2006:014 CIV MASTER’S THESIS
JOHN TAAVO JOHAN UUSITALO-HENRIKSSON
MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME Ergonomic Design & Production Engineering
Luleå University of Technology Department of Human Work Sciences Division of Industrial Design
2006:014 CIV • ISSN: 1402 - 1617 • ISRN: LTU - EX - - 06/14 - - SE
Johan U Henriksson John Taavo
Luleå University of Technology Ergonomic design och production 2005-11-16
Preface
This masters thesis that you are currently holding in your hand, are the result of twenty interesting and challenging weeks at Silva Sweden AB in Sollentuna. The time has passed so quickly, that the only evidence that we have really put twenty weeks of more or less hard work into this project, are the two reports that describes development process, and the result of it.
We would like to thank Silva Sweden AB for giving us the opportunity to pursue this work, and all employees at the company for helping us with all sorts of things and for making our days joyful. An extra big “thank you” goes out to Bertil Rydergren, Kurt-Åke Wallgren, Christer Svensson, Viktor Drozdovskyy, Mattias Jakobsson and Mathias Hellgren for sharing all their experience and knowledge.
At last, we would like to direct our biggest appreciation to our two tutors; Jan Silfvén at Silva Nexus Marine and Åsa Wikberg at Luleå University of Technology. Thank you for all your assistance and guiding throughout the complete project!
We hope you all find the thesis interesting and inspiring!
Luleå, 2005-11-16
John Taavo Johan Uusitalo-Henriksson
Design and development of electronic compasses
Abstract
Silva Sweden AB has developed a new compass transducer module, that will be used for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) business as well as in Silva´s own products. In order to market the module, the company has decided to develop a number of products around this module.
The aim with the master thesis work is to develop two new products that are based around the new compass module that Silva Sweden AB has developed. As the two products differ from each other, the thesis work will be divided into two projects, referred to as Project 1 and Project 2. The aim with Project 1 is to incorporate the new compass module in a hand- held electronic navigation instrument. The development process will consist of designing the shell of the product, finding relevant features to incorporate in the product, and to design the user interface of the instrument; which includes button and display design. The aim with Project 2 is to develop a tactical compass made for use on dinghies. The development process will consist of designing the shell of the product, finding relevant features to incorporate in the product, and to design the user interface of the instrument; which includes button and display design. Also a mounting bracket for compass-attachment on the boat will be designed. Both of the projects are defined to be at a conceptual stage, whereby no drafting or preparation for manufacturing will be produced.
To approach the projects in a systematic and structured way, a number of methods for product development have been used. Different methods have been used mixed together, but the general structure applied is taken from a method described by Ulrich and Epplinger in the book “Product design and development”.
To gather data and get information about navigation and sailing two web surveys in the form of inquiries were conducted, one for each project. The inquiries together with, mind maps, product specifications and the question method served as the basis for the problem investigation and provided a good start for the concept development for both projects. To solve problems brainstorming sessions were held and different ideas was brought up. The ideas were continuously discussed and evaluated with Mr. Jan Silfvén, Product manager at Silva Nexus Marine. Criteria’s were formulated and weighted against each other. With the criteria’s ant the prior work ultimately final concepts were developed.
The final concept for project 1 is a handheld device that is designed to be used in both outdoor and marine environments. To be as functional as possible in these environments, the compass is made very portable, but yet
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has a relatively big display. The main function of the product is to serve as an electronic compass made for both map-aligned navigation and sighting. In its standard version, the compass will also feature a built-in watch and stop- watch with included alarm function. The compass will also come as a hi-end version, which will have the following additional features: altimeter, thermometer/ barometer, time/date/alarm/stop-watch. The compass is also made so that it can be mounted vertically on e.g. a boat. To make the compass more compatible with a map, a rotatable bezel is placed on the top surface of the compass. The bezel has meridian lines printed on the top surface of it, which furthermore simplifies the map-alignment. On the top of the bezel, two sights that make up a gun-sight are also placed. A ruler used as a tool for map-alignment is integrated in the compass. The ruler is retractable, which means that it can slide in and out of the compass.
The final concept for project 2 is a tactical compass with two separate displays that are united through a centre part. Both of the displays are hinged together to the centre part, which makes the angle between the displays adjustable. The adjustable angle between the displays makes the compass more versatile as it permits the compass to be viewed from a wider range of different angles, and more portable as the displays are foldable behind the centre part. To ensure that the compass is water tight it is wrapped up in a rubber bellow that is glued onto the surfaces of the compass. This also gives the compass a more united feeling, as it looks more like one part instead of three parts hinged together. To be able to mount the compass onto the mast, and to ensure that the displays can be adjusted to the same angle every time the compass is used, a mounting bracket was developed. The bracket is strapped onto the mast with a Velcro-strap. Once the bracket is strapped to the mast, the mounting, and demounting of the compass is done easily.
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Contents
1.1 Background information 3 1.1.1 The company 3 1.1.2 Navigational equipment 3 1.2 The Project 7 1.2.1 The compass module 7 1.2.2 Project goal 7 1.2.3 Assumptions and constraints 8 1.2.4 Definition 8 1.2.5 Project organization 9 1.2.6 Reporting 9 1.2.7 Time plan and milestones 9 1.2.8 Archiving 10 2. Theory 11 2.1 Ergonomics 11 2.1.1 Product design 11 2.1.2 Gestalts 13 2.2 Anthropometry 14 2.2.1 Hand held tools 14 2.2.2 Displays 16 2.2.3 Buttons 16 2.3 Magnetism and compasses 16 2.3.1 Magnetic needle compasses 17 2.3.2 Electronic compasses 17 2.3.3 Magneto resistive sensor 18 2.3.4 The Silva 1-2-3 method 18 2.3.5 Transfer a real-life position to a point on a map 19 2.4 Production methods 19 2.4.1 Injection moulding 19 2.4.2 Aluminium extrusion 20 3. Methods 3.1 The product development process 22 3.1 The product development process 22 3.2 Phase 0: Planning 22 3.2.1 Benchmarking 22 3.2.2 Problem investigation 23 3.2.3 Product Specification 24 3.3 Phase 1: Concept Development 26 3.3.1 Identification of customer needs 26 3.3.2 Brainstorming 27 3.3.3 Osborn’s checklist 28 3.3.4 Concept evaluation and selection 28 3.4 Phase 2: System-Level Design 29 4. Results – Handheld compass 30 4.1 Phase 0: Planning 30 Design and development of electronic compasses
4.1.1 Initial discussion 30 4.1.2 Benchmarking 31 4.1.3 Problem investigation and Product specification 33 4.2 Phase 1: Concept Development 35 4.2.1 Definition of customer needs 36 4.2.2 Idea generation 41 4.2.3 Idea evaluation 43 4.2.4 Criteria formulation and weighting 44 4.2.5 Concept development 44 4.2.6 Concept evaluation and selection 48 4.3 Phase 2: System-Level Design 49 4.3.1 The final concept 49 5. Discussion - Handheld Compass 56 6. Results – Dinghy compass 59 6.1 Phase 0: Planning 59 6.1.1 Initial discussion 59 6.1.2 Benchmarking 60 6.1.3 Problem investigation and Product specification 60 6.2 Phase 1: Concept Development 62 6.2.1 Definition of customer needs 63 6.2.2 Idea generation 68 6.2.3 Idea evaluation 71 6.2.4 Criteria formulation and weighting 71 6.2.5 Concept development 72 6.3 Phase 2: System-Level Design 74 6.3.1 The final concept 75 7. Discussion - Dinghy compass 83 References 85
Appendix
1. Benchmarking for Handheld compass 5 pages 2. Non-hierarchical mind maps- Handheld compass 3 pages 3. Product specification – Handheld compass 4 pages 4. Results of survey – Handheld compass 4 pages 5. Criteria weighting – Handheld compass 1 page 6. Concept scoring matrix 1 page 7. Interaction diagram 5 pages 8. Tactical Class information 1 page 9. Benchmarking for dinghy compass 4 pages 10. Non-hierarchical mind maps – Dinghy compass 3 pages 11. Production specification – Dinghy compass 4 pages 12. Results of survey – Dinghy compass 4 pages 13. Criteria weighting – Dinghy compass 1 page
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background information
1.1.1 The company
Silva Sweden AB is the parent company of the Silva Group; a company that designs, develops, produces and market high-quality products made to enhance the joy and performance for users within the land and marine markets (www.silva.se).
The Silva Group has its origin in the invention of the magnetic needle compass with a fluid-filled housing that dampens the needle, and gives the compass a higher accuracy. When the first company was founded in 1933, it was given the name Silva, which is the Latin word for forest. At first Silva produced only protractor compasses, but has since then steadily widened its product selection to include marine compasses, GPS, headlamps, binoculars and other outdoor instruments. Nowadays the Silva group has customers in over 110 countries, and the company is considered among the world leaders in the development of navigational products for marine use.
The vision for the brands within the Silva Group is that the group shall maintain its position as world leader within orienteering and leisure navigation. In all other target markets, the market leader shall be challenged by offering a wider assortment and by increasing the customer value by providing know-how, attractive product design, innovation and user friendly quality products. Products and services shall provide satisfaction to the customer that goes far beyond their expectations. The aim is that the products provided by the Silva Group shall constitute the obvious first choice by customers in the target markets.
1.1.2 Navigational equipment
Different kinds of navigational tools have been of great help for mankind for many centuries; seafarers have used compasses to navigate on the seas for hundreds of years. The first compasses were quite inaccurate and sensitive to disturbances, but the invention of compasses with fluid-filled housing in the late 1920s, and the progression since then has led to more and more accurate compasses.
A classic needle compass combined with a map has been the most reliable tool for navigation in the wilderness for many years. There are three main types of magnetic needle compasses used for navigation on land; protractor compasses (or base plate compass), mirror-sighting compasses and north indicator compasses. The protractor compasses are made so that it can be
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aligned with a map, to transfer the preferred direction between two points on a map to the real life. The mirror-sighting compasses can be used to get bearings between known points, and by doing this, find your position on the map. North indicators are small compasses that show only the cardinal points of the compass. This kind of compass is useful for example when navigating in urban environments. Picture 1 shows different types of magnetic needle compasses.
Picture 1: Different types of compasses. From left to right: North indicator - Silva Carabiner 9, Protractor compass – Silva Eclipse 97 Grip, Sighting compass – Silva Ranger 15 (www.silva.se)
Since the GPS navigator was introduced on the market in the 1990s, the number of people that uses the technique has increased drastically. The GPS provides an easy and relatively accurate navigation that works by calculating the range from the GPS-unit to three different satellites; by doing this, the location of the GPS-unit can be calculated. Picture 2 shows an example of a hand-held GPS navigator.
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Picture 2: Garmin GPS navigator (www.garmin.com)
The competition on the market for navigational equipment has tightened even more the last years as the popularity of electronic compasses with a digital interface has grown. Most of today’s navigational instruments that are based around an electronic compass module are so-called multifunction devices; devices that combine many different features into one instrument, such as altimeter, barometer, compass, watch etc. Picture 3 shows two examples of multifunction devices.
Picture 3: Multifunctional instruments by High Gear (www.highgear.com) and Suunto (www.suunto.com)
For navigation in marine environments, the most common compasses are analogue ball compasses, which are a type of magnetic needle compasses
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that are suspended by the help of a cardan. This type of compasses gives an accurate reading even in conditions that causes the boat to slant. Some ball compasses are especially developed to be used at sail races. The main steering scale on these compasses is complemented with a tactical scale, often located on a vertical plane. Different types of marine compasses are displayed in picture 4.
The competition on the market for compasses used on boats has hardened as electronic compasses have started to emerge. This type of compasses has the advantage of being easy to read and understand at the same time as they are easy to incorporate with other equipment in the boat.
Picture 4: Marine compasses. From left to right: Traditional compass – Doris compass, Ball compass – Silva 73R Mini Racing, Digital tactical compass – Tacktick Micro Compass T061.
The popularity of the GPS technique has grown ever since it was introduced on the marine market, as it offers a lot of new navigational possibilities. Picture 5 shows an example of a GPS chart plotter.
Picture 5: GPS Chart plotter - Raymarine E120 (www.raymarine.com)
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1.2 The Project
1.2.1 The compass module
Silva Sweden AB has developed a new compass transducer module, that will be used for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) business as well as in Silva´s own products. In order to market the module, the company has decided to develop a number of products around this module. The biggest innovation on the new compass module is that it automatically compensates for roll and pitch, which allows the compass to be tilted up to ±60°. The accuracy of the output data is ±1.5° within the heeling of the compass, and the roll and pitch accuracy is within ±0.5°. The modules small physical size (24x26x5 mm) and low power consumption makes it ideal to incorporate in hand-held devices.
1.2.2 Project goal
The aim with the master thesis work is to develop two new products that are based around the new compass module that Silva Sweden AB has developed. As the two products differ from each other, the thesis work will be divided into two projects, referred to as Project 1 and Project 2.
Traditional magnetic needle compasses used for leisure navigation are strongly affected by tilting, vibrations and acceleration. Electronic compasses can be easier to read and offers more possibilities when it comes to displaying the compass information; bearings and headings can be displayed in many ways. Electronic compass modules are also easier to incorporate with other instruments into multifunction instruments.
Project 1
The aim with Project 1 is to incorporate the new compass module in a hand- held electronic navigation instrument. The development process will consist of designing the shell of the product, finding relevant features to incorporate in the product, and to design the user interface of the instrument; which includes button and display design.
To meet the demands that are made on modern outdoor electronic instruments, the handheld electronic compass must meet the IPX7 standard, which means that the compass must withstand accidental immersion under one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
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Project 2
The aim with Project 2 is to develop a tactical compass made for use on dinghies. The development process will consist of designing the shell of the product, finding relevant features to incorporate in the product, and to design the user interface of the instrument; which includes button and display design. Also a mounting bracket for compass-attachment on the boat will be designed.
To meet the demands that are made on modern outdoor electronic instruments, the tactical compass must meet the IPX7 standard, which means that the compass must withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
1.2.3 Assumptions and constraints
Both of the projects are defined to be at a conceptual stage, whereby no drafting or preparation for manufacturing will be produced. Neither will any economical calculations be performed. As the hardware already exists, no consideration will be taken to the compass module or the programming of the software during the projects.
1.2.4 Definition
The project will be structured according to principles of the product development process. Theories that consider fundamental design principles, ergonomics, user interface, navigation and basic principles of magnetism are also used as reference material. The following programs will be used during the project:
- MS Office - Alias Studio Tools - UGS NX3 - Adobe Design Suite CS
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1.2.5 Project organization
Field of Name Title responsibility: Johan U Henriksson Student Project leader
John Taavo Student Project leader
Product Manager Marine Division, Jan Silfvén Tutor Silva Sweden AB
Lecturer/ BSc in Industrial Design, Åsa Wikberg Tutor Luleå University of Technology
1.2.6 Reporting
A written report will be executed over the project. The project will also be presented verbally, both at Luleå University of Technology and at Silva Sweden AB. Status reports of the project will be executed when necessary.
