

Failure mode and effects analysis ........................................................................................................... 29

Task analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 30

Product comparison ................................................................................................................................ 31

Life-Cycle Assessment ............................................................................................................................. 33

Exploded view of pillow ......................................................................................................................... 36

Technical 2D drawing .............................................................................................................................. 37

Finite element method ........................................................................................................................... 38

Instruction manual .................................................................................................................................. 39

Bluetooth T transmitter ......................................................................................................................... 42

Product design specification ................................................................................................................... 44

Risk assessment ...................................................................................................................................... 47

Sales ......................................................................................................................................................... 48

Market plan ............................................................................................................................................. 49

Intellectual property and community rights .......................................................................................... 50

Copy right and trademark ....................................................................................................................... 51

IV. Conclusions and personal contribution ....................................................... 52

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Exploded view of pillow

I. Documentation on hearing problems

Hearing loss, or other derivatives like deafness, hard of hearing is when a person loses

the ability to hear. If a person is usually born with a hearing problem is going to be hard or

impossible for him to develop he's language or can cause work related difficulties for adult, or

socializing problems for elderly.

Many factors can cause hearing problems, factors like: age, genetics, the country you live in, the

job, illness, chemicals and physical trauma. There are many test that should be done when

hearing is lost so that doctors can determine how severe the hearing loss is. the results usually

generated are expressed in decibels. Hearing loss is usually acquired by a person who at point

had no hearing impairment.

Causes of hearing problems

Usually as people grow elder they start

losing the ability to hear any high

frequencies. Men have a lead in the

bad way because the can start having

problems usually at the age of 25

while woman can start having hearing

problems at the age of 30, but may

young people are also affected, so we

can easily say that it does not matter

the age, nationality, or sex as long as

you are predispose to live in a bad

environment. Although genetically

variable it is a normal concomitant of

aging and is distinct from hearing

losses caused by noise exposure,

toxins or disease agents.

There are many ways you can prevent hearing

loss and in includes avoiding chemical agents,

loud noise, Preventing or taking care of the

hearing problem affects more than 10 percent of

the population. It caused moderate to severe

disability in 124 million people as of 2004

(108 million of whom are in low and middle

income countries). Of these 65 million

developed the condition during childhood.

Physicians are generally presented to cases

where people suffer for hearing problems all

across the world . Many people who have

hearing problems consider that it is more a

condition, not an illness. Treatments such as

cochlear implants have caused controversy in the

deaf community.

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Men are more likely than women to report having hearing loss.

One in eight people in the United States (13 percent, or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has

hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.

About 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 8.5

percent for adults aged 55 to 64. Nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of

those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.

The NIDCD estimates that approximately 15 percent of Americans (26 million people) between

the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss due to exposure to noise at work or

during leisure activities.

Roughly 10 percent of the U.S. adult population, or about 25 million Americans, has experienced

tinnitus lasting at least five minutes in the past year.

Among adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer

than one in three (30 percent) has ever used them. Even fewer adults aged 20 to 69

(approximately 16 percent) who could benefit from wearing hearing aids have ever used them.

Quick Statistics

Compiled by the

National Institute on

Deafness and Other

Communication

Disorders (NIDCD).

About 2 to 3 out of every

1,000 children in the

United States are born

with a detectable level of

hearing loss in one or

both ears.

More than 90 percent of

deaf children are born to

hearing parents.

Approximately 15% of

American adults (37.5

million) aged 18 and

over report some trouble

hearing.

In conclusion according to the National Institute of Deafness and

Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) America has a huge

number of people who suffer from hearing disorder and as shown

above in every year because of the sound pollution. A solution for

hearing lost are hearing aids they help in 94% of the cases as

shown in the pie chart. Most of the hearing aids in nowadays come

in many shapes that act with different types of frequencies.

5

Epidemiology

Disability-adjusted life year for hearing loss (adult onset) per 100,000 inhabitants in 2004.

Because global hearing loss affect about ten percent of the population that means that

approximately 120 million people suffer from hearing problems. Globally hearing loss

affects about 10% of the population to some degree. It caused moderate to severe disability in

124.2 million people as of 2004 (107.9 million of whom are in low and middle income

countries). Of these 65 million acquired the condition during childhood. At birth ~3 per 1000

in developed countries and more than 6 per 1000 in developing countries have hearing problems.

It has been shown that as a fact the older you get you are more likely to suffer from hearing aid.

We have here a table that shows different jobs that can affect hearing.

Hearing Loss by Profession

no data

700

6

Knowledge

Scial ComputerIncome levelTehnical knowledge

0246

Jan

Feb

Mar Ap

May Ju

July

Au

gSe

pt

Oct

No

vD

ecOut of the house

days

Persona

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Problem area

The result of the test show that, for most hearing

disabled individuals in the general population the common

hearing disabilities concern television and radio and general

conversation. The former is important from the standpoint of

planning services, particularly for the elderly hearing disabled,

for whom a grater orientation toward environmental aids

(assistive listening devices) is indicated . Such devices are

cheap, easy to install and are sometimes used by the oldest

groups instead of personal hearing-aids, whereas in others

they complement the use of personal hearing aids.

Environmental aids also have a unique role in helping

individuals having difficulties with telephone conversation,

telephone bells and doorbells.

On the left side we can see a chart made out

with the help of 12 people of different ages to see how

there herring on TV/ radio is affected. A number of other

specific complaints were reported similar to those found

in previous studies with the 'Problems Questionnaire'.

Age, social class, general health, smoking and the

individual's attitudes were found to influence the

pattern of response.

The Cardiff Health Survey included a question asking

whether the respondents had any difficulties with their

hearing and, if so, to specify the biggest difficulty. This self-

completed questionnaire was administered to 4,266

individuals randomly sampled from the electoral register of

Cardiff in 1986. 14.7% of those responding indicated a hearing

disability; and the main specific disabilities listed are

described. The commonest complaints were of difficulties

hearing the television and radio, and with general

conversation.

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Types of hearing aids

Type of users Advantage Disadvantage

BTE( Behind the ear) Is good for mainly all

the hearing problems

It is very durable

Batteries that have a

long life

Easy to use and

maintain

It can be seen

It is very

uncomfortable for

people who use sun

glasses

Mini BTE High frequency

hearing loss

Different models to

choose from

Easy to use

Can be use for any

other variations of

hearing aids

It can be seen

ITE ( In the ear) Mild - high

frequencies hearing

problems

One piece device

Easy to fit

Not very accurate at a

high frequency

ITC( In the canal) Mild to moderately-

hearing problems

Almost invisible for

the naked eye

Small scale hearing

aid device

Hard to control

because many people

with arthritis can't

operate it

CIC (Completely in

canal)

Moderate hearing

problems

Almost invisible for

the naked eye

Small scale hearing

aid device

Hard to maintain and

clean

Batteries have a short

life

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Common misconceptions about a hearing aid

Although awareness of the importance of hearing is growing, more people have difficulty in

perception of sounds in difficult acoustic environments, from an early enough age. Only a third

of the population is affected by hearing loss retirement age. Most patients are in school or

employed and nearly half of those hard of hearing are under 55 years old.

A hearing aid is a bad investment

Hearing aids are included in more modern segments prices and can meet the needs and budgets

of all patients. More importantly, considering the negative economic consequences of hearing

loss psychosocial and indirect costs of hearing loss are infinitely greater than the cost of a device

that will be used for years and can compensate for these effects.

