Design Parameters

The Yard Mess Eraser contains three critical systems, the radio transmission system, the chassis traversal system, and the leaf pick-up system. Each system contains its own minimum functional requirements : 

 

The Radio Transmission System must be ...

1. Capable of maintaining connectivity within a range of up to 100 feet. 

2. Capable of submitting and receiving signals without interfering with other wireless devices of receiving interference. 

 

The Leaf pick-up system must be able to....

1. Successfully able to pick up leaves up to 1.5” from the ground

2. Pick up at least 95% of leaves on the first run through

3. Store up to 5 liters of leaves before reloading

 

The Chassis Travesal System must be capable of...

1. Steering angles range from 0 (centerline) to 45 degrees left or right of centerline

3. Motor must respond promptly after command is given; smooth driving, with no time lapses present. 

4. Withstanding significant variations in terrain without change of course

 

 

The Yard Mess Eraser also contains a series of non-functional requirements: 

 

Safety 

The Yard Mess Eraser is designed with safety in mind. As a result, the battery used will be non-lethal in capacity, in addition to being relatively lightweight. No sharp edges will be present on the device, making potential collisions much less harmful. In addition, the leaf pick-up drum is designed to be very close to the ground, making the “accidental” capturing of hands or limbs very unlikely. In addition, an auto kill switch will be added on the main body of the system in order to prevent the rare case of non-control. 

 

Maintainability 

The Yard Mess Eraser is very low- maintenance relative to other devices. The only action required to be taken by the user regards charging the product before use. However, due to the modular concept, the leaf-pickup device/drum is easily replaceable, making potential repairs very simple, involving just the change of the broken part. 

 

Reliability 

The product must successfully pick up 95% of leaves in nine out of ten cleaning  attempts. In addition, communication with the radio is designed to never be lost, and the product will seamlessly respond to user input. Any part found to be unreliable, such as the drum or leaf-holding bin, can be replaced. The drum is designed to function without failure for a minimum of approximately 75 1-hour sessions of cleaning. 

 

 

 

 

 

*The goal of the product was to successfully meet these constraints. Although a majority were accomplished, some parameters were not met by the device during testing.