1.2.7 Time plan and milestones
A Gantt chart is constructed to give an overview of the project and will also serve as a guideline for the project development. Both of the projects will be carried out parallel as some parts of the development process can be incorporated in both of the projects.
General time plan - Masters thesis Silva Sweden AB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Research Idea generation Concept development Concept evaluation Final design Report (in writing) Presentation
Chart 1: Gantt chart
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Research
The research phase is a continuous process that will be performed during almost the whole project. The main part of this process is performed during the first 2-3 weeks, and should generate a problem statement that will act as a base for the rest of the work.
Concept development
The idea generation phase will result in ideas that will be used to develop a number of concepts.
Concept evaluation
The concepts developed in the previous phase will be evaluated, and only the one that fits the criteria the best will be further developed.
Final design
The chosen concept will, after further development, result in the final design. The final design phase will also consist of making a 3D model; either a surface model or a
Report and presentation
The work and the result will be presented in a written report and in a verbal presentation.
1.2.8 Archiving
Project documents will be stored in a project folder at the local network of Silva Sweden AB as well as in a digital project room at Luleå University of Technology. Documentation about the work will also be found in the written report.
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2. Theory
2.1 Ergonomics
The Swedish online encyclopaedia “Nationalencyklopedin” describes ergonomics as the study of human in work; the interaction between humans and the machines and tools humans use. Ergonomics is a study based on how both physiological and psychological factors affects humans in work. There are different approaches to the study of ergonomics as it is a combination of technology, biology, psychology, and physiology. Anthropometrics and cognitive psychology are two important parts in the ergonomics field; they can describe both the mental and physical approaches to human-machine interaction.
2.1.1 Product design
The author of the book “Design for product understanding”, Rune Monö claims that how objects are viewed or interpreted depends a lot on the viewer. Factors such as social values, personal experience, the surroundings, and mood affect how the product is viewed. This is something to have in mind when designing new products; the designer must be on the clear about what he or she wants the product to express. The expression, and how the product is viewed can be changed e.g. by using different colours and shapes.
Picture 6: Different shapes give different expressions. Rod A have a natural cross- section, and by change it the expression is changed. Rod B expresses stability, Rod C expresses closeness or density, and Rod C expresses lightness or instability.
Monö claims that all products can be viewed as a trinity of ergonomics, technology and communication within limits of an economic and ecological circumference.
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Picture 7: The trinity according to Monö
The ergonomic whole includes everything that concerns adjustments of the design to the human physique and behaviour when using the product. The communicative whole deals with how the product communicates with the human intellect and perception. The technical whole describes how the product functions and how it is constructed and manufactured.
Hamrin and Nyberg states in the book “Produktutformning” that all information, received from different sources, has to be systemized to be useful. A designer is forced to take the human senses, the user’s ability to make decisions and the user’s ability to transmit information in to consideration when designing a product. This can be done by the choice of information source, the placement of the source and in which way the information is presented (speed, intensity, codification). In other words a good user interface is an interface that reduces mistakes and biases by human factors (Hamrin and Nyberg, 1993).
In the book “Teknisk Psykologi”, the author Mats Danielsson, claims that the following factors decides where the attention is turned:
• Colour The use of colours is a very efficient way to direct the users’ attention in a certain direction; colours appear against a one-coloured background. At the same time it is important to remember that some colours are associated with certain meanings and that too many colours can distract and confuse the user.
• Movement Movement is another factor that decides where the attention is drawn; usually the attention tends to be directed towards moving objects.
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• Placement Movement and colour are two factors that the designer himself can decide whether he wants to use to direct the attention of the user, placement is a factor that is present all the time. Studies have shown that attention tends to be drawn against objects placed high up on e.g. displays. Attention also tends to be drawn against objects placed centrally in the field of view.
2.1.2 Gestalts
One way to construct a good user interface is to use gestalts. In the book “Design for product understanding” Rune Monö defines gestalt as an arrangement of parts that appears and functions as a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. This means that form, colour and material structure are not introduced into the whole as isolated factors, instead they are experienced in a way where they work together and influence one other. To easier discern gestalts, they can be divided into different factors, of which the most important are described below:
• The proximity factor The closer objects are placed, the clearer the gestalt.
• The similarity factor Objects with the same properties create gestalts.
• The area factor Enclosed areas create gestalts; the smaller the enclosed area is, the easier it is to experience the gestalt.
• The symmetry factor Symmetry creates gestalt.
• The inclusion factor Lines that enclose an area are more easily seen as a whole.
• The good curve (determining factor) This factor allows us to see the arrangement that makes minimum change or break in straight lines or uniform curves or contours.
• The common movement A gestalt is created by the same movement of different elements.
• The experience factor Conditions must be observed in the way we learned from experience to be able to recognize a specific gestalt. For instance, the experience
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factor is the reason why people standing on their head can be hard to recognize.
Picture 8: Gestalts. From left: The symmetry factor, the similarity factor and the experience factor.
2.2 Anthropometry
Anthropometry is the studies of human measurements and especially the shape and size of the human body and its parts. Applied anthropometry uses anthropometric data to develop products and the physical environment where man resides. In the book “Människa-Maskin-Arbete”, Mats Ericson and Per Odenrick describes the fundamental issues within applied anthropometry as:
- How shall the best design of objects and environments, that suits different users, be chosen?
- When is it necessary to choose a design with adjustable dimensions?
To be able to answer these questions the designer must collect data about the users’ anthropometric properties and evaluate the restrictions that these properties influence on the design. The designer must also examine the criteria that should be fulfilled in order to give an effective adjustment between the user and his/her environment.
Anthropometric data is often divided in two classes; structural and dynamic data. The data is also separated in to different concepts that are fundamental in applied anthropometry. These concepts are; areas of movement, reach posture and muscle strength.
2.2.1 Hand held tools
As the size and shape of hand-held tools differs a lot, it is important to follow certain guidelines when designing this kind of tools. In the article “Ergonomic guidelines for hand-held tools” Robinson and Lyon describes the most common mistake when designing hand held tools. They claim that that the
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most common mistake is that the grip area does not suit the whole hand, and thereby the load bearing area on the hand is too small. Which kind of grip is preferred varies a lot with which strength and precision the task requires. One rule is that all fingers should be able to surround the grip area. To avoid gradual muscle fatigue, a static load should not exceed 10 percent of an individual’s maximum muscle strength capability. Dynamic load’s use larger muscle groups and should not exceed 40 percent of an individual’s maximum capability. Furthermore, the tool’s centre of gravity should be located close to the hand to reduce fatigue and the tendency of the tool to slip out of the hand.
When designing hand-held tools, these issues should be taken in to consideration:
- The strength and precision to carry out the task?
- Who will use the tool?
- The weight of the tool?
- The size of the hand, length as well as width?
Picture 9: The definition of hand width and hand length
The following anthropometric measures for adult Swedish men and women are taken from the book “Bodyspace” by Stephen Pheasant.
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Men Women 5% 50% 95% 5% 50% 95% Hand width 75 85 95 70 75 80 Hand length 175 190 205 165 180 195
Chart 2: Measurements of adult Swedish men and women
2.2.2 Displays
Graphic displays using Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) are often easy to read and can show much information in a small space. Guidelines for display design can be found in the book “The measure of men and women” by Alvin R Tilley. According to the author, a display is best viewed within an angle of 30° around the normal to the display surface. Generally the viewing distance should be 305-460 mm or for more individual use 180-360 mm is a suitable distance.
2.2.3 Buttons
The book “The measure of man and woman” also describe how to design a user interface that allows the user to interact with the product. The most common way to allow user interaction is to use push buttons, thumbwheels or switches. Push buttons are available in a great range and are often suitable for start/stop and on/off functions. The buttons can be suited for use with fingers or with the palm. Sizes for finger use range from 13-25 mm in height and 13-51 mm in width. If the operation is or may be performed with gloves, larger buttons is preferred. The buttons should give the operator feedback to show activation of the control. An audible or sensory click or feedback from a display should provide information when the motion is carried out. If possible, push-on-push-off buttons should be avoided. Buttons of this type may cancel out the expected movements for “on”. Also switches come in a great variety of types. There are rocker, toggle and slide switches suited for different operations. Switches can often perform the same operations as push buttons, the advantage with switches is that they show which mode is activated. Toggle and rocker switches should always be oriented in the same way. The general assumption for switches is that “Off” should always be oriented to the left or down.
2.3 Magnetism and compasses
According to the Swedish online encyclopaedia, Nationalencyklopedin, magnetism is a phenomena caused by electrical particles in motion, and
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magnetic fields arises everywhere where there is a flow of electrically loaded particles. A flow of molten iron, propelled by the earth’s rotation, is considered the explanation to why there is a magnetic field around the earth. All magnetic fields in the nature are directional, which means that there are two poles where a magnetic flow arises in-between. The magnetic field of the earth can be illustrated as a magnetic dipole located in the centre of the earth. The magnetic poles do not coincide with the corresponding geographic poles of the earth; the magnetic north pole is located close to the geographic South Pole, with an 11.5° axial deviation between the earth’s axis and the dipole axis.
Due to the declination between the axes, compasses will have a small error that has to be considered when using a compass. The error is called declination, and its range varies over different geographic locations on the earth. On geographic locations where the declination is big, it is necessary to use different correction factors to calculate the corresponding geographic direction from the magnetically determined direction. The declination for different geographic locations can be found in charts and are marked out in some maps.
2.3.1 Magnetic needle compasses
Traditional compasses are built on the fact that opposites attract each other. As a magnetized needle will always try to align itself so that its magnetic north pole points to the earth’s magnetic south pole which is located close to the geographic north pole. By using this principle it is possible to determine the direction of the geomagnetic field. The most important part of a traditional compass is the magnetic needle, as it works both as a detector and a display. The principle for this type of compass is simple; a magnetic needle that is balanced on a small non-magnetized pin that allows the needle to rotate with a very small influence by friction. To stabilize the needle and to prevent it from oscillating while performing a reading, it is placed inside a fluid-filled capsule (Nationalencyklopedin, 2005).
2.3.2 Electronic compasses
Electronic compasses follow the same principle as traditional compasses; the direction of the geomagnetic field is measured, and the cardinal points can be determined. The difference is that instead of using a magnetized needle, the direction is determined by measuring the magnetic field electronically. The most common method to measure the magnetic field is by using magnetometers which are devices made for measuring the intensity of one or more components of the earth’s magnetic field. Electronic compasses might be fabricated by mounting two or three magnetometers on a flat surface. The
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sensors shall be placed so that the angles between each of the sensors are 90°. By doing this it is possible to measure all components of the magnetic field.
There are different principles to measure the magnetic field electronically, but the common thing for most of them is that they are built around a technique that measures the intensity of one or more components of the earth’s magnetic field. The four most common techniques for magnetometers are the Fluxgate sensor, the Hall-effect sensor, the Magneto inductive sensor and the Magneto resistive sensor (Langley, 2003).
2.3.3 Magneto resistive sensor
The module that Silva has developed consists of three magneto resistive sensors that measure the changes in intensity of the magnetic field in three dimensions. The Anisotropic Magneto Resistive (AMR) sensors are made of a film, only a few nano-meters thick, that is made of a material whose physical dimensions change in response to magnetization. During fabrication, all magnetic domains are oriented in the same direction, which establishes a magnetic vector. When a magnetic field is applied perpendicularly to the side of the film, the magnetization vector starts to rotate, and the resistance of the film is changed. If a film of this type is combined with an electrical circuit, the variations in the magnetic field can be detected and calculated by measuring the changes in the strength of the magnetic field. Using magneto resistive sensors in one- two- or three axes’ provides an accurate and low power consuming calculation of magnetic fields in a small package (Langley, 2003).
2.3.4 The Silva 1-2-3 method
According to the Silva webpage (http://www.silva.se), the Silva 1-2-3 method offers an easy map-alignment solution. The alignment is performed as follows:
1. Place the compass on the map with the edge of the compass along the desired line of travel.
2. Rotate the compass housing until N on the dial points North on the map. Check that the compass housing red/black north/south lines are parallel with the maps meridians.
3. Hold the compass in your hand and turn yourself until the red end of the compass needle (North) coincides with the red arrow in the bottom of the compass housing. The front of the compass with the direction of travel arrow is now pointing towards your destination.
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2.3.5 Transfer a real-life position to a point on a map
It is possible to transfer a real-life position to a point on a map by taking two or more bearings towards objects where the location on the map is known. The first step is to take one bearing towards an object, and to memorize it. Then the compass is placed on the map, with the edge of the base plate on the location of the known object. Thereafter the meridian lines on the housing are aligned with the meridian lines on the map. The final step is to turn the compass´ base plate the same amount of degrees as the memorized bearing. This gives a straight line, on which you are positioned. By taking one or more additional bearings, and transferring them to the map, your position on the map can be determined more or less accurately.
2.4 Production methods
2.4.1 Injection moulding
Injection moulding is a manufacturing process where melted plastic material is forced into cold mould cavity. The part can be ejected once the plastic has cooled. This process is mainly used for mass production but can also be used for prototyping. Products manufactured by injection moulding are often objects with thin walls that can have a complex shape without any demands of post-processing. An injection moulding machine can be divided into three basic parts:
• The injection units - where the plastic material is melted and forced out. • The mould – where the desired object is shaped. • The clamping – that holds the mould under pressure during the injection and cooling.
The whole process can be divided into six major steps; Clamping, Injection, Dwelling (pressure is applied in to the mould to make sure all mould cavities are filled), Cooling, Mould opening and Ejection (http://www.what-is- injection-molding.com).
According to the webpage Konstruktörslotsen (http://lotsen.ivf.se), the following design factors must be taken into consideration in the injection moulding process:
• A part line must be integrated in the design
• The edges can not have a smaller radius than 0.8 mm
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• All draft surfaces must have a angle of at least 0.5°
• Tolerances smaller than 0.1 mm are hard to achieve
Products manufactured by injection moulding can achieve high surface smoothness and does not need much finishing after moulding. The equipment investment and the running costs can be very expensive, but high production rates can be reached (>10000 components) and the scrap losses are minimal.
There is a number of alternative injection moulding methods:
• In-mould-decoration – where surface finishing is done directly in the tool. • Gas-assisted moulding – manufacturing of non solid bodies and objects with thick walls. • Multi-layered moulding –gives the product different surface or core materials.
2.4.2 Aluminium extrusion
Extrusion is a production process used to produce profiles, bars, and pipes. The fields of use of aluminium profiles, and how to produce profiles is described in the book “Hur man lyckas med aluminiumprofiler”, by Zetterström and Hyse (1987).
Properties of aluminium
Aluminium is a metal that is easy to work with and is well suited for common production processes. It has a density that is approximately one third of the density of steel and aluminium alloys have tensile strengths between 70 and 700 N/mm2. Furthermore is aluminium a metal that is very formable, has good reflection abilities, and is non-magnetic.