A hearing aid "whiz" and is noisy

It is true that a hearing aid that provides sound amplification can cause feedback. However, due

to the elimination of feedback algorithms, modern digital cameras can provide a level of

amplification without that annoying feedback. In addition, DSP modes (Digital Signal

Processing) not only amplify sound, but the environment and adapts the listener is. These lead to

a better understanding in difficult conditions, at a hearing in noisy environments comfortable and

good sound quality when listening to music.

A hearing aid is large and unsightly

Hearing aids modern digital ergonomically designed and are available in several models, as

shown above. The latest models have various colors and can be matched with discreet hair color

or the user. Sound is transmitted to the ear through a thin tube and almost invisible.

General problems

Difficult to operate volume button because it's small

and some people have arthritis or have bad eye sight

and can't see the volume number settings. The off button witch after use many users forget to

turn it off and the battery runs of

Cheap models have an universal ear tube and most of

the time is vey uncomfortable and if the ear tube is

made so it can suit your ear perfectly it's expensive

Battery may be forgotten in the apparatus and

it can drain which will make the apparatus not

work any longer

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User requirement specification

User needs and wants are often expressed in a way that need some interpretation before being

useful Requirements are cataloged for primary(A) to secondary(B) to optional (C). The aim is to

convert these non-technical, non-quantified user needs and wants into a new set of products that

accomplish all the need of a consumer. Requirements can be defined in terms of objectives and

constraints (achievements and limitations). An objective is a requirement written in un-quantified

terms and a constraint is a requirement written in quantifiable terms

-A type requirement that are a must in a new design

-B secondary requirement in a new design

-C type are optional requirements for the new device

Light weight

Ergonomic shape

Good design

Comfortable to use

Not visible for other people

Easy to clean

Long time life batery

Easy to opperate

Working for all kinds of frequencies

A

B

C

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Types of solution

Ear ring with speakers Hat with speakers inside it Airplane pillow with

speakers

Ear ring with

speakers

Hat with

speakers inside

it

Airplane

pillow with

speakers

Product features 4 2 5

Product Overall Performance 2 4 5

Products Durability ,Construction and

Workmanship

4 2 2

Product performance claim 2 5 4

Operating instructions 3 3 5

Product ease of use 4 4 5

Safety hazards 4 2 4

Final score 23 22 30

Scale will be from 1 to 5 :

-1 will be minimum;

-5 will be maximum

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Design arguments on esthetics, ergonomics and functionality

Chose the most adequate shape user testing

Comfortable 5 3 5 4

Price 4 5 4 4

Easy to clean 5 4 4 4

Total nr of points 14 12 14 12

Scale will be from 1 to 5 :

-1 will be minimum;

-5 will be maximum

When we talk about ergonomics on pillows it's safe to say that memory foam is the best material to use. Memory foam was designed by NASA in 1965 for the airplane seats. Memory foam has the capacity to adapt to the to the pressure and heat that has been applied to it. The memory foam offers a comfortable stay and molds to the shape of the neck as you are watching television, and the big advantages is that is easy to clean by hand.

Specifications

Bluetooth stereo head set lets you listen to music or answer phones calls wirelessly.

A light weight and comfortable design for all day listening. High- quality speakers deliver crisp and rich sound. Speaker impedance: 32 ohm Transfer distance: 10M

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Implementing the best solution

The solution is to focus on the mail area of the problem as shown in the Cardiff chart and we can

notice that hearing problems start at the age of 40 and can affect anyone and it aggravates when

you are 60 or over. The mail problem occurs it the TV area , radio and door bell. We can create

a pillow that has already speakers incorporated so that the user can listen the TV throughout his

pillow while he is comfortably staying in his bed/sofa/chair. The pillow is going to receive

signal throughout a Bluetooth device inside it which is activated by a pressure button when the

user is fitting the pillow on his neck the pressure button activates and it automatically connects

to the Bluetooth on the TV and it start emitting sound in to the year of the user.

A charger is needed because the Working Time of the speakers 5 hrs. it's a simple way to charge you aid pillow while you are sleeping eating or doing any other activities except watching the television.

Bluetooth transmitter for TV

Audio Interface: 3.5mm/0.14in

Working Distance Range: approx 10m/33 feet

Enable you to enjoy music and voice in the Bluetooth-enabled

multimedia or music player wirelessly with a companion

Bluetooth Stereo headset

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The pillow will be made out of the following items:

- a Bluetooth device that will connect to the television,

-a smart TV that will have a compatible Bluetooth,

-a depositing space for the remote control

-2 fully functional HD speakers

-ergonomic features

-A charging device

-Long lasting batteries

-Pressure activation button

Final render

Ergonomic shape to support

the neck

Bluetooth device to receive

signal from the TV

High quality speakers for best

sound quality at all frequencies

Extra depositing space for

remote control

Pressure button to active

the speaker

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Environment context of use

Physical:

Visual conditions: Normal, the product in being used in the house where the illumination

conditions are good;

Auditory conditions: Normal, product is being used in the house the noise will affect the

performance of the product;

Thermal conditions: Normal, product being use in the house where the humidly is in the normal

parameters;

Vibrations: Will not affect the product, because vibrations are not a factor while using the

product;

Layout: The user will test the product only staying in a couch of other furniture which involves a

holding stance like chairs, beds, sofa, etc.

Social:

Social interaction is going to occurs when the pillow will be used in the room with other people

or when it will be used to communicate with other people throughout: Skype, Messenger,

telephone, etc.

Presence of other people will be reduced ;

Culturally: the product should not have a negative perception;

Privacy: Most of the action performed while using the product will be done in isolated places;

Status: The product will be used by one individual at a time.

Goals and Concerns

Goals:

To make the product easy to understand;

Take the user only 2-3 minutes to put in function the device;

Make the device easy to connect to the TV;

Make the pillow as comfortable and ergonomic as possible ;

Concerns:

Will the user understand the product?

What will be the most effective instruction to give before using the product written, audio, video

or photographic?

Will they manage to turn on the device and pair the television with the headphones?

Will the product be comfortable ?

Will it be easy to charge?

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II. Product development

Generic development process

Plan=> Concept Development=> System-Level design => Detailed Design=> Testing and

Refinements=> Launch product

Process involved in developing the product:

It goes from marketing and thinking if there is a safe market for the product, in my case

the product has a huge range of users because the pillow can be used in home for watching TV

to use as a hearing device for a telephone conversation, used in the car as a new product that can

replace the head rest to configure it so that the user can take telephone calls and/or listen to

music as he wishes.

The product in my case the speaker pillow must be made ergonomically for the user and have an

appealing color and an attractive design

Manufacturing is easy because the pillow needs only to be fitted, adapt speakers at the certain

position and stitch the velour cover of the pillow

Working from the initial sketches to advanced and rationalize prototypes

The initial sketch had 2 speakers a per formant

Bluetooth device to capture signal from over 10

meters a ergonomic pillow and a special pocket for

the TV remote control. After analyzing and user

testing the product the special pocket for the remote

was not necessarily, because in makes the pillow

heavier and is hard to fit and does not look right. The

2 speakers that initially were in the design where

changed with a Bluetooth headset , which made the

product easier to manufacture and more ergonomic

and lighter. The pillow from the initial design had

also had a pressure button inside the pillow which I

had removed it and attached a turn on/off button

which has LED lights green/red to help to understand

when the speakers are on, and in makes a double beep

son as well when you turn it in, and It's a big button

so it can be user friendly for the people who suffer

from arthritis .

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Product usability

The idea of a pillow with speakers it's a great way to implement functionality in many

environments and surroundings.