Extrusion technology
The principle is very simple; a heated cylindrical shaped material is pressed through a die with great force, and the desired profile emerges from the die. The process is very similar to pressing icing through a pastry bag for cake decoration. The profile is pressed with a velocity of 5-50 m/min and reaches a length of 25-45 m. The profile is immediately cooled after extrusion with air or water. After the cooling the profile is stretched, to make sure it is straight and to release internal stresses. Finally the extruded profile is cut to appropriate lengths.
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There are two main types of profiles; flat profiles and hollow profiles. To produce flat profiles the die consists of a flat disc. In order to produce hollow profiles the die has to be separated in two parts; one part (a core) that shapes the hole and one part that shapes the outline of the profile
Design aspects
The desired degree strength and cost-efficiency determines the thickness of the material. A uniform thickness is easier to produce but the extrusion technique makes it possible to vary the thickness when needed. To be cost-efficient the designer should strive to make the manufacturing as easy as possible.
According to Zetterström and Hyse a profile is easier to extrude if:
- the wall thickness is identical
- it uses simple, soft forms with slightly rounded corners
- it is symmetrical
- has a small, circumscribing circle
- it does not have deep, narrow gaps
A profile is easier to extrude if the wall thickness is identical, but often big differences between the narrowest and the thickest wall is accepted. In places where sharp corners are not essential the corners should be rounded, a radius of 0.5-1 mm is often enough. Flat profiles are always preferable before hollow profiles out of economic viewpoints. Also symmetry makes the profile easier to manufacture, especially when it comes to half-open profiles. With a small, circumscribing circle the peripheral parts of the profile is moved closer to the centre of the die and is thereby easier to extrude. A narrow gap in the profile corresponds to a small ledge on the die that can be exposed to great load during the extrusion and should therefore be avoided.
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3. Methods
3.1 The product development process
To approach the project in a systematic and structured way, a number of methods for product development have been used. Different methods have been mixed together, but the general structure applied is taken from a method described by Ulrich and Eppinger in the book “Product design and development”. The method is divided into six phases, where each phase concentrates on one specific part of the whole product development process.
Picture 10: The six phases of the product development process
Due to the delimitations of this project, phase 3, phase 4 and phase 5 will not be implemented, even though the aim is to have the production aspects in mind throughout the whole design process, as the goal is to make the product as good and well thought out as possible.
3.2 Phase 0: Planning
The first step in the product development process is the planning phase. This step lays the foundation for all the continuing work, and is therefore a very important part of the product development process. The planning phase is named Phase 0 because it’s not an actual part of the developing process, though it is a crucial part to succeed in developing a new product. The planning phase is an information gathering process, where the aim is to gather information that will specify the target market, project goals and constraints, and will make it possible to define a mission statement.
3.2.1 Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the study of existing products with functionality similar to the product under development. This is a good way to find out about the expectations and demands on these types of products, and to get ideas and inspiration for solutions to problems that might arise during the development process. Benchmarking can also be performed on products in other markets,
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but with a related functionality, which might give other input and hereby more drastic solutions. The study can be holistic, as well as it can focus on smaller sub-problems (Ulrich and Eppinger, 2000).
3.2.2 Problem investigation
Non-hierarchical mind mapping
One way to analyse the problem, and to get a good start to the research process that will lead to design solutions later on, is by using Non- Hierarchical mind maps. This method, described by Kokotovich (2004), offers a way to split the problem into smaller parts and to get a hint of how these parts are interrelated.
The Non-Hierarchical mind maps starts with the design issue to be solved, and is thereafter deployed into smaller parts that answers questions such as “where is the product supposed to be used?”, “by who is the product supposed to be used?”, “how is the product supposed to be used?” etc. By doing this it’s possible to get a good overview about the product and the requirements that it must fulfil. Interrelations, described by arrows, between the topics in the mind map can further increase the understanding. By adding arrows with different colouring, different weights and different pattering, the understanding and analysis of the problem can be further enhanced. The following four types of arrows are used to describe the different interrelations between the parts of the problem.
• Unidirectional associativity:
• Bi-directional associativity:
• Unidirectional intermittent associativity
• Bi-directional intermittent associativity
To further enhance the understanding, text can be added along the arrows or as a legend. This makes it possible to better explain the issues or to describe solutions and other thoughts.
The question method
One method that can be used to simplify the problem formulation is the question method, which is described by Pahl and Beitz (1995) in the book “Engineering Design: A Systematic Approach”. The question method provides information and viewpoints that can lead to the final problem formulation by asking a number of essential questions concerning the problem. The
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following are examples of questions that can simplify the problem formulation:
- What is the aim with the project, what is the main concern?
- Which latent or hidden needs and expectations are parts of the problem?
- What tasks shall the product be able to handle?
- Which characteristics must the product have?
- Which characteristics can the product not have?
- What kind of similar products are there on the market?
- Are there any standardized requirements?
- Are there any requirements about alteration possibilities on the product?
- Are there any technical trends or design trends?
- Which developmental processes are available?
3.2.3 Product Specification
In order to get a better overview over what characteristics the final product shall fulfil, a product specification or requirement list can be established. Pahl and Beitz (1995) present a method to establish a specification, which is a table where all characteristics of the final products are listed. Each characteristic is classified as either a “demand” or a “wish”. All characteristics classified as demands must be fulfilled, and all that are classified as wishes shall be fulfilled if possible. The specification originates from the problem formulation, and is established from a checklist containing 18 headings which helps organizing the needs and making sure all aspects are taken into account. The headings, of which not all are considered in the development of all types of products, are shown in chart 3 below.
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Heading Examples Size, height length, breadth, diameter, space requirement, Geometry number, arrangement, connection, extension
Kinematics Type of motion, direction of motion, velocity, acceleration Direction of force, magnitude of force, frequency, weight, Forces load, deformation, stiffness, elasticity, stability, resonance Output, efficiency, loss, friction, ventilation, state, pressure, Energy temperature, heating, cooling, supply, storage, capacity, conversion Physical and chemical properties of the initial and final Material product, auxiliary materials, prescribed materials
Signals Inputs and outputs, form, display, control equipment
Direct safety principles, protective systems, operator and Safety environmental safety
Man-Machine relationship, type of operation, clearness of Ergonomics layout, lighting, aesthetics Factory limitations, maximum possible dimensions, preferred Production production methods, means of production, achievable quality and tolerances Quality Possibilities of testing and measuring, application of special control regulations and standards Assembly Special regulations, installation, foundations Limitations due to lifting gear, clearance, means of transport Transport (size and weight), nature and conditions of dispatch Quietness, wear, special uses, marketing area, destination Operation (as example, sulphurous atmosphere and tropical conditions) Service intervals, inspections, exchange and repair, painting, Maintenance cleaning Recycling Refuse, reprocessing, waste disposal, storage Maximum permissible manufacturing costs, costs of tooling, Costs investment and depreciation End date of development, project palling and control, Schedules delivery date Design Size, shape, colour, expression,
Chart 3: The checklist for completing a specification
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3.3 Phase 1: Concept Development
In the next phase, the concept generation phase, the needs of the target market are identified. When the needs has been identified and organized, the next step is to evoke ideas that can, after they have been improved, lead to practicable solutions.
3.3.1 Identification of customer needs
One good way to identify the customer needs is presented by Ulrich and Eppinger (2000). This is a five step method developed to make it easy to detect both latent or hidden needs as well as explicit needs. The five steps of this method are:
• Gather raw data from customers The data that shall constitute as a base for the further development process can be gathered in different ways, e.g. by interviews, surveys, real-life observations or by using focused groups.
• Interpret the data After the data has been collected, the next step is to interpret it into customer needs. To make the interpretation as accurate as possible it is important to have in mind some guidelines made for this purpose:
The interpretation should be done so that it explains the needs in terms of what the product has to do, it shall not offer a solution to how the product shall do it.
The customer needs shall be expressed as detailed as the raw data gathered so that no crucial information is lost.
The phrasing used shall be positive, which means that the statement describes what the product shall be able to do, not describe what she product shall not do.
No words used in the writing of the statements shall imply any level of importance to the customer need. This means that the interpreter shall avoid words such as must and should.
• Organize the needs The third step of the method is to organize the customer needs into a hierarchy table where the needs are classified as primary and secondary needs, depending on how much information the statement contains. The primary needs are general needs, and the secondary
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needs give a more detailed expression of the customer’s requests and expectations.
• Evaluate the needs and organize them relatively according to their importance To make a product that attracts as many customers as possible, the product must fulfil as many customer needs as possible. To fulfil all needs are impossible, and to fulfil the most crucial needs requires some sense of relative importance among the statements. One way to organize the needs according to their importance is to weight the needs relative to each other. The weighting can be done in different ways, either by customer surveys or by the team members.
• Reflect on the result The last step is offers a last chance to reflect on the result and to make sure that no important customer or no customer need has been neglected.
3.3.2 Brainstorming
One way to find possible solutions to problems that arises during the product development work is to use a method called Brainstorming. A brainstorming can be performed individually, but the preferred number of participants is between 5 and 15. The aim is to produce as many ideas as possible within the group. The advantage of performing a brainstorming in a group compared to performing it individually is partly that it is more likely that it generates a greater number of independent ideas, but also that each participant can be triggered to produce variations of the existing ideas through associations. There are four basic rules that are supposed to help achieving a good result. The rules are as follows:
• Criticism is prohibited Do not give any comments; neither negative nor positive. Also try not to censor any of your own ideas; the critical evaluation comes in a later stage.
• Quantity is what counts The probability to find good ideas increases as the number of generated ideas increases.
• Go for the unusual ideas Unusual and impracticable ideas can, after modifications, lead to very innovative and good solutions.
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• Combine ideas Supplementing and combining ideas, and finding new solutions through associations are a good way to find possible solutions to the stated problems.
3.3.3 Osborn’s checklist
Osborns checklist is another way to increase the number of ideas produced. This method can be used to find new ways and to trigger the idea generation when the creativity is decreasing in the brainstorming activity. The Osborn checklist consists of a number of questions that can be applied to the ideas and solutions from the brainstorming-stage. The following questions are used:
- Enlarge? - Reduce? - Replace? - Redeploy? - Do the opposite? - Combine? - Use other - Reprocess? - Modify? applications?
3.3.4 Concept evaluation and selection
The next step of the process is to evaluate the ideas and concepts that has been generated. There are a number of different methods to rank and evaluate the generated concepts; it can be. One way to make a neutral evaluation is to use two methods known as Criteria weighting and Concept scoring, which allows the scoring to be performed in a systemized way.
Criteria weighting
Criteria weighting is a method described by Hamrin and Nyberg (1993). This method ranks each criterion against all other criteria, and evaluates how important each of one is compared to the others. The weighting is performed as follows:
A chart, where each of the criteria is represented in the upper row and in the corresponding position in the leftmost column is made. Then all criteria are ranked against each other, e.g. if criteria A is ranked against criteria B, the following scores are given.
- If criteria A is ranked as more important than criteria B (A>B) it is given the score 2.
- If criteria A is ranked as equally important as criteria B (A=B) it is given the score 1.