The pillow can be implemented and have many benefic function from using it in hospital to

using it in a room with other people when you don't want to disturb other persons, in a cinema, in

a game simulation room, in wheel chairs for people who have disabilities. It can be used in many

locations for different activities offering users a better stance and a better sound quality.

It can be implemented in chairs to

assure people a ergonomic stance

while working at the computer with

the help of the ergonomic shaped

pillow. The Bluetooth system and the

headphone connection will help while

having a conversation throughout

different social communication

applications like: Skype, Messenger,

Facebook, etc. (fig 1)

Fig 1

The pillow can also be implemented in the

headrest of a car without obligating the drivers

who want to talk on the phone. A Bluetooth ear

device can be unbearable after a certain point and

you have to look all the time for it to assure the

fact that you are not forgetting it and it cannot be

used by other people because it is not hygienic.

From the new shape of the pillow it will assure a

better stance for the driver and a better support for

the neck in the case of a lateral collision (Fig. 2).

And another advantage is that the Bluetooth

pillow will not need batteries because it can get

charged directly from the battery of the car.

Fig 2

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Design for manufacture and assembly

DFMA is a technique in nowadays to help create and launch a product in the marker, to improve

any cost and efficiency. Studies related to DFMA provide guidance to the design team and

simplifying the product structure, to reduce manufacturing and assembly cost, and to do quality

improvements and include any other improvements that are needed. Attention to detail is going

to affect the total cost of the product, not implement a new design if the functions of the product

have to suffer. It is important to understand that a new design must be compared to the existing

products.

An design engineers job is to understand DFMA and its effects on :

-creating a product easy to understand

-cost reduction, less parts to manufacture, receive and design

-more energy efficient regarding the fact that there are less parts to manufacture

-easy to assemble, reducing the total nr of hours for the assembling workers

-get the best price without losing quality

Porposed design

Establishing manufacture cost

Reduce cost of assembly/components/production

Consider the modification to not affect the intial design

Recompute de cost

Aproval

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1) Estimate manufacturing cost

Cost must include raw material, purchased components, employs effort, energy, equipment.

One ergonomic pillow will cost 10 euro, 2 speakers with Bluetooth will cost around 20 euro,

charger is going to cost 5 euro and manufacturing of the product is going to take 4 hours to adapt

the speakers in the pillow, do all the right stitching, test the product before being lunched, test

quality of the speakers, and pack the product .

A Bluetooth adaptor system for the television is 25 euro. Other cost including shipping differ

from where the product is to where the product needs to be shipped.

The total cost of the system is 80 euro for the TV pack , and for the normal pack for only the

pillow will cost 55 euro.

2) Reduce the cost of the components

Redesign components to eliminate processing steps: reducing the number of processing steps

generally results in lower costs too. Choose appropriate economic scale for part process. Reduce

the product that are not needed. Standardize components and processes.

Manufacturing system

Equipment Information Tooling

Raw

Materials

Labor

Purchased

Components

Finished Good

Energy Supplies Services

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3) Reduce cost of assembly

Design for assembly (DFA) is a well-known subset of DFM that involves minimizing the cost of

assembly, for most products, assembly contributes relatively small fraction of the total cost.

However, DFA yields strong indirect benefits.

Maximize ease of assembly

-Parts are going to be self align the pillow with the speakers

-pars don't need specific orientation because they are going to fix specifically in there one place

-product needs only 2 processes that is introducing the speakers and stitching the pillow

-assembly needs no special tools except a sticking machine

-customer does not need to assemble anything .

4) Reduce the cost of supporting production

Minimize systemic complexity: a tally of complexity drivers can be produced scoring various

design options, with drivers including: number of new parts, new vendors, custom parts, new

major tooling, new production process.

5)Impact on the product after DFM decisions

The product must maintain at the best quality it's functions and not diminish the design, function

ability and ergonomics of the product. And it is important to know that the workers jobs are easy

and have simple steps in creating the product so that it will reduce the time of manufacturing

which will enable them to manufacture more products at the same high quality standards. And

the packaging would be doe as well in an eco friendly appealing box that will minimize the

handling of the product as much as possible.

Product function ability system

Bluetooth technology :

Bluetooth wireless technology (BWT) was developed in 1994 by Ericsson in Sweden. The

original purpose of BWT was to eliminate the need for proprietary cable connections between

devices such as PDAs and notebook PCs. Although infrared communication existed at the time,

it required line-of sight contact. Therefore, Ericsson chose to use an inexpensive, low-power

radio built into each device, making it possible to wirelessly connect devices through walls and

other nonmetallic materials. After Ericsson began work on BWT, the concept blossomed into a

radio technology that simultaneously connects several devices in a wireless personal area

network (WPAN).

BWT-enabled devices operate in the unrestricted 2.4-gigahertz (GHz) Industrial, Science,

Medical (ISM) band. The ISM band ranges between 2.400 GHz and 2.483 GHz. BWT-enabled

devices use seventy-nine 1-megahertz frequencies (from 2.402 to 2.480 GHz) in the ISM band as

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shown in Figure 1. BWT-enabled devices use a technique called frequency hopping to minimize

eavesdropping and interference from other networks that use the ISM band. With frequency

hopping, the data is divided into small pieces called packets. The transmitter and receiver

exchange a data packet at one frequency, and then they hoop to another frequency to exchange

another packet. They repeat this process until all the data is transmitted. BWT devices randomly

hop between frequencies up to 1600 times per secondmuch faster than other types of devices

that use the ISM band. This means that if another device, such as a 2.4-GHz cordless phone,

interferes with a BWT network at a particular frequency, the interference only lasts for about

1/1600 of a second until the BWT devices hop to another frequency. This gives BWT networks a

high immunity to interference from other 2.4-GHz devices. There are three classes of BWT radio

devices, each with a different maximum range: Class 1 (100 meters); Class 2 (50 meters); and

Class 3 (10 meters). HP notebooks feature Class 3 BWT radios, and HP printers feature Class 1

radios.

BWT network topologies BWT-enabled devices form network topologies called piconets and

scatter nets. A piconet consists of up to eight BWT-enabled devices (Figure 2). When a piconet

is established, one device sets the frequency-hopping pattern and the other devices synchronize

their signals to the same pattern. The device that sets the frequency-hopping pattern is called the

primary device and the other devices are called secondary devices. Each piconet has a different

frequency-hopping pattern to differentiate its signals from the signals of other piconets.

A scatternet is formed when two or more piconets are linked by a common BWT-enabled device

(Figure 3). When a device is present in multiple piconets, it synchronizes to the master of each

piconet with which it is currently communicating and sets the hopping pattern of the piconet in

which it is the master.

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Establishing BWT connections This section describes how to establish BWT connections using

your notebook PC, iPAQ Pocket PC, printer, and cellular phone. The first step is to activate

BWT functionality on each device. Then, you can select the services (profiles) that your device

will make available to other BWT-enabled devices. If you decide to operate your device in

secure mode, you must pair the device with another BWT-enabled device before they can

interoperate.

Pairing is a bonding procedure that allows you to avoid entering access information each time

two devices establish a connection. If Secure Connection is enabled, devices will pair

automatically the first time they connect (a password, or passkey, must be successfully

exchanged). When you pair two devices, they generate and store a common link key so that you

do not need to enter the passkey. Paired devices exchange encrypted data that cannot be

deciphered by unauthorized devices. The devices remain paired even when One of the devices

is not powered on. A service connection is interrupted or the service is stopped. One or both

of the devices are restarted. You can manually pair your device with another connected device by

right-clicking the device icon in My Bluetooth Places and selecting Pair Device from the shortcut

menu. To unpair a device, rightclick the device icon in My Bluetooth Places, and then select

Unpair Device from the shortcut menu. For my project I will need a Bluetooth transmitter type

V3.0 to assure that the sound from the television is transmitter so that the headphones can

capture it. like in the figures shown bellow.

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User Testing

What is user testing?

As the scientist Nielsen J. said:" Usability testing is a technique used in user centered interaction

designed to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This can be seen as a irreplaceable usability

practice, since it gives direct input on how real users use the system. "

Why is it useful?

User testing is really useful because it lets the designer to figure out the problems that a product has in

order for us to improve product usability. Usability consist in effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction of

the user.

One of the biggest benefits of user testing is that you can see where your users encounter

problems and get stuck. For example: Confusing or misleading navigation; Problems signing in

or creating an account; Buttons dont work on mobile devices; Inaccurate search results;

As Michael McWatters said, Actual humans will expose problems youve failed to identify during your design and development process. Even the best teams cant predict every possible pitfall.

Keep in mind that your real users will be using your product on different devices, while theyre distracted, multi-tasking, and on the go. So the way they interact with your productand the problems they encounterwill be different from the issues youll find when you test it on your own, with your team, in your office.

In the first graphic the users where challenged to do a series of tests in order for me to

understand what are the flaws regarding my product, all the users had problems paring the

Bluetooth device, turning it on and off and charging it was impossible as the confirmed. On this

chart 100 means easy to use and understand , and 0 means impossible to understand operate.

In order to verify if the product is: easy to understand, desirable, and functional; you need to test

the product. The purpose of testing the product is to evaluate a product by the target consumer

and improve the product. The users had ages between 22-81. In all the cases the product was

tested and the results where diversified. All the users said that the product is comfortable but the

sound is not received directly in the ear earphones are not at the same level as their ear. Other

problems include the fact that the pillow was ergonomic but not ergonomic enough. Esthetically

taking the color of the pillow is not attractive, not even the shape it is a normal airplane pillow

"U" shaped it does not motivate them to give any attention to but the pillow. Another problem

was that the on/off button was inaccessible, and the headphones could not be adjusted for

different types of persons.

After finding out that the users had so many problems in so many levels I was required to change

the product drastically, so that they can actually use the product.

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User 1

User 2

User 30

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Paring Bluetooth

Turning On/Off Charging Waching Tv

Taling on the phone

User 1

User 2

User 3

The height of the pillow does not allow the headphones to

be at the proper height so it can adjust to the ears The end of the headphones is not visible so that the

headphones do not emit high quality sound and the buttons

for : volume, forward, backwards, on/off are not visible , and

the headphones cannot be adjusted.

The color is not adequate because it is not an eye ketches

that was the main argument brought. So that the new pillow

will come in different color varieties.

The photos here show

how 2 out of the 3 users

tested the product while

talking on the phone,

and watching TV, and

other tests that include

necessary activities in

order to understand the

product activities like:

paring the Bluetooth

device, Turning on/off

the headphones,

charging the batteries.

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III. Manufacturing final shape

Taking in consideration that the product need sever transformation I took in consideration all the

aspects regarding the ergonomics functionality, usability, desirability and created a new design

that will guarantee more satisfaction to the user. From the initial pillow I had to do some

adjustments so that the pillow is going to be offer a better neck support. So the pillow was

trimmed( as you can see from image 1 to image 2) and inside of it was created a space that will

fit the headphones. After the headphones were fitted into the pillow (Img.3) the first part of the

manufacturing the product was completed.

In order to complete the pillow I had to buy another pillow so that I could create a higher pillow

that will offer a better neck support. And after putting them one above another(Img.4), the final

step was to fit the pillow with a organic material that has an eye catching color(Img.5). In order

to make the product more appealing the protecting sponge of the headphones was fitted with the

same material as the pillow so that it would stand out (Img6).

After the product was finished all the improvements could be easily noticed. Now the

earphones: can be charged(Img.7) , are adjustable(Img.8) and can be manipulated (Img.9).

Product improvement

After the user testing was done, the product needed to be drastically modified from the initial

shape to a new one.

Img 1. Img 2. Img. 3

Img 4. Img 5. Img. 6

Img 7. Img. 8 Img. 9

26

As we can see all the main activities where understood and where easy to do this time because

the product was reshaped in a way that it can be fictional, usable and desirable. So that activities

like watching the TV, charging, talking on the phone, pairing devices, and turning it on and off

can be possible.

0102030405060708090

100

User 1

User 2

User 3

Initial design Second design Final design

The new product went again through

the same new tests and the results where

drastically changed. The user said it offers

more comfort and is more ergonomic. The

sound quality is better than before. Other

comments included facts like: the product

now has a better design, is more appealing.

The product now is easy to operate and

manipulate. At the second user testing the

tester did test the product while watching

the TV, listening to the radio and having a

telephone conversation. The product had a

good feedback, the users where completely

pleased with the product.

27

Evidence of prototype development considering aesthetics

When the first product was done it was more efficient if you take in consideration the labor that

you put in to create the product, but if had to many down sizes like ergonomics, color,

functionality, usability. It was impossible to operate the initial headphone(fig.1) so on the new

product(fig.2) we can see that the pillow is fully operable and the headset is visible so it can be

fully operable. So it is a bigger investment but now we have a fully operable product, which is

functional, usable, desirable.

After user testing I had found out that they don't

want something that scream out. The users want a

ergonomic pillow and the only preferences they have

is when is related to the shape of the pillow and the

variety of colors the come in. I had came up with a

large variation of colors and materials for the cover

and a more balanced look on the pillow so that it will

fit the user's needs. And from the shown image we

can see that is important that a product has the

following three characteristics: Functionality,

usability and desirability.

Desirable

Usable

Functional

(Fig1) Usable , Functional (Fig2) Usable , Functional, Desirable

28

Product aesthetics regarding color

The products aesthetics needed to have range of variation when talking about colors, so I created

using Photoshop a range of colors that can be suitable for the pillow. I used standard colors that

will make the product fit in the room and suit with the rooms design. Due to user feedback it was

necessarily to create different colors for the product, and here is a list of the colors that will be

adequate for the product.

Light green Yellow Orange

Magenta Bright Red Purple

Light Blue Baby Blue Blue

29

Failure mode and effects analysis

The process helps identify potential areas of failure in a potential product (concept), existing

product or one in development (design) and a manufacturing process (process). It then allows

these potential failures to be ranked in terms of the severity of failure, likelihood of failure and

how easy or difficult it is to detect the failure.

Three types:

-Functional;

-Design;

-Process;

30

Task analysis

People interact with products to achieve their goals in this case the gold is to watch the television

and hear what is transmitting through a pillow . Users achieve their goals with products through

performing a number of interactions. Each interaction the user performs with a product can be

referred to as a task. It is the experience of performing these tasks in relation to the desired goal

that mostly determines the success of your design.

A task analysis allows you to systematically identify the range of interactions required by the

intended users in order to achieve their goal with your product this is useful as:

- Helps to identify aspects of a product that may be difficult/problematic to use;

- Helps to identify where use error may occur;

- Helps to identify where interactions can be enhanced to ensure the desired design intent /

experience of using the product is achieved.

An extra step is to charge the device after a day of use the battery will las normally from 9 to 12

hours.