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- If criteria A is ranked as less important than criteria B (A When the comparison is done, sum, pi of each criterion is calculated. The sum, pi is then divided by the total score, Σpi that has been distributed, which gives the percentage of how important each criterion is. The total score Σpi that is distributed is the square of the number of criteria weighted, n. This means e.g. that if the number of criteria, n is five, then the total 2 score, Σpi to distribute will be 25 (Σpi = n ). The weight of each criterion, which will show the relative importance, is calculated by dividing the sum, pi by the total score, Σpi. Criteria A B C D E Sum, pi pi / Σpi % B C D E 2 Criteria Sum n 1 100% Chart 4: Criteria weighting matrix 3.4 Phase 2: System-Level Design The next step of the product development process is to refine the design of the chosen concept. The product is decomposed into smaller subsystems and components, which will make the refinement easier as each part can be refined individually. To preserve the feeling of one complete product, it is important to still view each subsystem as a part of the product instead of looking at it as an independent system. The refinement process can consist of giving thought to factors such as colouring, graphics, geometries, symmetries etc. 29 Design and development of electronic compasses 4. Results – Handheld compass 4.1 Phase 0: Planning To easier be able to specify the target market and constraints for the product, and to be able to set up goals for the project, the following methods and techniques were used to gather more information about the expected outcome: • Initial discussion • Benchmarking • Problem investigation • Product specification More information is gathered continuously throughout the whole project, but the main outcome of the planning phase is a product specification that will act as a guideline that will lead us in the right direction in the development process. 4.1.1 Initial discussion The first introductory meeting with Mr Bertil Rydergren, Research and Development Manager at Silva Marine, Mr Victor Drozdovskyy, Software developer, and Mr Jan Silfvén, Product manager at Silva Marine provided information about the technique used in the compass module and information about the new possibilities that this new technique offers. The initial discussion about the development of the hand-held compass was held with Mr Jan Silfvén. At this meeting, Mr Silfvén shared the view that the marine division has on hand-held compasses. The Marine division looks at the compass mainly as a hand-bearing compass, where the most important feature is to be able to easily get accurate bearing. The secondary, but also important, feature is that the compass shall be easy to mount at an easy viewable position in boats, kayaks, ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles), cars, bikes or other vehicles. During this discussion, it was also found that the popularity of different devices varies a lot between different countries. The use of hand- bearing compasses is not as widespread in Scandinavia as it is in the southern parts of Europe, e.g. in France, a hand-bearing compass must be onboard in all boats. There are also geographic variations between Europe and USA; in Europe people tend to put more interest to the functionality of the instrument than to the number of features, while people in USA tend to care more of the status that the instrument expresses and how many features it has. These facts are also important to take into consideration during the process. 30 Design and development of electronic compasses As a part of the initial discussion stage, a dialogue was also held with Mr Christer Svensson at Silvas Outdoor division. He shared the view that the Outdoor division has on the product, a view that differs from the view of the Marine division. The view of the Outdoor division is that the hand-held electronic compass shall combine the use of a traditional magnetic needle compass with an accurate hand-bearing feature. This means that the compass shall combine an easy hand-bearing feature with a feature that makes navigation through the use of a map possible. The result of the introductory phase was that the development of the hand- held electronic compass can be viewed from two different aspects; as strictly a hand-bearing compass made for marine use, or as a combination of a hand-bearing compass and a traditional compass, made to be used either in marine environments or for traditional navigation. As the marine division’s view of the compass differs from the outdoor divisions view, a combination of the map-alignment feature and the hand-bearing feature would be preferable. As both features are considered important, it is important to try not to renounce the functionality or accuracy of any of the features as far as possible. During the initial stage of the process discussions was held with salesmen at outdoor stores, to find out what the customers were looking for when buying compasses. The salesmen’s opinion was that people tend to prefer buying a traditional protractor compass before a digital ditto. According to the salesmen, the most important reason to this is that they feel that they can rely more on the functionality of the traditional compass; there is no risk that the batteries will discharge or that the electronic will mal-function. This was another aspect to keep in mind during the whole process; to try to make the compass express reliability. 4.1.2 Benchmarking There are a lot of products on the market that resembles hand-held digital compasses in some way. For some of the products the resemblance lays in the functionality and for others the resemblance lays in the environment it is supposed to be used in. A third resemblance can be that the studied object has an interface that can be applied onto a digital compass. The products we studied in the benchmarking phase for the hand-held compass can be divided into the following six categories. Analogue compasses As almost everyone in the target market has used, or at least seen, a magnetic needle compass one time or another, these can act as good source of inspiration when developing digital compasses. The protractor compass 31 Design and development of electronic compasses has been out on the market for a long time; it has become almost analogue with navigational equipment and it is probably a picture of a protractor compass that everyone thinks of whenever the word “compass” is mentioned. Since the magnetic needle compass has been out on the market for such a long time people has learned to navigate with these very easily, which is something that can be worth thinking of when developing compasses with new technologies. Digital compasses Studying existing digital compasses can be a good way to find inspiration and to detect both good and bad things about existing models. Particularly interesting things to study is the user-interface and how the map alignment issue has been solved. GPS Instruments that use the Global Positioning System technique are very common on the market nowadays. There are a few big manufacturers of GPS-appliances on the market, and by studying their products, good hints about how interfaces and casings can be designed. Most GPS-appliances are developed to withstand rough treatment and to be waterproof, and they are also meant to be used in the wilderness. This also makes them good sources for inspiration when it comes to giving the product the right look and to find solutions to make the product more durable. Multi-function devices Many devices made for outdoor use are combinations of different instruments, so-called multi-function devices. This type of instruments means that you don’t have to carry more than one device, and still can get many kinds of information. The disadvantage with these instruments is that they can become bigger and heavier more complicated to understand and you can end up paying for functions you never use. To make these instruments useful, there are big demands on how the user-interface is designed, and by studying this it is possible to get good information about how the interface can be designed. They can also give information about which instruments are usually combined, and as for the other devices made for outdoor use, they can act as inspiration when it comes to e.g. casing design. Other hand-held outdoor equipment There are devices made for almost every situation that can arise during your outdoor pursuit, whether it is to find your friend under en avalanche, measuring the incline of a ski slope or simply counting your steps. The thing they have in common is that they are all supposed to be used in the same 32 Design and development of electronic compasses environment and under the same conditions as the digital hand-held compass we are about to develop. By having a look at these many things can me learned, many ideas can be picked up and the development process can be optimized. Other products Inspiration can be drawn from almost everything around you, but preferable from products that has similar functions as the product under development. We have concentrated our studies on products that have an interface and that are hand held. Examples of products that fit into this category are mobile phones, PDA´s, MP3-players and digital wristwatches. See Appendix 1 for the complete benchmarking. 4.1.3 Problem investigation and Product specification The non-hierarchical mind maps The non-hierarchical mind maps gave a good insight in which problems areas the development of the electronic compass consists of. It also gave information about how the different problem areas affect each other, and to which areas the work has to be concentrated mainly. The results of the non- hierarchical mind mapping can be found in Appendix 2. The question method The question method was used to find out more about more about which demands the compass must fulfill. The following information was gathered by the help of the question method: 1. What is the aim with the project, what is the main concern? The aim with the project is to develop and design a hand-held electronic compass based on a new compass module developed by Silva Sweden AB. The compass should be watertight and powered by batteries. The user- interface should consist of a LCD-display and one or many push-buttons. The main concern is to optimize the functionality and the design to satisfy the demands of the prospective users. 2. Which latent or hidden needs and expectations are parts of the problem? The latent needs and expectations that influence the work are that the compass shall be portable, easy to use, the display shall be easy to read in all conditions and it shall have a design that appeal to many people and that 33 Design and development of electronic compasses expresses forward-thinking, toughness, reliability and high quality. The compass shall also allow sighting and map-alignment, and as it is hand-held, ergonomic guidelines have to be taken in consideration throughout the design process. Another design consideration is that the design of the compass shall be in line with the design of other Silva products. The battery life shall be as long as possible, to avoid the inconvenience and danger of losing the functionality of the navigational instrument. Also the life-length of the compass shall be maximized, and the inspection and maintenance shall be made as easy as possible. The compass shall be shockproof, and as it might be used in marine environments, it should permit floating and be easy to detect in water. From the company’s point of view, the production costs of the compass shall be as low as possible. 3. What tasks shall the compass be able to handle? The main field of application of the compass is that it shall be used as a navigational instrument that shows compass headings and bearings. The compass shall be as useful on land as in marine environments. It is also positive if the compass has other built-in features, such as a thermometer, a barometer, an altimeter etc. 4. Which developmental processes are available? Continuous discussions and consultations about developmental processes and production methods will be held with experts available at Silva Sweden AB. As the work is mainly on a conceptual stage, only fundamental regard will be taken to production methods. 5. Which characteristics must the compass have? The compass must be watertight according to the IPX7 standard, and the user-interface must be based on an LCD-display and one or many pushbuttons. 6. Which characteristics can the compass not have? The compass can’t be too expensive, not for the end user to buy, nor for the company to manufacture. 7. What kind of similar products are there on the market? There are a wide range of similar products on the market. Electronic compasses are marketed by Autohelm, KVH, Suunto, Highgear, Magellan, PNI Corp, Garmin and Coghlans; which also are some of the companies that will be competing in the same market as Silva Sweden AB. Silva has also already got an electronic compass on the market. The existing electronic 34 Design and development of electronic compasses compass by Silva is called Nomad. Traditional analogous compasses as well as GPS navigators can also be considered as competitors on the same market. There are a lot of products to be inspired by during the developmental phase. Among these are mobile phones, remote controls, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), mp3 players, watches etc. 8. Are there any standardized requirements? The compass must fulfil the IPX7 standard, which means that the compass will not allow any leakage as it is kept under water, at the depth of one meter for 30 minutes. 9. Are there any requirements about alteration possibilities on the hand-held compass? No, there are no direct requirements about alteration possibilities, though it might be an advantage if the compass can be connected to other similar products. Another thing that could be good to take into consideration in the development process is to try to make the compass built up by modules. By doing this, alterations and improvements are easier to make. 10. Are there any technical trends or design trends to take into consideration? Environmental thinking and ergonomic design are two technical trends that are often considered these days. As the knowledge in the technical area has increased, a trend in developing multi-functional tools can be seen. Products where many different functions have been integrated under the same shell are getting more and more common. Product specification The results of the non-hierarchical mind mapping and the question method gave us enough information to create a product specification that lists the demands and the requests that the final product is desired to fulfil. The gathered information resulted in a product specification that can be viewed in appendix 3. 4.2 Phase 1: Concept Development The planning phase provided us with information about the expected outcome of the product, and also about how to get there. The aim with the concept development phase is to produce concepts that offer solutions to the different problem areas, and then to evaluate the concepts and chose one concept to further develop. 35 Design and development of electronic compasses 4.2.1 Definition of customer needs The customer needs, the requests and expectations of the customers, were detected by a market survey. The results of the survey were used in the continuing development process, to optimize the final product from the prospective user’s point of view. The complete result of the survey can be found in Appendix 4. Survey layout The survey consisted of 15 questions about people’s outdoor pursuits, about the equipment needed to practise this, and about navigation. It also consisted of questions about which expectations and demands they have on their outdoor equipment. Some of the questions were designed to get an idea about how deep knowledge the participants have about outdoor equipment and about the use of it, and to increase the validity of the survey. These questions concerned e.g. how long the participants have practised their pursuit and how high their navigational skills are. Most of the questions were of multiple-choice type, with five different choices, where the participant was supposed to choose the alternative that suits best. One of the multiple-choice questions had more than five alternatives, and was of the type where many alternatives could be marked and own opinions and comments could be given. The reason for this was to avoid restricting the participant’s thoughts, and to get as many ideas as possible. Some of the questions were so-called open questions, where no alternatives were given, and where all answers should be written by the participant. Again, the reason was to avoid restricting the thoughts and to get as true answers as possible. The last part consisted of three questions that examined people’s opinions about how they rank general characteristics about outdoor products against each other. This last part were meant to get a hint about what people are looking for when they are screening the market for products and what they prioritise when they compare similar products. Survey distribution The inquiry was distributed primarily to people in the target group, but also to 500 random students at Luleå University of Technology. To reach out to as many people as possible in the target group, we contacted outdoor students unions at Umeå University, The University College of Physical Education and Sports in Stockholm and Luleå University of Technology; we managed to get a web link to the inquiry published in newsletters and on their web pages. The webpage www.marinan.com, which is a meeting place for boat 36 Design and development of electronic compasses enthusiast, was also contacted and information about the inquiry was posted in their weekly newsletter; “Club Marinan”. A web link was also posted in different web forums that turned to people interested in outdoor life. The web link and information about the inquiry was posted in the following websites: www.brant.se – website of the Swedish downhill skiing and climbing magazine “Brant”, www.batliv.se - Swedish boat magazine “Båtliv” and www.svenskaturistforeningen.se - The Swedish Tourist Organization’s webpage. Survey compilation The results of the survey were compiled and interpreted in different ways. As the questionnaire consisted of both multiple-choice questions and open questions, the key was to be as objective as possible during the compilation. The multiple choice questions were easiest to compile and rank relatively. We just had to count the number each alternative had been given and then divide it by the total number of answers to get the percentage of how highly- ranked each alternative was. The part of the investigation where statements about outdoor equipment were ranked against each other had five possible answering alternatives, which were scaled from 1 to 5. 1 indicated that statement A were ranked as more important, 3 indicated that both statements were ranked as equally important, and 5 indicated that statement B were ranked as more important. To interpret the data in such a good way as possible we decided to associate each of the alternatives with either zero, one or two points. If alternative 1 were chosen, two points were given to statement A, and similarly if alternative 5 were chosen two points were given to statement B. Alternative 2 and 4 gave one point to statement A or statement B respectively. If alternative 3 were marked, none of the statements gained any points. By doing this, we were able to determine which of the statement that were ranked as more important than the other. The answers from the open questions often expressed the same thing, but in different words. The answers from these questions were compiled as accurate as possible; answers that only varied slightly from each others were interpreted as the same. By compiling the answers in this way, they could be ranked relative each other and we could find out how common each outdoor pursuit were, how important each characteristic were etc. The result was presented either as plain text or in charts. The plain text were used mainly to questions concerning background information, while charts were used to questions that ranks different statements relatively, or to questions that give other information about the importance of factors or features. 37 Design and development of electronic compasses Results of survey The part of the survey that were designed to give us background information about how experienced the participant are, and how high their knowledge are within certain areas provided us with the following information: - The inquiry was answered by a total number of 103 people, of which 74 % were men and 26 % were women. The most common age for the participants was between 21 to 25 years of age. 35 % of the participants were between of this age. - The inquiry showed that the most common outdoor pursuit are downhill skiing, an activity performed by 28 % of the participants. The second most common pursuits are sailing and hiking, each performed by 25 % of the participants. Nordic skiing, which is performed by 21 % of the participants, was the third most popular activity. Other activities that were mentioned are, among others; diving, kayaking, hunting, fishing, climbing, orienteering and mountain biking. - A big majority, 74 %, of the participants have performed their outdoor pursuits for more than ten years. According to the question about how often people perform their pursuits; 37 % of the participants answered that they perform it on a yearly basis, 25 % answered that they perform it every week, and 23 % that they perform it more often than once a week. - 39 % of the people that participated in the survey consider themselves as being “excellent” in navigating with a compass, 28 % rank themselves as a 4 on the 5 graduated scale which can be interpreted as they have “very good” navigational knowledge. 