To many steps in a product might make it hard to understand for the user also making the

product hard to understand. My product has 9 steps, which have a chronological order, so it will

make it easy for the user. The fewer the task steps, and the lower the demand/effort required so

the easier the product will be to use

Open content

Press start button on pillow

Plug in bluettoth transmiter to TV

Before

Pull pillow under neck

Adjust spekers

Watch TV

During Remove pillow from

neck

Press stop button

Turn of television

After

31

Product comparison

In nowadays designers have created a product for mainly any problem that occurred to the

human in its existence and now we are only trying to improve the initial design, and remake and

innovate products. I searched the internet and found products that had similar functions and

purpose. I had made some assumptions regarding the pillows that are already on the market

based on the comments and the feedback I received from user testers. I had used the Benchmark

test and the comparison test in order to get a realistic result.

1 2 3 4 5

Product

features

Product

overall

performance

Product

durability,

construction

workmanship

Product

performance

in different

situations

Operating

instructions

Ease of use

Safety

hazards

Price

Total 31 24 27 26 17

The stars where accorded to the pillow based on the description of the product on the internet.

My pillow (1) has an ergonomic shape a 3.0 Bluetooth which can transmit to over 15 meters, the

batteries last for 4 to 8 hours, it is easy to operate, you need to know only 2 commands. The

price is 50 euro.

32

The second pillow contains two built-in 3 inch speakers, with a visco-elastic foam interior and

plush micro-suede exterior to place to cradle your neck. It uses an AC adapter or six D batteries.

iPillow also has a special pouch to hold your mp3 player, and a large rotary volume control on

the side.

Price is $75 at Brookstone.

The third pillow (3) features:

1. Bluetooth Pairing

2. Pick up/end call

3. Volume control

4. Mute

5. Redialing

6. 8 hrs talk time

7. 300 hrs standby

8. LED indicators for operating/charging status and Bluetooth

9. Microphone

10. Loudspeaker

11. Ergonomic shape

12. Washable coat

13. Inner rechargeable battery with 220 volt charging unit

14. Size: 54 x 33 x 13 cm

The "PurCushion" can already be pre-ordered from Urban Tool for 349 Euros (about $531

USD).

The forth pillow (4) is called the "Neck pillow speakers" and it features Materials: Toweling,

Lycra, Polystyrene, Polyester & ABS Dimension: 29cm x 33cm x 10cmPacking window fabric

bag Color: Grey * micro beads filling* 2 x speakers* plug & play with iPod, MP3, laptop/PC

and others audio devices.* no batteries required FREQUENCY RANGE 150-16kHz, VOICE

COIL IMPEDANCE 8ohm MAX, SOUND PRESSURE 2W + 2W RMS, CABLE LENGTH

120cm, AUDIO PLUG DIAMETER 0.35cm. Price is 22.50 USD.

The fifth pillow (5) has a built-in speaker allows you to listen to music in bed without disturbing

your partner. An embedded speaker produces crisp, clear sound that's only audible to the person

lying on the pillow. The speaker is virtually undetectable inside of the pillow to ensure a

comfortable sleeping surface. The pillow's 46"-long stereo cord connects to an iPod, Smart

Phone, or any device with a 3.5 mm audio port. The pillow has a smooth 180 thread-count 100%

cotton cover and soft hypoallergenic polyester fill. Spot clean. 26" L x 20" W x 4" D. (1 1/2 lbs.).

Price 29.95 USD.

33

Life-Cycle Assessment

Life cycle analysis is a system which analyses the products emissions within its life time, from

raw materials, manufacture, use and disposal. Within each stage energy is used to product a

material, need for transportation, manufacture of the product etc. The overall emissions which it

will create are not environmentally friendly, this will be a ending factor which will happen for

every product as its impossible to produce a item without using energy. However it's possible to

reduce the factors which add up emissions such as CO2, NO2, SOX and other, by using eco

friendly and sustainable methods, that can reduce the overall pollution.

As stated in the Product Design Specification, my product will follow all the regulations, this

will ensure the product is safe to discard and parts can be replaced or used for different purposes.

Logistics

Term used to apply more to the military: organising services & supplies to complex operations

Now an alternative name for supply chain management

Reduce cost, time, and inefficiencies at each stage in the supply chain

Newest developments include lean supply chain management doing more with less and increasingly of late lean & green supply chain management

1990 1195 19961197

19981999

20002001

2002

Transport via pipeline

Tubes and trams

Taxis & minicabs

Railways

Buses and coaches Water transport

Road freight Air transport

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

millio

n t

on

nes o

f carb

on

dio

xid

e e

qu

ivale

nt

date

transport type

Carbon Dioxide emissions from UK transport industryCarbon Dioxide emissions from Romania's transport industry

34

Transportation:

In order to transport a product we need to understand all the possible solutions and adopt the

most appropriate one.

My product will require materials to be produced in other countries due to being cost effective

and being faster to make. China is the main country which produces cheap and efficient products

these days, this is due to low labor cost. Producing abroad saves time and money in mass

production scales. My product will require materials to be produced in USA, China and EU, all

to be assembled in China and sent back to the EU for sale. The miles which each transport trip

are kilometers.

-China to Romania 8.230 km;

This distance depends on the companies which I decide to manufacture from and what facilities

they have for the sake of argument materials produced in USA, Germany , Denmark may be the

Bluetooth headphone and the fabric in Romania. It would be cost effective to send those pars

directly to China for assembly to be made and then sent back to Romania. This will save money

and cost for shipping if the bulk of material is sent to the location directly. The method of

shipping may change due to the type of product which is manufactured, if a prototype is shipped

it would be shipped by flight due to being cheaper than a ship. The same goes for large amounts

of products, they would be shipped by a shipping gate to be more efficient in cost.

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Mopeds & motorcyclesCivil aircraft

RailwaysShipping

BusesLight duty vehicles

International aviationInternational shipping

HGVsPassenger cars

0.0

100.0

200.0

300.0

400.0

500.0

600.0

700.0

800.0

em

issio

ns b

y t

ho

usan

d t

on

nes

year

vehicle type

Emissions of Nitrogen oxides by transport type (UK)

Nitrogen Oxide emissions from Romania's transport industry

35

In order to create a efficient product in must have the four R's.

-To recycle the product in any method and way, this will reduce the need to manufacture new

parts for a product and save material and cost while manufacturing a new product.

-To repair the product if broken or damaged if possible, this will save the product from being

thrown away and to be re-used again.

-To reuse the product in any other manner when broken, relating to my product the user is able to

use the pillow as a standard pillow.

-To rethink the product and make it more sustainable and friendly manner of designing the

product if it reduced the emissions it's creates then it makes it a better product for the

environment.

My design will flow these four R's when manufactured for the public it will dramatically decrease

the cost for material and will make the product more sustainable. For my product I will list down

the energy CO2, NoX, SoX which my product may produce, this will include transportation of the

materials to assembly points around the world such as China to Romania.

Materials Weight Energy Co2 No2 So2

Pillow ( Memory foam) 0.245 kg 21.02 0.9 1.2 0.87

Headphone

support(ABS)

0.112kg 18.43 1.1 1.3 0.95

Wire(Copper) 0.010kg 0.088 7.2 6.8 7.9

Packaging (PVC) 0.3 19.3 3.1 2.8

36

Exploded view of pillow

An exploded view drawing is a

diagram, picture, schematic or technical

drawing of an object, that shows the

relationship or order of assembly of various

parts.