25 % of the participants give themselves the grade 3, which means that they have “good” navigational knowledge. Only 8% of the participants ranks themselves as having “low” navigational skills, and none claims to have no navigational knowledge at all. When it comes to the demands people have on the precision when using a compass, 21 % of the participants answered that they have “very high demands” on the precision, 39 % answered that they have “high demands”, and 30 % answered that their demands are “intermediate”. Of all the participants, 7 % considers their demands on the precision as “low”, while only 2 % answered that their demands are “very low”. - 37 % of the participants in the survey stated that they uses instruments to measure bearings “sometimes”, 37 % also answered that they uses instruments for this purpose “often” or “very often”, while 26 % of the participants answered that they uses it “seldom” or “very seldom”. People tend to rank the precision on bearing 38 Design and development of electronic compasses instruments a little bit lower than the precision for compasses; 50 % of the participants considers the precision demands as “high” or “very high”, 42 % answered that their demands are “intermediate”, and 8% considers these demands as “low” or “very low”. When it comes to questions concerning the opinions people has about outdoor equipment and the use of this equipment, the following was found: - The most popular feature people would like to see incorporated in an outdoor device is a GPS, which would be appreciated by 63 % of the 103 participants. The second most popular feature is a compass (59 %) followed by a watch (51%), a thermometer (39 %), a wind gauge (37 %), and a barometer and a flashlight (both 33 %). Some other features mentioned are altimeter, transceiver, inclinometer and map alignment feature. - When participants were asked to rank the usability of different instruments, again a GPS were considered the most useful feature followed by a compass. A watch were ranked as the third most useful instrument, but this feature was far less popular than the GPS and the compass. Other features that were ranked are, among others; transceiver, flash light, barometer, thermometer, stop-watch and heart-rate monitor. - The participants were also given the opportunity to come up with suggestions about features they would like to see incorporated into an outdoor instrument. Some of the suggestions about features that came up were; use of standard batteries (e.g. AA), powered by kinetic energy, logical use (to be able to use the instrument without a manual), laser range-finder, mp3-player, FM-radio, depth gauge, binocular/monocular, mobile phone, built-in maps, and highly compatible with e.g. PDAs. - According to the survey, the outstandingly most common demand people have on their outdoor equipment is that it shall be durable. Easy use and reliability are two other factors that people seem to appreciate; they were ranked as the second and third most important characteristic. Some of the other characteristics that got high scores are water resistibility, shock resistibility and high quality. - When people were asked to compare a analogue compass with a digital compass, the survey shows that more than half of the participants, 55 %, considers them as equal, 18% considers a digital compass to be better, and 27% considers an analogue compass to be the better one of the two compasses. 39 Design and development of electronic compasses - The following chart show the result of the part of the survey where the participants were asked to compare different characteristics of outdoor products, and to state which characteristic they consider to be more important. Chart 5: Comparison of different characteristics for outdoor equipment - The graphs show that “easy to use” is the characteristic that people tended to rank as most important. “High compatibility” and “many functions” are two other factors that people ranked as highly important. The chart also shows that “attractive design” and “low price” are two characteristics that the participants do not put high value to. - Finally the participants were asked to mark how important certain factors are when buying new outdoor equipment. The following chart shows to which extent certain factors influences people when they buy outdoor products: 40 Design and development of electronic compasses Chart 6: The importance of different characteristics when buying outdoor equipment Again, the most important characteristic is that the product is “easy to use”. “Small size” and “ergonomic design” are two different factors that affect people strongly. The chart also shows that the characteristic that influences people least is that the product shall work as a status symbol, something that is not very surprising. 4.2.2 Idea generation As a feature that makes navigation through a combination of the compass and a map is considered important, and as the map-alignment has a great influence on the shape and function of the compass, and therefore affects the rest of the design process, this was the first problem area that needed to be solved. The brainstorming sessions that covered this area gave a number of different solutions to this problem: Idea 1: Compass with transparent display This idea is built around a traditional magnetic needle compass, a type of compass that allows the transparent housing to turn freely relative the baseplate, which makes map-alignment possible. To make this type of map-alignment possible to apply on electronic compasses, some demands on the compass design are made. The display must be transparent, and above or underneath the display, a turnable plate with printed meridian lines is placed. To make this solution possible, at least one edge must be more or less straight, to allow alignment between points on the map. If these demands are fulfilled, the Silva 1-2-3 method is applicable. A compass with a transparent display also makes it possible to determine the position on the map by taking bearings to two objects with a known location on the map. With a digital compass, the bearing to the object 41 Design and development of electronic compasses can be locked on the display, which simplifies the method described in 2.7.4 and 2.7.5. Idea 2: Compass with a transparent map-alignment window This idea is also built around a traditional magnetic needle compass. Instead of having a transparent display, the casing in the periphery of the display is transparent completely or partly, which makes it possible to align the compass to the map through a transparent and rotatable plastic disc on the bottom of the compass. When the alignment is done, the same procedure as in the previous idea is used to transfer a direction to the map or vice versa is the same as for the previous idea. Idea 3: Compass with separate baseplate A compass with the baseplate separated from the rest of the compass permits the compass body to be designed almost without any restrictions. The whole compass would consist of two separate parts: one electrical compass and one baseplate with rotatable meridian lines. The baseplate can be stored, e.g. underneath the compass when it is not in use. To align the compass to the map, the baseplate is put onto the disc, and step 1 and 2 of the Silva 1-2-3 system is performed. Then the baseplate is fastened (e.g. by using some kind of slides) on top of the compass, and step 3, the coincidence of the north arrow of the compass, and the meridian north line, is performed. To transfer a bearing to a map to get the right position, the digital compass is used to lock a bearing on the screen. Then the baseplate is fastened on top of the compass, and the housing is turned so that the north arrow of the compass is aligned with the meridian north lines of the baseplate. When this is done, the same procedure, as when bearings are transferred from a magnetic needle compass to a map, is performed. Idea 4: Compass with mechanical map alignment This idea resembles idea 2, but instead of aligning the map through a transparent window in the periphery of the display, a housing can be placed anywhere on the compass. The turning of the housing is transferred to the electronic compass mechanically, and when the meridian lines of the housing are aligned with the meridian lines of the map, the deviation from north is registered and displayed on the compass, e.g. in form of meridian lines. This makes step three of the Silva 1-2-3 system exactly the same as when it is performed on a magnetic needle compass. Determining the position on the map by transferring bearings is made the same way as when using a magnetic needle compass. Idea 5: Compass with meridian lines on rotating bezel 42 Design and development of electronic compasses This solution is based on a compass housing that has a rotating bezel, which has meridian lines printed or bevelled onto it. To make the map-alignment work the compass must have some kind of baseplate, or other kind of straight edge that makes map-alignment possible. The alignment is done by aligning the points on the map to the straight edge, just like it is done in the Silva 1-2-3 method, but instead of turning the complete housing; only the bezel is turned and aligned to the meridian lines on the map. Idea 6: Electronic map alignment This solution puts almost no demands on the compass, except that the compass must have at least one straight edge to make alignment to the map possible. The first step is to direct the map so that the north on the map is in the true north direction. The next step is to align the compass to the map by placing it on the map, just like step 1 of the Silva 1-2-3 method. The desired heading is locked on the compass, and the alignment is completed. Idea 7: Compass with magnet built into bezel This idea reminds a lot about idea 5; the compass housing has a rotating bezel on it, and the compass must have at least one straight edge to make map-alignment possible. The difference is that a magnet with known flux density is built-in into the bezel. This makes it possible for the compass module to detect how much the bezel is turned. As it is known how much the bezel is turned, the map alignment becomes easier. The alignment is performed by aligning the points on the map to the straight edge on the compass, just like it is done in the Silva 1-2-3 method, but instead of turning the complete housing; only the bezel is turned and aligned to the meridian lines on the map. Because it is known how much the bezel is turned, the angle between north and the preferred heading is known; and the next step just becomes to turn the compass until the angle is zero. 4.2.3 Idea evaluation As the brainstorming provided us with more ideas about how the map- alignment problem could be solved, the next step was to evaluate the ideas and find the best one. The idea evaluation was simplified as the ideas were evaluated together with Mr. Jan Silfvén, product manager at the marine division and Mr Christer Svensson, product manager at the outdoor division. The evaluation of the ideas was based on their thoughts about how easily the idea can be understood and adapted by the users, as well as on their thoughts about how well the ideas fulfil the requests and demands on functionality, production methods, production costs, design etc. The results of the evaluation meeting were that one of the ideas was chosen to work on with and further develop and improve. 43 Design and development of electronic compasses The idea chosen for further development and improvement was Idea 7: Compass with magnet built into bezel. The reason why this idea was chosen was because it was considered to be an idea that solves the problem with map alignment in an easy way. Everything required for map alignment is integrated in the compass; no extra tools are required. The idea is also easy to understand and to learn since it reminds about the methodology used to align protractor compasses to a map by the use of the Silva 1-2-3 method. Furthermore, a compass based on this idea does not require any additional sealings, since it does not have any rotating parts near the electronics. 4.2.4 Criteria formulation and weighting Based on the background information 1. Be highly reliable 8.9 % collected in prior stages in the process Provide map- 8.9 % a list of criteria was formulated. All alignment criteria were written in objective, 2. Be easy to 8.6 % solution-free terms. To see which understand criteria are most important to fulfil, 3. Be easy to operate 8.3 % they were weighted against each other. 4. Be highly readable 8.0 % A complete list of the criteria with their 5. Have a long life- 7.8 % length rated weight can be seen in chart 7. 6. Be ergonomically 7.2 % designed The criteria weighting showed us that 7. Be highly portable 6.9 % the two most important criteria for a 8. Provide easy 6.4 % handheld bearing compass are; “Be mounting highly reliable” and “Provide map- 9. Have high precision 6.1 % alignment”, both given the weight 10. Be easy to maintain 4.2 % 0.089. These two were followed by the 11. Provide many 3.9 % criteria; “Be easy to understand” with function the weight 0.086 and “Be easy to 12. Be highly compatible 3.6 % 13. Have an appealing 3.3 % operate” with the weight 0.083. The design complete criteria weighting matrix can Show many 3.3 % be found in Appendix 5. functions 14. Be environmental 2.2 % 4.2.5 Concept development friendly 15. Have a low price 0.8 % As we got information about how Be hard to lose 0.8 % Act as a status 0.8 % important each criteria are considered, we knew what to focus on throughout symbol the rest of the development of the Chart 7: Results of the criteria weighting. chosen idea. To improve the chosen idea further, and to develop concepts out of it, brainstorming sessions were held. The brainstorming sessions were not structured in the way that only 44 Design and development of electronic compasses one problem area were discussed at the time; one idea or solution could lead on to other ideas or solutions that covered completely different areas. The topics that were covered during the sessions were: - Idea improvement (How to make the idea work in reality) - Components (Size, number, cost etc.) - Over-all size (Balance between ergonomic shape, and display size etc.) - Connections (Compatibility with other instruments etc.) - Features (Standard features, options etc.) - Water resistibility (gaskets, wiring etc.) - Production (Materials, production methods, assembly etc.) - Perfectibility (How to give the product surplus value etc.) - User-interface (Graphic interface, buttons etc.) - Mounting and attachment (Where to attach, how to attach etc.) - Design (Expression, colour, shape etc.) Four different concepts were developed based on all criteria, and the importance of each of them. Since the four concepts were all developed with regards to the criteria in mind, they all resemble of each other, even though there are differences that separates them. Concept 1 This solution has a very similar design as a traditional protractor compass, only the housing is different. The traditional housing has been exchanged for the electronic module with an LCD interface. Three interaction push-buttons are placed symmetrical on the edge of the housing, which allows both right and left hand use. On top of the housing a rotatable bezel, with meridian printed on it, is located. A foldable lid is also integrated in the design. The lid is designed so that when it is completely unfolded it is in line with the rest of the compass and the edges form a straight line that can be used for map alignment. The lid has a display window and the buttons can be operated even though the lid is closed, this gives the compass a more robust feeling. Sighting is also possible when the lid is closed, but a more accurate aim is available if the lid is opened halfway. This concept is illustrated in picture 11. 45 Design and development of electronic compasses Picture 11: Concept 1 Concept 2 As the bezel is round, and as the alignment is optimized if it is placed in the periphery, a more or less round shaped compass is preferable. This concept has three buttons placed symmetrically on the edge of the front part of the compass. At the bottom of the compass two retractable discs are located. The discs have the same shape as the compass and can therefore be hidden under the compass. The discs are transparent and when retracted they serve as a tool for map alignment. Grades both in inches and millimetres are printed on the discs and can be used for measurements. Sighting is possible through an aim located on the top of the compass. This concept can be viewed in picture 12 Picture 12: Concept 2, a compass with retractable discs. 46 Design and development of electronic compasses Concept 3 This solution provides a smaller, more portable compass with flexible attachment possibilities. The compass has a round shape with a big display and a rotatable bezel that allows good grip. A snap-on attachment is integrated in the compass where a strap, a carbine hook or other attachments can be mounted. To make the map alignment better and more useful a retractable ruler is integrated at the bottom of the compass. This concept also has three push-buttons placed symmetrical to allow both left and right hand use. The middle button is placed a little offset from the circle where the other two buttons are placed. This gives the compass a certain feel of direction, which makes navigation easier. Sighting is possible through an aim located on the top of the compass. Grades both in inches and millimetres are printed on the discs and can be used for measurements. The concept is illustarated in picture 13. Picture 13: Concept 3. Compass with carbine hook and a ruler integrated in the design. Concept 4 This compass has a bigger display with a more oblong shape, which is separated by the rotatable bezel that forms the circle where the digital compass interface is located. The bezel is removable so that the display is viewable in its whole, which is good if it is mounted in e.g. a boat. The compass is operated by three big buttons that are placed symmetrically in line with the bezel. The compass can be used for sighting and to make this more accurate an aim is placed on top surface of the compass. Attachments are possible through a loop located on shorter edge of the compass. The long straight edge of the compass can be used for map alignment, but to provide more accurate alignment a retractable ruler, with integrated scales and magnifier is integrated in the compass. This concept is shown in picture 14. 47 Design and development of electronic compasses Picture 14: Concept 4, a compass with a bigger display. 4.2.6 Concept evaluation and selection The four concepts were evaluated with the help of a concept scoring matrix, which is a table that simplifies the evaluation of how well each concept fulfils the criteria that has been formulated for the final product. Since some of the criteria could not be fulfilled at this stage of the development process, or had not been implemented in the product, not all of the criteria were considered in the evaluation. The following criteria were excluded from the evaluation: - Provide many functions - Be highly compatible - Have a long life-length - Be highly reliable - Be easy to maintain The results of the concept scoring showed that concept 3 was the concepts that best satisfies the expectations and demands on the final product. The complete concept coring matrix can be found in appendix 6. The results of the scoring were as follows: 1. Concept 3 2. Concept 4 3. Concept 1 4. Concept 2 48 Design and development of electronic compasses 4.3 Phase 2: System-Level Design As one concept was chosen to work on with, and develop further, the next phase in the development process was the system-level design phase, where the aim was to further improve some parts of the chosen concept. As certain parts of the concept were modified and improved, the final design emerged. The final step was to create a 3D surface-model of the final concept, which was made to easier visualize the chosen concept. 4.3.1 The final concept Function, general idea The final concept is a handheld device that is designed to be used in both outdoor and marine environments. To be as functional as possible in these environments, the compass is made very portable, but yet has a relatively big display. The main function of the product is to serve as an electronic compass made for both map-aligned navigation and sighting. In its standard version, the compass will also feature a built-in watch and stop-watch with included alarm function. The compass will also come as a hi-end version, which will have the following additional features: altimeter, thermometer/ barometer, time/date/alarm/stop-watch. The compass is also made so that it can be mounted vertically on e.g. a boat. To allow the vertical mounting without deteriorating accuracy, the compass module is placed in a 45° angle. This allows the compass to be turned upwards in a 135° angle, and downward in a 15° angle. Design Picture 15: The final design 49 Design and development of electronic compasses The overall design of the compass is mainly based on functionality and ergonomics. To make the compass more compatible with a map, a rotatable bezel is placed on the top surface of the compass. To optimize the map- alignment function, the bezel must take up as much of the outmost edges as possible. This is the aspect which constraints the rest of the design the most, and to maximize the map-alignment area, and thereby optimize the map- alignment function, the compass is given a round shaped mid-section. The bezel does not only simplify the map-alignment, it also gives the compass a look that reminds the user of a traditional protractor compass; a symbolism that can give the user an idea of how the product is operated. In the front part of the compass, the round shape transforms into a more triangular, yet rounded, shape. In the backside part of the compass, the circular part transforms into a more rectangular shape. The shape of the compass is chosen because it is makes the compass ergonomic to hold and carry, at the same time as it makes it look more slender and has the shape of the compass. The shape of the compass is also chosen because the triangular front part makes up a natural separation of the three buttons, at the same time as it gives the compass a sense of direction, which facilitates navigation. All buttons needed to use the various features are placed on the front part of the compass; they are placed symmetrically around the compass to allow easy one-hand use for both right-and left-handed people, which is another factor that increases the functionality of the device. The button that is located in the centre is the MODE-button, and is used for toggling between the different modes. To the right of the centreline the SET- button is located and to the left the RESET-button can be found. Another push-button is also placed to the right of the centre line, but on the front part of the top surface. The placement of this button is chosen to make the button easy to reach, and to create symmetry, as a thermometer sensor is placed symmetrically to the left of the centre line. The bezel has meridian lines printed on the top surface of it, which furthermore simplifies the map-alignment. On the top of the bezel, two sights that make up a gun- sight are also placed. This placement maintains symmetry of the compass, and it permits accurate and easy sighting. A ruler used as a tool for map-alignment is integrated in the compass. The ruler is retractable, which means that it can slide Picture 16: Map alignment 50 Design and development of electronic compasses in and out of the compass. When the ruler is in its inner position it is totally concealed, but a grip surface reveals its function. The ruler is placed on the foremost lower edge of the compass underneath the centre push-button, a placement that facilitates accurate map-alignment. To allow change of batteries, a water sealed battery hatch is located on the bottom surface of the compass. The battery hatch is concealed by the ruler, and is only available when the ruler is slid to its outermost position. On the back part of the compass, a snap fastener is placed. The fastener is supposed to be used to fasten e.g. a strap to carry the compass, or a carabineer, that facilitates easy attachment of the compass. Ergonomics The compass is designed to permit easy carrying and ergonomic grip. The round base permits the compass to be carried in either left or right hand with the hand folded around the bottom of the compass in a relaxed way. A thumb grip on the back part allows easy and ergonomic access to the compass when it is strapped to e.g. a backpack. The buttons are placed in a way that allows easy one-hand access with each hand. The buttons are made of silicone rubber, which gives them a good texture, and nice touch. A rubber coating covers all grip surfaces and increases the friction, and thereby relaxes the grip. All edges of the Picture 17: Symmetrically placed buttons compass are rounded to further increase the ergonomics, and all important symbols on the display are made as big as possible to increase the readability. Size The approximate measurements of the compass are: - Length: 110 mm - Base width: 70 mm - Thickness: 20 mm The weight of the compass depends on the choice of the different components and materials. Thereby, the weight can not be verified at this stage. As similar products out on the market weighs approximately 100-150 grams, the aim is to make the compass weigh no more than 150 grams. 51 Design and development of electronic compasses Colouring The colouring of the compass is decided upon the following criteria; it shall simplify detection of the compass if it is lost, and it shall express roughness, durability, and other expressions that are usually related to outdoor equipment. Two different colour combinations are chosen, a combination of dark red and black, and a combination of medium light grey and medium light green. The red and green on the compass makes the compass easy to detect if lost. The grey Picture 18: The two different colour combinations of the and black are often used compass. on outdoor equipment, as they give the compass a rugged and durable look. Display and LCD-interface The size of the display is limited as the diameter of the middle part can not be too big, and as a square display is chosen to keep the cost down. This makes the visible part of the display a diameter of 45 mm. The standard version has got three modes built-in; Current-time mode, Compass mode, and Sighting mode. The intended hi-end version of the compass has an LCD interface that consists of seven different modes. Except for the three modes in the standard version, the following four modes are built-in; Inclination mode, Temperature mode, Barometer mode and Altimeter mode. 52 Design and development of electronic compasses Picture 19: The seven display modes and features. The first mode that is viewed when the Compass is turned on is the Current time mode. In this mode the main focus is turned to the time, but also the current heading and temperature can be viewed. In this mode the user has a possibility to set an alarm or use a countdown timer. To enter these sub- features the user has to press the SET-button. To toggle between the sub- features the user uses the Mode-button. The following mode is the Compass mode and this is where the user gets information of which bearing he or she is following and how much the user deviates from a desired heading. To store a heading between two points on a map, the user simply has to align the compass to the map and press the SET-button twice. The display will now indicate how much the user is deviating from the stored heading both numerical and graphical with bars on the top of the display. In the lower part of the display the current heading and the optimal (stored) heading is displayed. In the Sighting mode the compass can be used as a hand-bearing compass. When the mode is changed to Sighting mode, the last heading is automatically stored, as the bezel must be turned so that it points in the same direction as the compass. The user aims through the two gun sights located on the top surface of the bezel, and then stores the heading with a press on the SET-button. The user can store a bearing as many times as wanted but only the three last stored bearings can be viewed on the display. 53 Design and development of electronic compasses The stored bearings can later be used with a map and the integrated ruler to pinpoint the location. The Inclination shows the slant around two different axes. The graph bars can be used as third way to show the incline around one of the axis. The Inclination mode features two sub-functions; a Range finder and a Height meter. By pressing the SET-button the users enters the sub-functions. The Range finder bases on the trigonometric standards; that if an angle and a height are known a distance can be calculated. The user aims with the compass for the top of an object with a known height and stores this angle with a push on the SET-button. The user is then asked to enter the height of the object and this is done with the SET- and the RESET-button. When the height is set the display will show the distance to the object. The height meter is used in the same way only this time the user has to know the distance to the object to obtain its height. The temperature mode tells the current temperature. It also shows the maximum and the minimum temperature in a 24 hours interval. The temperature is by default displayed in Celsius but can also be shown in Fahrenheit. A push on the RESET-button changes the temperature to Fahrenheit. The next mode displays the current barometric pressure, by default in hPa, but also in mbar or inHg. In this mode the current temperature is also shown in the lower part of the display. The last mode is the Altimeter mode that displays the current altitude in meters or feet. The temperature is also shown in this mode. The user can reset the altimeter by entering a new reference altitude. A compass rose with an arrow, always indicating north; is displayed in all modes. The display with all segments lit is shown in picture 20. In appendix 7 a complete interaction diagram can be viewed. Picture 20: Display with all segments shown. 54 Design and development of electronic compasses Picture 21: The final concept 55 Design and development of electronic compasses 5. Discussion – Hand held compass Method The systematic approach used to simplify the development process was taken from a book called “Product design and development”, by Ulrich and Eppinger. The method has simplified the work a lot as it gives stepwise instructions how to manage the project, and how the different problems that arise during the process are best tackled. Since the project only was on a conceptual stage, the last three steps of the process have been neglected. Picture 22: The three phases used in the product development process Planning The planning phase, where most of the research was performed, passed without any bigger issues, and a good ground for the rest of the development process were built. The part of the planning phase that were most difficult to perform was the benchmarking, as some of the products could not be found in stores, and thereby could not be evaluated completely satisfying. Concept development The gathering of data about the future product, the compilation of a product specification, and the concept development and scoring were all parts of the concept development phase. The methods used in this phase were good as one part lead to the other in a logic way. The biggest problems of the concept development phase were caused by the market survey. To collect raw data for the identification of the customer needs we decided to do a web-based survey in the form of an inquiry. As the expected outcome of the survey was not completely determined by the time the questions were compiled, some problems emerged. Some of the questions became irrelevant and gave us nothing in the end, and we did not get as much help from the survey as we had expected. The choice to make a web based survey is not always the best choice in an initial stage of the process, as a written survey may not provide enough information about the environment of use for the product. They can also be ineffective in revealing unanticipated needs. 56 Design and development of electronic compasses Another thing about the inquiry is that many of the questions were of multiple choice types, which may affect the participant’s answers, as they might tend to choose the alternative that is closest to their opinion instead of giving their true opinion. An example of this is as the aim with one of the questions was to get the participants to rank the demands they have on their outdoor equipment. To increase the understanding of the question, examples about characteristics were given. One of the two characteristics given as an example was that the equipment must be durable. This alternative were ranked as the most important characteristic, which could partly be because we gave it as an example of a characteristic. The brainstorming sessions that were held were not structured in the way that only one topic were discussed at the time. This way of tackling the task can be both positive and negative; it gives many ideas, and the ideas often coincide. The negative aspect is that the thinking can derive from the original problem, and the result can be that not all solutions are found. Another negative aspect is that as many different subjects are discussed at the same time, some ideas can be forgotten, as they are taken out from their context. The compass design is determined by the functionality and the ergonomics, which restricts the design a lot. The shape is made to fit both right and left handed people, and the bezel is what mainly gives the compass its round base. The design of the compass, with a rotatable bezel placed on the top surface, is thought to act as an aid in understanding how the compass works as it makes the compass remind more about a traditional protractor compass. Not all people might be aware of this resemblance, but to the people in the target market, the resemblance should be quite obvious. During the development process, the expertise supplied to us was not utilized in an optimal way. The work could have been simplified a lot if continuous discussions would have been held with e.g. members of the Silva multisport team. The system-level design and the final concept As the developmental work has been performed in a structured way that takes into consideration the demands and expectations of the future users, the result are a compass that corresponds to the expectations of the target group. Some of the expectations of the target group contradict each other, whereby a ranking has lead to that some demands had to be more or less neglected. The design of the compass is based a lot on functionality and ergonomics, as we estimate that these are two characteristics considered important by the target group. As the final concept is at a conceptual stage, further improvements are necessary to attract a wider group of users, and to prepare it for production. One way to further improvements of the concept is to make a mock-up 57 Design and development of electronic compasses model of the concept. This would simplify the testing and detection of necessary improvements. 58 Design and development of electronic compasses 6. Results – Dinghy compass 6.1 Phase 0: Planning In order to be able to specify the target market and constraints for the product, and to be able to set up goals for the project, the following methods and techniques were used to gather more information about the expected outcome of the development process: • Initial discussion • Benchmarking • Problem investigation • Product specification Information was gathered continuously throughout the whole project, but the main outcome of the planning phase is a product specification that will act as a guideline that will lead us in the right direction throughout the development process. 6.1.1 Initial discussion The first introductory meeting with Mr Bertil Rydergren, Mr Victor Drozdovskyy, and Mr Jan Silfvén provided information about the technique used in the compass module and information about the new possibilities that this new technique offers. The initial discussion about the development of the dinghy compass was held with Mr. Jan Silfvén. At this meeting, he shared the view that the company has on this type of compasses. Silva Sweden AB looks at this compass as a competitor to the electronic dinghy compasses in general, and as a competitor to the dinghy compasses offered by TackTick in particular. At the meeting, we got to know that there are a couple of features that must be included in the design of the compass to make it a potential “TackTick killer”; it must have a countdown timer, and it must offer an easy way to set the desired heading during sailing. These two features must be incorporated in a good user interface. The compass must also be self contained to meet the regulations from different sailing associations. To decrease the risk of theft, it is desired to be able to bring the compass of the boat after the sailing session is finished. This puts demands on making the compass portable and easy to mount and de-mount. Another feature that is important to make the compass even more popular is if the display offers high readability. Since electronic compasses in not allowed in all sailing classes, it was decided that the aim was that the compass should be allowed in all the same classes 59 Design and development of electronic compasses as the Tacktick compass is allowed in. See Appendix 8 for Tacktick class information. 6.1.2 Benchmarking There is a wide range of tactical sailing compass on the market today. The most common navigational tool out on sea is the glass ball compass. Some manufactures has developed glass ball compasses especially suited for racing. These compasses have a tactical scale on the vertical plane for quick readouts, often combined with a main steering scale on the horizontal plane. As knowledge in technology has progressed many manufactures have also been able to develop digital compasses with high accuracy. Products from different manufacturers were used to get inspiration and ideas to solutions. The result of the benchmarking of different compasses can be found in Appendix 9. 6.1.3 Problem investigation and Product specification The non-hierarchical mind maps The non-hierarchical mind maps gave a good insight in which problems areas the development of the electronic dinghy compass consist of. It also gave information about how the different problem areas affect each other, and to which areas the work has to be concentrated mainly. The results of the non- hierarchical mind mapping, including comments, can be found in appendix 10. The question method The question method was used to find out more about which demands the compass must fulfil. The following information was gathered by the help of the question method; 1. What is the aim with the project, what is the main concern? The aim with the project is to develop an electronic tactical compass made for dinghies, and a mounting bracket that provides easy mounting of the compass. The compass shall primarily be used in competitions, and it shall be developed to suit boats with lengths up to approximately eight meters. The compass shall be watertight and powered by solar cells and backup batteries. The user-interface shall consist of a LCD-display and one or many push- buttons. The main concern is to optimise the functions and the design to fulfil the end-users demands. 2. Which latent or hidden needs and expectations are parts of the problem? 60 Design and development of electronic compasses The latent needs and expectations that influences the work is that the compass shall be easy to use, the display shall be easy to read in all conditions and it shall have a design that appeals to many people. Other latent design considerations are that the design of the compass shall be in line with the design of other Silva products and that it makes the compass express reliability and high quality. The compass shall be easy to mount and de-mount, to thereby increase the safety of it. Another safety aspect is that the final compass shall be self-protecting if possible, and that it is ergonomically designed to increase the safety of the user. The battery life shall be as long as possible, to avoid the inconvenience and danger of losing the functionality of your navigational instrument. Other factors that simplifies the maintenance is also preferable. As the compass will be used in marine environments, it should be floating and easy to detect in water. Both the compass and the mounting bracket must be light-weight, as the weight is an important factor during sailing competitions. To make it more attractive, the production cost, and thereby the price shall be as low as possible. As alteration possibilities might be considered important later on, it is important to make the compass modulated. 3. What tasks shall the compass be able to handle? The main field of application of the compass is to make sailing easier by showing how the wind affects the boat during sailing, e.g. in form of wind shifts. Another important task of the compass is that it shall include a countdown timer that indicates the time remaining to start. More tasks can be added later on depending on requests from the market. 4. Which developmental processes are available? Continuous discussions about developmental processes and production methods will be held with Silva, but as the project is mainly on a conceptual stage, no greater regard will be taken to production methods. 5. Which characteristics must the compass have? The compass must be shock-resistant and watertight to fulfil the IPX7 standard. It must also be light-weight and it must have a long length of life. 6. Which characteristics can the compass not have? The compass can not have a weight that affects sailing negatively, and it can not be too expensive either. Features that are forbidden by class rules can not be integrated in the product. 