It shows the components of an object slightly

separated by distance, or suspended in

surrounding space in the case of a three-

dimensional exploded diagram. An object is

represented as if there had been a small

controlled explosion emanating from the middle

of the object, causing the object's parts to be

separated an equal distance away from their

original locations.

The exploded view drawing is used in parts

catalogs, assembly and maintenance manuals

and other instructional material.

An exploded view drawing is a type of drawing,

that shows the intended assembly of mechanical

or other parts. It shows all parts of the assembly

and how they fit together. In mechanical

systems usually the component closest to the

center are assembled first, or is the main part in

which the other parts get assembled. This

drawing can also help to represent the

disassembly of parts, where the parts on the

outside normally get removed first.

Exploded diagrams are common in

descriptive manuals showing parts placement,

or parts contained in an assembly or sub-

assembly. For my project is shown how the top

pillow goes on top of the headphones and the

headphone go on the second pillow and after

that the pillow is covered in material.

37

Technical 2 D drawing

There's no surprise that drawing in 3D is used more commonly these days. 3D is much easier to

get started with, and more user friendly for people who might not have a deeper knowledge of

drawing in 2D or know how projection lines should align in the different views. Still 3D isn't

always the easiest and quickest way forward.

Sometimes simple 2D schematic plans or drawings say everything you need to know. Moreover,

AutoCAD has wonderful and easy to use features that enable you to quickly get the job done by

hide/show, lock different layers or use standard patterns and components specific to the industry

you're working in.

With the support of major industries, like civil and electrical engineering, drawing 2D is

definitely in the scheme for years to come.

I created with the help of the program CATIA v5R19 a 2 D technical drawing that is normally

supposed to be on a A0 page so that the drawing can be on 1:1 scale. I have attached a Bottom

view, a left view and a front view. There was no need for a right view cause it's the same with

the left view and a top view was not necessarily cause on the front view were dimensioned each

and every point of the product. All the dimension are clearly defined.

38

Finite element method

The only product that will be put

under stress is going to be the

headphones, at each and every

use the will have a stress applied

in order to fit them to the ears. In

order to analyze the stress I had

created a replica of the

headphone respecting the

dimensions of the actual

headphones and the material

used in order to create the real

headphones. I did in Catia a

series of tests in order to find out

if the headphones will resist

under pressure. I have applied a

force of 500 N which is equal to a

force of 50 kg of pressure for

each part of the headphone, in

order to demonstrate that the

product will resist in time. In fig

1 was realized a Von Misses

analysis which shows a scalar

stress value and the red surface

area shows where the stress gets

to the maximum point, for a 500

N pressure. In figure 2 we have a

new displacement representation

called a traditional displacement.

And in the third representation

we have a estimated local error

figure.

fig 1

fig 2

fig 3

39

Instruction manual

When a product in launched in the open market it needs to have an instruction manual which will

be easy to understand, a website where you can get additional information and if possible video

clips to show how the product can be used and show all its functions. The manual should also be

written in all the languages, so that it could be understood by all the buyers from around the

world.

The led indicator will show:

a) Charging status

Led indicator Status of the headset

Red led is on Charging

Red led is off Finished charging

b) In use

Led indicator Status of the headset

Red and blue led blink alternately Pairing

Blue led blinks every 3 second Non-conversation

Blue led gradually turns on and off Conversation

1: Retractable string

2:""Key: Next song

4: Led indicator

5: " " Multifunctional Button (MFB): answer, end reject call,

pause and play

6:"-" Key, volume down

7:"+" Key, volume up

8: Charging port

40

How to use

Listen to music, TV, radio:

A: Switching on/off headset:

Switch on: press and hold MFB for 5 seconds, blue led light is on for 1 second, you can hear

"Do" tune

Switch off: press and hold MFB for 5 seconds, red led light is on for 1 second, you can hear

"Do" tune

B: Pairing the headset with Bluetooth devices:

a) how to enter paring mode

Be sure BHT-201 is in power status firs, press and hold the MFB for 5 seconds, till red and blue

led blink alternately, or if you hear the indication of the sound "DO DO" twice, then release the

MFB button, then the unit will pair.

b) Pairing the headset with Bluetooth devices :

Make the headset enter into pairing mode( please refer to "how to enter paring mode").

After searched, select "BTH-201" in the device list

According to indication, enter the password "0000" if needed. And press "connect" when

successful connecting, the red led from the headset will quickly blink twice, then the green led

lighting every 4 seconds.

Remark: Make sure that your devise has Bluetooth function.

Answer Calling

Switch on the headset and make sure in the well connection with mobile phone. Here is the table

for operations.

Function Status of headset Operation

Answer calling Ringing Short press MFB

Volume up Conversation mode Short press or long

Press "+" key, when the

volume is adjusted to

Maximum, you will hear an

indication tone

Volume down Conversation mode Short press or long press "-"

key, when the volume is

adjusted to Minimum, you

will hear an indication tone.

41

How to wear the headset:

The string of headset is retractable, please adjust according to your comfortable size, logo "L"

means left ear and "R" means right ear.

Charging the headset:

Insert the USB charging cable into port of PC.

Connect charging cable with the charging port of headset.

When the red light is on, the headset is charging.

When the red light is off, the headset is charging fully.

Re-connecting the Bluetooth device

A) Automatic connecting

Every time the headset is switched on, it will connect to the nearest and the las connected device

automatically.

When the headset is in standby mode and doesn't connect to any device, short press MFB button,

it will connect to last connected device automatically.

Specification

Bluetooth version V3.0+EDR

Support Bluetooth profile HSP,HFP,A2DP,AVRCP

Standard battery Build in rechargeable 300 mAh lithium

battery

Music play time Max 10 hours

Standby time 250 hours

Charging time 3 hours

Talk time 10 hours

Dimension 14.5*10*6 cm

Weight 112 g

Operating range 10 meteres

Frequency 2429 MHz-2480MHz ISM Ban

Microphone specification -42dB

Input Dc 5V

Accessories User manual and USB cable

Warning

Read Safety instructions before making volume changes

Safe use depends on exposure time and volume levels

42

Bluetooth T transmitter

Getting started

1. Parts Checklist Check the contents of the box the device should contain: Bluetooth transmitter, AC Charger, RCA Cable & User Manual

2. Charging the Bluetooth T transmitter

The device comes with a built-in rechargeable battery. Before using it for the first time, it is

recommended to charge the battery fully. When the device is low on power, the red LED will

flash. This will be the time to recharge the battery.

Connect the charger to a standard power outlet and the charger connector to the charging jack of the device. The Red LED will be on during charging. It takes about 3 hours to charge the battery fully. When charging is complete, the red LED will be off. You can safely leave the power supply plugged into the device at all times so there is no need to re-charge. Note: Please dont attempt to take the battery out of the device as this may damage the device. Warning:

1)The battery is recyclable.

2)Do not dispose of the battery in fire, as it may cause explosion.

3. Attaching the device to your Television or Primary Device Before attaching to your device, refer to the device user manual for information on the audio output jack. The device must be connected to an analog audio out jack. Attaching to a 3.5mm Headset Jack: Plug the 3.5mm plug into the 3.5mm Headset Jack on located on your TV. Refer to your TV User Manual for location of the headset jack. The volume of the headset jack will be controlled by the TVs volume control unless the TV has independent controls for the headset jack.

1. About the Bluetooth T transmitter The device is a Bluetooth stereo transmitter. The music from your MP3, PC and other devices can be transmitted wirelessly to your Bluetooth stereo receiver with it.