7. What kind of similar products are there on the market? 61 Design and development of electronic compasses Today there are a range of similar products on the market. TackTick is a well-reputed producer of similar electronic compass. There are also other types of electronic compasses and a wide range of traditional glass ball compasses from different manufacturers that are competing in the same market. 8. Are there any standardised requirements? The compass must fulfil the IPX7 standard, which means that the compass will not allow any leakage as it is kept under water at the depth of one meter for 30 minutes. 9. Are there any requirements about alteration possibilities on the dinghy compass? No, there are no direct requirements about alteration possibilities, though it might be an advantage if the compass can be connected to other similar products. If modulation is considered during the development process, alterations can be made later on, which is positive. 10. Are there any technical trends? Environmental thinking and ergonomic design are two technical trends that are often considered these days. Boat owners are often conservative and less considerable about prices, which can be a factor in the development process. However, the fact that the product is used in competitions should be taken into consideration, as this type of sailor’s preferences can be different than the preferences of other boat owners. Product specification The results of the non-hierarchical mind mapping and the question method gave us enough information to create a product specification that lists the demands and the requests that the final product is desired to fulfil. The gathered information resulted in a product specification that can be viewed in Appendix 11. 6.2 Phase 1: Concept Development The planning phase provided us with information about the expected outcome of the product, and also about how to get there. The aim with the concept development phase is to produce concepts that offer solutions to the different problem areas, and then to evaluate the concepts and chose one concept to further develop. 62 Design and development of electronic compasses 6.2.1 Definition of customer needs The customer needs, the requests and expectations of the customers, were detected by a market survey. The results of the survey were used in the continuing development process, to optimize the final product from the prospective user’s point of view. Survey layout The survey consisted of 12 questions about sailing, sail racing, about the equipment they need to practise sailing, and about outdoor products in general. Some of the questions were designed to get some background information about the participants; to get an idea about how deep knowledge the participants have about sailing equipment and about the use of it, and to increase the validity of the survey. These questions concerned e.g. how long the participants have been sailing, how often they are sailing, and what type of boat they are using. The other questions were designed to get information about the products they are currently using and about future products; about what demands they have and what they expect to get from a product of this type. All questions in the survey were of multiple-choice type; most of them with five different alternatives, where the participant was supposed to choose the alternative that suits best. The reason for using multiple choice questions was to avoid restricting the participant’s thoughts, and to get as many ideas as possible, at the same time as the compilation are simplified. The participants were also given the opportunity to share their thoughts about the subject of the question, and to give ideas and suggestions. Again to avoid restricting the thoughts and to get as true answers as possible. Survey distribution The inquiry was distributed primarily to people in the target group. To reach out to as many people as possible in the target group, three upper secondary schools that educates sailors were contacted. Different sailing class organisations were also contacted, and the inquiry was posted at www.finnjolle.nu - the Swedish Finn Organisation and www.420sweden.se – A joint website for the Swedish 420 and 470 class organisation. The webpage www.marinan.com, which is a meeting place for boat enthusiast, was also contacted and information about the inquiry was posted in their weekly newsletter; “Club Marinan”. Survey compilation 63 Design and development of electronic compasses The results of the survey were compiled and interpreted in different ways, but the key was to be as objective as possible during the compilation. The best way to compile the multiple-choice questions was to compile and rank relatively. This was done just by counting how many times each alternative had been marked and then divide it by the total number of answers to get the percentage of how highly-ranked each alternative was. The part of the investigation where statements about equipment were ranked against each other had five possible answering alternatives, which were scaled from 1 to 5. 1 indicated that statement A were ranked as more important, 3 indicated that both statements were ranked as equally important, and 5 indicated that statement B were ranked as more important. To interpret the data in such a good way as possible it was decided to associate each of the alternatives with either zero, one or two points. If alternative 1 were chosen, two points were given to statement A, and similarly if alternative 5 were chosen two points were given to statement B. Alternative 2 and 4 gave one point to statement A or statement B respectively. If alternative 3 were marked, none of the statements gained any points. By doing this, it became possible to determine which of the statement that were ranked as more important than the other. The questions where the participants were asked to mark how important they find various features or factors from 1 to 5 were compiled in the way that a mean score for each factor or feature were calculated; the total score for each feature or factor was divided by the total number of participants. The result was presented either as plain text or in charts. The plain text were used mainly to questions concerning background information, while charts were used to questions that ranks different statements relatively, or to questions that give other information about the importance of factors or features. Results of the market survey The survey is one part of the information gathering process, and the result of it will be used in the continuing development process. The complete result of the survey can be found in Appendix 12. The part of the survey that is designed to give us some background information about how experienced the participant are, and how high their knowledge are within certain areas provided us with the following information: The inquiry was answered by a total number of 42 people, of which 81 % were men and 19 % were women. Most of the participants were between 15 and 20 years of age. 41 % of the participants were between of this age. It showed that more than half of the participants (56 %) have been sailing more than 10 years. 2 % of the asked answered that they have been sailing less than 3 years, and 41 % of the participants have been sailing 3 to 10 years. 64 Design and development of electronic compasses A big majority, 74%, of the participants have performed their outdoor pursuits for more than ten years. According to the question about how often people perform their pursuits; 37% of the participants answered that they perform it on a yearly basis, 25% answered that they perform it every week, and 23% that they perform it more often than once a week. The question about how often people are sailing showed that 70 % of the participants are sailing at least one time a week. 17 % of the participants are sailing every month, and 12 % are sailing every year. The most common boat used by the participants of the inquiry are the 420, which is used by 15 % of the asked. The Finn (13 %), Europe (11 %), and Laser (9 %) are also popular. Other boats that were mentioned are Starboat, Yngling, Maxi, Splash, and Semona. When it came to questions concerning competition, and instruments used for competition, the following was found: Of the asked, 90 % are competing, or have been competing. Out of them, 39 % answered that they have been competing for more than 10 years, 23 % have been competing between 6 years and 10 years, 29 % have been competing between 1 year and 5 years, and finally, 10 % have been competing for less than a year. The most common class for competition is Europe, in which 12 % of the asked are, or have been, competing in. Of all participants, 9 % are, or have been, competing in the Optimist class, and 8 % are, or have been, competing in either the Finn class or the 420 class. Other classes that the participants are, or have been, competing in are, among others; Star, LYS, Express 470, J80 and 606. According to the inquiry, analogue instruments are most widespread in the competitions; 75 % of the participants that are competing answered that they use analogue instruments. According to the survey, most people, 52 %, direct their attention towards the next buoy during competition. 45 % answered that their attention is mainly directed on the opponents, and 3 % have their eyes on the navigational equipment. Other things that people tend to direct their attention toward are speed and tack, VMG, the wind direction, the topography, charts, clouds and angles used to get to the next buoy. In a future digital sailing compass a number of different features can be incorporated. The participants were asked how important they consider various features, and the chart below shows how important sail competitors consider each feature: 65 Design and development of electronic compasses Chart 8: The importance of various features incorporated into a digital sailing compass. As shown above, displayed compass heading is the feature that is ranked the highest, and a countdown timer is the second highest ranked feature. Both of these features were given a score above 4 on the 5 graduated scale. Other features that were mentioned by the participants are among others; tack- indicator, clock, big and highly readable digits and big buttons that are manoeuvrable wearing neoprene gloves. The participants were also asked about if the have experienced any problems with their current navigational equipment. The results shows that almost 9/10 have not experienced any problems. The ones that experienced problems, answered that the problems they experience are that the compass is to sensitive to interfering magnetic fields, that it only functions up to 30° roll and pitch, that the compass needle oscillates too much, that the display is not functioning satisfactory, and that the instrument is not compatible enough. The prospective users were asked to compare different statements, and to rank them against each other. As can be seen in the chart below, the results of the comparison showed that attractive design is ranked as not important at all, while most of the asked ranks easy to use as very important. 66 Design and development of electronic compasses Chart 9: Comparison of different characteristics for marine equipment Finally, the participants in the market survey were asked to rank how important they consider different factors when buying marine equipment. The results again showed that how easy a product is to use is the most deciding factor when buying marine equipment. The complete compilation of the factors that affects the decision making when buying marine products can be seen in chart 10. 67 Design and development of electronic compasses Chart 10: The importance of different characteristics when buying marine equipment. 6.2.2 Idea generation Different ideas about how the compass can be made as attractive as possible for the target group were developed. As the timer- and heading features, are programmed as software, and as they mostly affect the user interface which is mainly developed at a later stage, we put most of our energy on trying to optimize the other aspects, such as readability, portability and mounting possibilities. Two different ideas about how the readability of the compass can be optimised were found as a start; the compass can be made with either one display, or as the TackTick compass with two displays. Picture 23: General ideas; compass with one display, and compass with two displays A compass with only one display is cheaper to manufacture, and can be made more portable than a compass with two displays, but a compass with two displays offers much higher readability. To increase the readability even more, an idea that is based on making the angles between the two displays adjustable emerged. This idea also offers higher portability than a compass 68 Design and development of electronic compasses with two non-adjustable displays as it can be folded. The most negative aspect of this type of compass is that it would be harder to make watertight, and thereby more expensive to produce. After discussions with Mr. Jan Silfvén, the foldable alternative was chosen to try to further develop. As one solution was chosen to further develop, the next step was to optimize the functionality of it and to optimise the relation between the experienced value for the company and for the final user. The first idea was to place the compass module in one of the display units. After some contemplation, this idea had to be rejected as this placement would make the compass module rotate every time the angles are adjusted. The rotation of the compass module would make a calibration of the compass necessary every time the angles are changed. To solve this problem, another unit had to be included in the design; a middle part that contains the compass unit, and that both of the displays are rotating around. As a new concept was developed more and more consideration was taken to the user interface. During sailing the sailor uses different seating spots, and it is important to always be able to reach all the controls and be able to read the information on the display in a satisfying way. The adjustable display angels offer a good solution to the readability problem but it is important to also optimise the placement of the controls. To solve this, different locations for placing the controls were evaluated. The controls can be placed on different parts of the display module, or they can be placed on the middle part. If the controls are placed on the displays, and if not all controls are placed on both of the displays some of them can be hard to reach in certain seating positions. On the other hand, if all of the controls are placed on each display there will be more openings to tighten. If all controls are placed on the middle part, only one set of each control is necessary, as they will be able to reach from all positions. This means that the display casings can be made symmetric, and that there will be fever openings to tighten. Even though the work is only at a conceptual stage, the aim is to keep the production costs as low as possible. One way to do this is to build-up the compass parts of as few parts as possible, e.g. by making parts symmetric. As all controls were placed on the middle part, the two display casings could be made symmetric, and thereby the production cost was lowered. As the general design of the compass had been chosen, the next step of the process was to optimize the adjustable display angles, mostly with consideration to the water tightness. Brainstorming sessions that dealt with this problem were held, and three different solutions emerged; 69 Design and development of electronic compasses - Idea 1: Wireless One way to connect the display units with the compass module, and the other electronics is to transfer the signals wirelessly. This would be a good solution, but nowadays the technique is rather expensive. A sketch of this concept can be seen in picture 24. Picture 24: wireless solution - Idea 2: Water tight wiring Depending on how many wires needs to be connected from the middle part to each of the displays, this could be a good alternative. Picture 25 shows a sketch of the water-tight wiring. - Idea 3: Bellow Depending on how many wires needs to be connected from the middle part to each of the displays, this could be a good alternative. The bellow can be seen in picture 25. Picture 25: Water-tight wiring, and bellow solutions The displays demand a lot of wiring, as each segment of the display needs to be connected to the display driver through one wire. If the display driver is placed in the middle part, there would be a lot of wiring to tighten, and the production cost would rise. As a display driver is quite inexpensive, one driver can be placed in each display casing. This would result in less wiring, and thereby a lower production cost. 70 Design and development of electronic compasses 6.2.3 Idea evaluation As a few solutions had been found, they were evaluated together with Mr Jan Silfvén, and one of the ideas was chosen to work on with and further develop and improve. As only a few wires needs to be drawn between the middle part and each of the displays, the idea with water-tight wiring is applicable. This idea gives a good, and simple solution to the water-tightness, but to further increase the safety of the product, and to make the compass a more uniform look, it were combined with the bellow-idea. This combination was chosen because it increases the safety at the same time as it improves the aesthetic aspects. The wiring was made watertight by gluing all connections with silicone glue and the bellow were glued to the upper part of both the displays and the middle part. 6.2.4 Criteria formulation and weighting As a general design had been chosen, the next step of the product development process was to add features that give the user a high as possible experienced value. The background information gathered through the initial discussion and the benchmarking combined with the results from the problem investigation and the product specification as well as with the customer’s opinions, constituted in a number of criteria that the product are desired to fulfil. Based on our own opinions and on the result of the market survey, the different criteria were ranked relatively. The following were the result of the ranking. The criteria weighting matrix can be seen in appendix 13. 71 Design and development of electronic compasses Ranking Criteria Weight 1 Be easy to use 11.1 % 2 Be hard to loose 10.7 % Be highly readable 10.7 % 4 Be self-protecting 10.2 % 5 Express reliability 8.4 % Provide easy 8.4 % 7 Be easy to maintain 8.0 % 8 Be highly portable 6.7 % 9 Express high quality 5.7 % 10 Be ergonomically 5.3 % 11 Be built-up by 4.0 % 12 Have an appealing 3.1 % Have a low price 3.1 % 13 Be compatible 2.2 % Express Silva unity 2.2 % Chart 11: The result of the criteria ranking 6.2.5 Concept development As we got information about how important each criteria are considered, we knew what to focus on throughout the rest of the development of the chosen idea. To improve the chosen idea further, and to develop concepts out of it, brainstorming sessions were held. The brainstorming sessions were not structured in the way that only one problem area were discussed at the time; one idea or solution could lead on to other ideas or solutions that covered completely different areas. The topics that were covered during the sessions were: - Usability (How can the compass be made as easy to use as possible?) - How can the compass be made as hard as possible to loose? - How can we develop a self-protecting compass? - In which ways can we make it express reliability, quality and Silva unity? - How can it be modulated? - How can we make the design as appealing as possible? 