The device has built-in rechargeable battery and can be used for 9-10 hours on a fully charged battery. You can safely leave the power supply plugged into the device at all times so there is no need to re-charge.

2. Overview

1)LED indicator

2)3.5 mm audio in plug

3) Charging jack

1

2 3

43

Attaching to an Analog RCA Audio Out Jack on the primary device that is connected to your cable (cable box, DVD player or TV itself): 1. Connect the red and white connectors of the RCA cable to the red and white jacks on the TV or primary device. 2. Connect the 3.5mm plug of the device into the black 3.5mm jack on the RCA cable. Attaching to your MP3 player or other Sound Output Device Plug the 3.5mm plug into the 3.5mm Headset Jack on your audio device. The device is designed to be used with STEREO devices. If you are attaching the device to a mono audio device, you must use a 3.5mm mono-to-stereo adapter. After the Bluetooth T transmitter connects to a Bluetooth stereo receiver, you can enjoy audio wirelessly. Before pairing, please make sure your Bluetooth stereo receiver supports Bluetooth A2DP profile. The pairing steps are as follows:

1) Make sure the Bluetooth T transmitter is off, otherwise switch it off; 2) Keep the Bluetooth T transmitter and your Bluetooth stereo receiver within 5 feet; 3) Switch on your Bluetooth stereo receiver and make it enter pairing mode; 4) Press and hold the Bluetooth T transmitter MFB for 79 seconds and release it when

the red and blue LEDs flash alternately. At this time, the Bluetooth T transmitter has entered pairing mode;

5) The Bluetooth T transmitter will automatically search for the Bluetooth stereo receiver and finish the connection;

6) After successful connection, the blue LED of the Bluetooth T transmitter flashes once or twice every 4 seconds.

Care and maintenance: Before using the Bluetooth T transmitter, please read the following recommendations, it will help you to enjoy the product for many years.

Do not expose the product to liquid, moisture or humidity to avoid the products internal circuit being affected.

Do not expose the product to extremely high or low temperature as this will shorten the life of electronic devices, destroy the battery or distort certain plastic parts.

Dont use abrasive cleaning solvents to clean the product. Dont dispose of the product in a fire as it will result in an explosion. Dont expose the product to contact with sharp objects as this will cause scratches and damage.

Dont let the product fall down onto the floor. The internal circuit might get damaged

Specifications:

44

Product design specification

A product design specification (PDS) is a statement of what a not-yet-designed product intends

to do. It is aimed do ensure that subsequent design and development of a product meets the

need of the user: Product design specification is o of the elements that is necessary in creating a

proper product lifecycle management of the product to ensure costumer demands .

The PDS acts as an initial boundary in the development of the products.

1) Performance :

-What exactly is your product going to do?

The whole concept of the product is to help people who have hearing problems, especially older

people cause they usually have hearing problems that are usually related to watching television,

listening to the radio, having a telephone conversation, etc.

-Under what circumstances?

Assuming the fact that the hearing problem occurs the while watching television or having a

telephone conversation the pillow has a volume setting button that will go up to 70 decibel

-For how long?

The product is designed so that the user can utilize the product while staying in the bed and

watching TV or while sitting in the sofa and having a telephone conversation, while driving the

car and listening to music/ or having a telephone conversation etc. The product runs on batteries

that have a lifecycle of 8 hours which is enough to support any tipe of activity during the day

time and at night the can be recharged.

2) Economy

Specify a high performance product is one thing. Paying for it, is another. Can the performance

you desire be realized at a reasonable cost?

The product should offer its maximum performance at a reasonable cost without other additional

costs. The product cost on the super market should be around 50 euro. Which is a reasonable

price considering that is a high tech device that uses Bluetooth technology, headphones, speakers

and has many uses . The product is economical because it has many uses and you don't need to

buy an individual headphone connection for every activity that you do, because the product

incorporates many activities as mentioned above.

3) Target production cost:

Realistically what will be the cost of the product?

-The product has a simple design to implement, two "U" shape pillows and a inside Bluetooth

headphones and a material to cover them. The total cost of the pillow material will be of 7 euro

the headphones will cost 10 euro the cover material will cost 3 euro + manufacturing. The

product cost will be of around 25-30 euro am should go to sell in a supermarket or a pharmacy or

a specialized store for 50 euro.

4) Quantity:

How many units are to be produced?

45

The number of products should be in a very large scale cause from my research around 20

percent of the population haze at one point a hearing aid problem, so that users are always there

to be interested in the product .

5) Customers:

Understanding customers need and preferences can greatly increase your product's chance of

being successful. From my research regarding people who suffer from hearing aids, I found out

that the major problems are related in the whacking TV area and telephone conversation . This is

a great solution in solving those problems at a reasonable price. The product will be primary

aimed for the elderly population, but not only, cause hearing aids can affect any person without

taking to consideration age, race, religion. It can also be appealing to people that drive because it

offers a great support for the neck and it does not involve wearing a Bluetooth device in your ear

all the time .

6)Size

The size of the pillow is going to be universal but in can also be customized depending on how

long the neck of the customer is.

7)Maintenance

The product might need maintenance if the headphone get damaged. The product Comes along

with 6 months guarantee change if the product comes along any technical difficulties with the

speakers or the Bluetooth or the batteries.

8)Materials

The product is made out of numerous materials from cotton, to foam, polypropylene , aluminum,

circuit board, aluminum, fabric, beryllium, ceramic. If the product is going to be recycled it

should be recycled in a special recycling center.

9) Ergonomics

The product has been tested and improved for a better ergonomic stance for the user. The surface

of the foam will adapt to the shape of the neck and head and with the extra top pillow is going to

assure a better stance. The product has dents at the top shape for a better support of the neck, and

the "U" shape pillow at the base to assure the neck has a ergonomic position.

10)Finish:

The finishing details should be the costumers choice: color, material of pillow, shape of the

speaker, Bluetooth version.

11)Weight:

The weight of the product was at the firs initial development of 200 grams, but after some

changes done to the product weighs 290 grams.

12)Packing :

The hearing aid pillow doesn't require a specific type of packaging as the product is going to be

easy to pack. The package should be made out of recycling material and should be lightweight

and not take more then 10-15 seconds to pack.

13)Product life span:

46

Assuming that the product will be used in a daily base, It will last anywhere from 1 year to 5

years. The product life span depends on the usability of the product and the conditions it is going

to be used in .

14)Time scale

The time scale can differ from company to company but it won't be a big relevant difference. It

will need a special path way for the headphones and adjusting the covering material to the

pillow, this will take in the assembly line about 1 to 3 minutes depending on the number of

people that are working.

15) Company constrains

The only staff that the company will need is a quality engineer and a , 3-4 workers, an

economist. So that the company will not need a lot of staff members in order to produce the

product and assure a high standard while creating it .

18) Shipping

Shipping cost of the product is based on where is the factory based and where does the product

need to be shifted to. The product will be mainly produced in a factory in china because they

have all the necessary material and the qualified personnel who can assure low price product

with a high quality. So shipping the product from China to Romania with a logistic specialist

company if the product is going to be mass produced. If not it can be assembled in Romania.

And from there shipped to where ever it is necessarily.

19) Disposal

In order not to create environmental problems we should take it consideration the fact that the

product haze many different materials and the prefer way to recycle is by doing it at a special

electronic recycling center. Electric and electronic equipment included batteries contains

materials, components and substances that can be hazardous to you health and the environment,

if the waste material is not handled correctly. Electric and electronic equipment and batteries are

marked with the crossed out trash can symbol. This symbol signifies that electric and electronic

equipment and batteries should not be disposed of with other household waste, but should be

disposed of separately. As the end user it is important to submit your used batteries to the

appropriate and designated facility. In this manner you make sure that the batteries are recycled

in accordance with legislature and will not harm the environment . All cities have established

collection point, where electric and electronic equipment and batteries can be either be submitted

free of charge at recycling stations and other collection sites, or be collected from the

households. Additional information is available at the technical department of your city.

20)Competition

There are several companies who make ergonomic pillows but none of them have a pillow with

Bluetooth speakers and a microphone adapted. The most advanced technology at the moment

involves a pillow that has Bluetooth speaks but is not agronomical and it uses wires in order to

receive sound, which is an inconvenience.

47

Risk assessment

The following list shows the possible risk outcomes of the product, this is rated from 1 5, 1 being l safe and 5 possible death. The list below shows the possible risks which my product

could have.

No Possible failure Likelihood Outcome Risk Action Total

Risk

1 Swallow product 1 5 4 Perform the

Heimlich

maneuver

5

2 Scratch

themselves while

using product

2 1 1 Disinfect

wound

1

3 Might eat parts

of it

1 2 1 Take adequate

medications

2

4 Allergy from

material

1 1 1 Take

anti

inflammatory

1

5 Product might

snap and get

burned

4 1 2 Take

anti

inflammatory

1

6 Overload and

brake while using

it

2 2 2 - 1

7 Get burned 1 3 1 Use the fire

extinguisher

8 Get electrocuted 1 4 1 - 6

9 Get strangulated 1 5 1 - 7

Product is unlikely to produce any serious death causing problems the only health problems it

can cause are superficial. This chart was created to show that we as designers take in

consideration any type of possible action that might occur while launching a new product.

48

Sales

We can define the sales as a transaction from both sides with certain aspects which

convey a certain amount of value from the seller to the buyer. A sale is exchange of a product,

service, action in return for money of other selling transactions that might occur in the process.

The products can be used by any user in almost any condition for different uses. It can be used

by any type of person, but especially by people who have hearing aid problems. With a great

range of variation regarding color, comfort, and high tech technology that including Bluetooth

3.0 and a microphone, for a reasonable price, selling the product will not be a problem, as long

as the product is promoted properly. In order to sell the product I need to take in consideration

the 4 P's:

-Firs "P" is Product:

My product is a product which is easy to use, serves for multiple tasks, uses high quality sound

system , and is easy to take care of. Comes with a 2 year guarantee, if the headphone support

might get damaged.

-Second "P" is Price:

The price of the product is low, compared to the market where other products that have similar

capabilities regarding the technology of the product cost more than 500 euro, the price will range

from 50 euro to 100 euro depending on factors like how many of them are made, where are they

produce, how much does the maintained cost of the company going to be etc. In today's marked

products that have similar functions but don't have a Bluetooth technology or a microphone

adapted to them, cost around 30 euro.

-The third "P" is Place:

-The forth "P" is Promotion:

Promotion of the product should be done mainly by other people who tried the product. Another

method should be by paying a company to promote the product throughout the internet, banners,

television, radio etc.

The product can be sold all over the planet

because it can be used in many

circumstances and in many places and

hearing aid affects a big part of the

population, mainly the elderly people. The

product not being necessarily to the user

like: water, food, etc. comes as a second

need and the main countries that it can be

sold are high economically developed

countries like EU, North America, Australia,

etc.

49

Market plan

For a good understanding of product and how to market it properly, I am going to use the Ansoff

matrix.

The Ansoff Matrix is a toot that is generally needed in order to plan and analyze new businesses

and other growing product development alternatives. The Ansoff Matris is generated by existing

markets, new markets and a combination of new products and services as a growing potential for

new business and development of products.

First category is for existing products in existing markets. This approach is called Market

penetration.

The second one is for existing products in New markets. This approach is called Market

Development.

The third category is for new products in Existing Markets. This approach is called Product

Development.

The forth category is for new products in New Markets. This approach is called Diversification.

My product is categorized in the approach called Product Development. If a product is going to

penetrate this market is going to need heavily investments in innovation creativity and usability.

This strategy involves high-cost, high-risk strategy especially if the product needs to be patented.

The product should aim for a product mix that is going to fit all costumer need. If the product is

going to be sold on a opened market it should be diversified in creating new markets so that

clients will have costumer support and maintenance, to assure top quality of the product .

Developing a product that is going to share the same market needs to be cost-efficient like my

product is, I managed to reduce 10 times the initial price of a similar product. As the product

popularity is going to grow, sales will increase and the cost of the product will go down, but the

market is going to copy the idea and the product needs to offer better offers which can be widely

available.

50

Intellectual property and community rights

Patents for my product have not been made due to the fact that my product is a new product in

the market, and it will be patented when it will be officially launched on the market. By the

simple fact that this type of product with this kind of shape it has never been on the market it can

be easily patented.

For example US patents as different form the EU patenting system. In the USA, the method of

ruling is a first invent rule, if you invent the product in a working condition and can prove the

design from paper and drawings, it's your patent. In EU its a filing system, first come first served. If you patent and file in your design, it's yours. There are no patents required for the

mechanical part as the product its created only in one peace made of polycarbonate.

The manufacturing of my product will be done in China where the labour and the materials are

cheap, this will make the products Potential manufacture of this product will be a national

network as producing raw materials to the final design will be cheaper abroad.

Memory foam material, ABS pellets, ISO 9001:2008, ROHS, SGS (Manufacturer China

(Mainland))

Design right is a sui generis intellectual property right in British law There are two types

of design rights: the registered design right (Registered Design Act 1949) and the unregistered

design right.

The unregistered design right is similar to copyright in that it subsists automatically when a new

design is created. However, its length is much more limited, since it only lasts for 15 years. It

was introduced into EU law by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988(the 1988 Act).

Design right protects the shape of a three-dimensional design. It subsists if the design is recorded

on paper, or if an article has been made according to that design. It does not subsist in designs

made before the commencement of part of the 1988 Act relevant to design right. It has rules on

qualification for protection by both citizenship of the designer and place of the designing.

Qualifying countries include the United Kingdom, the rest of the European Economic

Design right does not subsist in parts of a design necessary to connect to another article, to

surface decoration, to methods and principles of construction or to those parts of a design which

are dependent on the appearance of another article, where that article and the article that design

right applies to is an integral part of the second article. Design right also does not apply if a

design is not original, and a design is defined as not being original if the object so designed is

commonplace in the field when designed.

For a product to be recognized as having design rights it must be aesthetic and my design has all

necessarily shape to be considered aesthetic. Regarding to the shape my product its made out of 2 unique shaped pillow , they will create a great ergonomic position for the user and inside of

them is a headphone system that uses Bluetooth technology in order to receive sound.

51

Copy right and trademark

Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, that grants the creator of an original

work exclusive rights to its use and distribution, usually for a limited time, with the intention of

enabling the creator of intellectual wealth (e.g. the photographer of a photograph or the author of

a book) to receive compensation for their work and be able to financially support themselves.

Copyright is a form of intellectual property (as patents, trademarks and trade secrets are),

applicable to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete. It is

often shared, then percentage holders are commonly called rights holders: legally, contractually

and in associated "rights" business functions. Generally rights holders have "the right to copy",

but also the right to be credited for the work, to determine who may adapt the work to other

forms, who may perform the work, who may financially benefit from it, and other related rights.

World Intellectual Prop