72 Design and development of electronic compasses - How can it be made as ergonomic as possible? - Readability (What ways are there to improve the readability?) - Components (Size, number, cost etc.) - Over-all size (Balance between ergonomic shape, and display size etc.) - Connections (Compatibility with other instruments, modulation etc.) - Features (Standard features, options etc.) - Water resistibility (gaskets, wiring etc.) - Production (Materials, production methods, assembly etc.) - Perfectibility (How to give the product surplus value etc.) - User-interface (Graphic interface, buttons etc.) - Mounting and attachment (Where to attach, how to attach etc.) As these subjects were discussed, more solutions came up and were evaluated. The different ideas and solutions were combined into a final concept that fulfils all criterions in a satisfying way. 73 Design and development of electronic compasses 6.3 Phase 2: System-Level Design As a final concept had been chosen, most of the features and other aspects of the compass were already developed. Though, when the compass was modelled in NX3 and Alias Studiotools, a lot of new ideas and solutions that fulfils the criterions even better, were found. A constant re-development of the compass was performed during the whole modelling phase, and the result is a real “TackTick killer”. Picture 26: The final concept 74 Design and development of electronic compasses 6.3.1 The final concept The final concept is a tactical compass with two separate displays that are united through a centre part. Both of the displays are hinged to a centre part, which makes the angle between the displays adjustable. The adjustable angle between the displays make the compass more versatile as it permits the compass to be viewed from a wider range of different angles, and more portable as the displays are foldable behind the centre part. Picture 27: The rubber bellow gives The compass module and most of the the compass a more united feeling other electronics are placed in the centre part. This is because the compass module would be rotated if it was placed in any of the displays, and thereby the accuracy of the compass could be affected. To make the compass fulfil the IPX7 standard, it has to be completely water tight. To make the compass water tight, all part lines and all connections between the centre part and the displays are sealed. To further ensure that the compass is water tight it is wrapped up in a rubber bellow that is glued onto the surfaces of the compass. This also gives the compass a more united feeling, as it looks more like one part instead of three different parts hinged together. Also, the wiring inside the bellow is sealed with silicone glue, to further increase the water protection. Each of the displays has a loop integrated in the design. A Velcro strap is threaded through the loops, and together with a heel behind each displays, it is used to mount the compass on a bracket. The strap can also be wrapped around the compass as a protective layer when it is folded together. 75 Design and development of electronic compasses Picture 28: The mounting bracket strapped on a mast Mounting bracket To be able to mount the compass easily onto the mast, and to ensure that the displays can be adjusted to the same angle every time the compass is in use, a mounting bracket is used. The bracket is made of extruded aluminium, and is strapped to the mast with a Velcro-strap. Once the bracket is strapped to the mast, the mounting, and demounting of the compass is done easily. Rubber heels on the surface of the mast increases the friction, and thereby the safety. The standard bracket is designed so that the angle between the displays can be adjusted in two positions depending on how the bracket is mounted to the mast. To make the compass mounted on the standard bracket functional in as many boat types as possible, the angles 90° and 120° were chosen after consultation with Mr. Jan Silfvén and Mr. Mattias Hellgren at Silva Nexus Marine. To secure the compass to the bracket, a heel on each display is fitted into a notch on the bracket, and the Velcro strap that is fastened to the displays is strapped around the bracket and the mast. This solution allows easy mounting and demounting of the compass. See picture 18 for a profile view of the bracket. To further increase the functionality of the compass, supplementary brackets with altered angles, or brackets made for mounting on other objects can be manufactured and sold as add-on to the standard package. 76 Design and development of electronic compasses Picture 29: The Bracket in profile Casing The casing of the compass is all in injection moulded plastic. The centre part is divided into two parts in black plastic material. The display casing is also divided in two parts. The front parts of the displays are made in transparent plastic which seals the display from getting damage by water and also makes the display more shockproof. The front part is later covered by the black rubber bellow, which hides the transparent plastic. The back part of the display is made in a plastic material in a bright colour (e.g. orange). The compass is made so that the main weight is located on the front part of the compass, so that if it is dropped in water it will float upside down and because the backside is in a bright colour it will be easier to locate in the water. The casing parts are made symmetrical, so that the same casing can be used for both displays. This means that, there will be a space made for solar cells on both the top and bottom surface of the display. To give the user a feeling that the angles of the solar cells are optimized, the top and bottom surfaces of the compass are angled 20°. As the casing and bellow is made symmetrical, there will be a transparent window on the bottom surface of each display. Instead of just keeping a transparent window, a Silva Nexus logotype is printed on the inside – which adds an extra surplus value to the product. The adjustable angle The adjustable angle between the displays optimizes the compass as it makes it suitable for most boats and as it makes the compass easy to fold and thereby gives it a high portability. The functionality of the adjustable angles is ensured by integrating hinges into the design of each of the displays and the centre part. Each of the two displays is connected to the centre part by two hinges, which are secured by rivets. The hinges on the centre part are placed in an 45° angle backwards as this is the mean position between the maximum and minimum angles of the displays. By placing the hinges this way, the bellow will be wrinkled equally when the angle between 77 Design and development of electronic compasses the displays are 0° as well as the angle are 180°, and the wear on it will be minimized. Safety The safety of the compass and its user are increased in a number of ways. While the compass is mounted to the boat, it is important to prevent ropes from getting tangled to gaps between the different parts of the compass or to gaps between the compass and the bracket. This is done by minimising the number of gaps, and minimising the size of the gaps that can not be completely excluded. This was put into practice as a rubber bellow that unites all parts was included into the design, and as the bracket completely covers the back of the compass while it is mounted. The Velcro strap that is used to simplify the mounting constitutes extra safety as it gives the compass and the bracket a more united feeling. When the compass is not mounted to the boat, the Velcro strap acts as a protective case; as the compass is folded, the strap is wrapped around it, and the displays and push buttons are covered and protected. This offers a good protection for all fragile parts and the buttons at the same time as the solar cells are not covered, and re-charging is possible. The folded compass with the Velcro strap can be seen in picture 30. The rubber bellow that covers the display casings and parts of the centre part acts protecting in another way as well. It gives the compass a higher shock-resistance and increases the water resistibility, and thereby makes it more durable. The mounting bracket is made out of an extruded aluminium profile, which allows ropes to run freely near the mast. This is another feature that increases the safety of the product. All edges of the compass are rounded, and most of the compass is covered with rubber. The rounded edges and the rubber coating give the compass smooth and soft feeling, and acts protecting for the user. Picture 30: The Velcro strap protects the compass when it is folded. 78 Design and development of electronic compasses Batteries The batteries that were chosen to be used in the sailing compass have a capacity of 2000mAh. This capacity were considered necessary as the compass has a power consumption of approximately 10mA, and as the backup battery power is desired to last at least 200 hours in continuous use, without re-charging. Solar cells Solar cell technology is already used by Silva, and to keep the costs as low as possible, a similar type of cells can be used in the dinghy compass. Rough calculations show that the solar cells that Silva uses in their products deliver a maximum output of approximately 100µW/mm2. The compass module operates in 3.3V, and the battery used in the sailing compass has capacity of 2000mAh. The battery is desired to recharge in 50 hours in optimal conditions which demands that the solar cell delivers a 40mA current. Picture 31: View of the solar cells. Calculations show that the requested output of the solar cell becomes 0,132W (3.3V × 40mA). To reach this, the total area of the solar cell must be 1320 mm2. As the cell is placed behind a transparent plastic layer, the capacity decreases approximately 15%. To compensate for the loss, the area has to be at least 1600 mm2. To shorten the re-charging time the solar cell area can be increased even more. An increased area gives the user a surplus value in form of shortened re-charging time but at the same time the cost increases. The relationship between the experienced benefit of a shortened re-charging time and the increasing cost is what determines the size of the solar cell. As the importance of the surplus value is considered to be greater than the cost the dimensions of the solar cell are maximized. To increase the area, two separate solar cells are used; one is placed on top of each of the display casings. This gives each of the solar cells an area of approximately 1000 mm2 (14mm × 84mm), which gives the batteries a re-charging time of about 40 hours. Buttons To optimise the user interface; the understanding and manageability of the compass, four push buttons are integrated into the centre part. Four buttons 79 Design and development of electronic compasses are chosen because it permits easy navigation through the menus as well as easy adjustment and confirmation of different settings. Two round shaped buttons with different radius are placed in the centre; a smaller Mode-button and a bigger SET-button. The mode button serves as an on/off button but also toggles the user between the different display modes. The SET button serves as a confirmation button used in settings or to enter modes. Since this button is the one that will be used the most it is made bigger, which also simplifies interaction when the user is wearing gloves. The enter button is also given a different texture than the other buttons to make it easier to find if is out of the visible field. The two remaining buttons are arrow shaped and is to be used in settings, e.g. adjusting the tack angle or setting the time in the countdown timer mode. These buttons are placed on the top respective the bottom side of the front surface of the centre part. The buttons are however placed vertically offset from each other, the upper button is placed closer to the right display and the lower is located closer to the left display. This makes the buttons show a sense of belonging to the respective displays (the proximity factor gestalt). The vertical offset has no function in the compass today, but as we wanted the compass to be built up by modules, parts of the product can be used in future products where this placement can be useful. Display To increase the readability of the display, and to be able to distribute the information on the display in a good way, big displays are used. The two display casings each have the measures 101×93×22 mm, which gives the displays the effective size 80×80 mm. The smallest digits on the display measure 11x7 mm and the largest 35×20 mm, which should provide high readability. To make the display even more readable and easier to understand, three graph bars with different functions are integrated in the LCD design. To keep the cost down, the number of segments on the LCD were kept as low as possible. LCD Interface The LCD interface consists of five different modes, one of these modes are only used for calibration and are only displayed when calibration is needed. The display with all its segments lit can be seen in picture Picture 31: The display with all segments lit 80 Design and development of electronic compasses 30, and the four main display modes are visualised in picture 31. Picture 32: Four of the five display modes. Calibration mode is not shown here. The first mode is the Start mode, which displays how much battery power is left. The battery level is displayed both graphically, with four bars used as an indicator, and with digits that shows how many hours battery-time is left. The Start mode is displayed for three seconds during start-up, and then automatically switches to the Compass mode. In the compass mode the current heading of the boat is shown with three large digits in the centre of the display. Below the heading digits, the heel of the boat is shown both graphically and by two digits. The graphical display is quite inaccurate, and is only supposed to strengthen the impression of the digits. The next mode is the Race mode where the heading, the wind shift, and the heel are displayed. The heading and the heel is shown in the same way as in the Compass mode. The wind shift display shows how far above or below the mean heading towards the next buoy, the boat is drifting. The deviation from the preferred heading is displayed by two digits and two graph bars on the top part of the display. The graph bars shows the deviation exponentially from 1° to 16°, and the digits show the real deviation from 0° to 19°. To be able to use the Race mode, the mean heading of the wind has to be 81 Design and development of electronic compasses calculated and programmed before the race. This is done in the Wind calibration mode which is entered by pressing the SET button. When the calibration is done, the display automatically switches back to the Race mode. The compass also features a Timer mode which can be used for countdown until the start signal. The Timer mode is displayed in two different ways depending on how high the timer is set; one when the timer is set to a time more than ten minutes and one when the timer is set to a time less than ten minutes. When more than ten minutes is left on the countdown the big digits in the centre of the display are used to display the time left. The digits show minutes with one decimal place from X.0 to X.5, where the 5 equals 50 seconds. The bar graph and digits in the lower part of the display, prior used to show the heeling, is used to show seconds; the graph is divided into ten parts and thereby one part equals one second. 82 Design and development of electronic compasses 7. Discussion - Dinghy compass Method The systematic approach used to simplify the development process was taken from a book called “Product design and development”, by Ulrich and Eppinger. The method has simplified the work a lot as it gives stepwise instructions to how to manage the project, and the different problems that arise during the process are best tackled. Since the project only was on a conceptual stage, the last three steps of the process have been neglected. Picture 33: The three phases used in the product development process Concept development To collect raw data for the identification of the customer needs we decided to do a web-based survey in the form of an inquiry. This is not always the best choice in an initial stage of the process as a written survey may not provide enough information about the environment of use for the product, and they can also be ineffective in revealing unanticipated needs. Another thing about the inquiry is that many of the questions were of multiple choice types, which may affect the participant’s answers as they might tend to choose the alternative that is closest to their opinion instead of giving their true opinion. Today, the compass module is quite energy consuming. If it is possible to reduce the energy consumption, the compass is easier to make more attractive to the market. The weight and size of the battery can be reduced or if the same battery is kept the battery-time can be prolonged. Because the lack of sailing experience, we had some difficulties deciding which ideas and criteria are considered important. Thereby, a lot of our decision-making, were done under consultation of Mr. Jan Silfvén. The result of this was that not as much consideration was taken to the result from the survey and the other information gathering methods in the beginning of the project. Although the criteria were kept in mind during the whole design process, and played a big part in all design solutions. As we did not have any sailing experience, we did not take anything for granted during the development process. The result of this was that the development of the compass was pursued from a more general point of view. This could be 83 Design and development of electronic compasses positive as we might have found ideas that experienced sailors would not have thought about as they find certain things basic. As our “general” design knowledge were combined with the sailing experience of the Silva Sweden AB staff, the result could even be better than if the development would have been made by an experienced sailor. The system-level design and the final concept The design of the tactical compass is primarily based on functionality. The final concept offers good visibility with two big displays which should help the sailor. The “hinged” design offers good portability but also makes the product suit different boats with different features. The bellow gives the compass a more united feeling but also makes it more shockproof. The final concept is dominated by dark colours but this makes the displays even more readable since the displays are in contrast with its bright background. The colouring may of course be altered. The colour of the compass backside should however be kept bright to keep it easy detectable if it is dropped in the water. As the final concept is at a conceptual stage further improvements are necessary to attract a wider group of users, and to prepare it for production. One way to further improvements of the concept is to make a mock-up model of the concept. This would simplify the testing and detection of necessary improvements. User tests would also improve the LCD layout and the rest of the user interface as well. 84 Design and development of electronic compasses References Books Danielsson M (2001): Teknisk Psykologi. Stockholm: Bokförlaget Natur och Kultur. ISBN: 9127706605 Karl T. Ulrich, Steven D. Eppinger (2003). Product Design and Development. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. 3 ed. ISBN 007-123273-7 Ericson M, Odenrick P M.fl.(1997): Arbete-Människa-Teknik. Stockholm: Prevent. ISBN: 9175224143 Tilley A (1993): The Measure of man and woman. New York: Henry Dreyfuss Associates. ISBN: 0471099554 Pahl och Beitz (1995): Engineering Design: A Systematic Approach. ISBN: 3540199179 Hamrin Å, Nyberg M (1993): Produktutformning –Huvudkurs i produktutformning. Luleå: Luleå tekniska universitet. Pheasant S. (1996): Bodyspace, 2nd edition. London: Taylor & Francis. ISBN: 0748403264 Monö R (1997): Design for product understanding. Stockholm: Liber AB. ISBN: 914701105X Zetterström, Hyse (1987): Hur man lyckas med aluminiumprofiler. Vetlanda, SAPA. ISBN: 9186736000 Robinson Jr. & Lyon (1994): Professional Safety, Aug 1994; 39: Ergonomic guidelines for hand-held tools Richard B. Langley (2003). The magnetic compass and GPS. GPS World September 2003. Websites http://www.silva.se, 2005-11-08 http://www.kvh.com, 2005-11-08 http://www.tacktick.com, 2005-11-08 “Non-Hierarchical Mind Mapping” http://www2.io.tudelft.nl/iepde04, 2005- 11-08 Nationalencyklopedin. http://www.ne.se, 2005-11-08 85 1(5) Appendix 1: Benchmarking for hand held compass Suunto SK-7 Suunto Sk-7 is an analogue diving compass. It is made for underwater use, and must therefore fulfil certain demands on water sealing and readability. The SK-7 compass has a side-window to allow reading from the side and allows a 30° tilt. Reflections: The SK-7 does not give the impression of being particularly innovative. Good things about it are the side-view window that increases the visibility, and the Picture 9: Suunto SK-7 tilt compensation that makes the compass easier to handle under water. Silva Eclipse 97 Grip The Eclipse 97 Grip is a base plate compass made by Silva. The Eclipse 97 Grip has a prize-winning design; it is ergonomically shaped, with a smooth rubber coated base plate. Another feature that increases the user-friendliness is that the graded dial is magnified, which increases the readability. The base plate of the compass also has features such as magnifier and a graded straight edge Picture XX: Silva Eclipse for easy and accurate map alignment and measuring. 97 Grip Another feature of the compass is a lanyard with a click- in safety whistle, and a clip for map or belt attachment. Reflections: The Eclipse 97 Grip is an ergonomically designed compass wit good grip and readability. One negative thing is that the compass is made to be operated with one particular hand; the ergonomic benefits seize to exist if it is held in the other hand. KVH DataScope KVH has combined a 5 x 30 monocular, a digital compass with a 0.5° accuracy, an electronic rangefinder, and a chronometer into a handheld unit, the DataScope. The digital compass combined with the monocular makes it possible to accurately compute the bearing to an object just by locating the preferred object in the crosshair and pushing a button. The bearings, and the time when the bearing were taken can then be stored into the memory. The range to an object can be determined by using known heights and relative Picture 11: KVH DataScope 2(5) sizes. All information is superimposed into the monocular, which means you never have to take your eyes of the target. A gimbal function compensates for roll and pitch, which makes the use easier, and the measuring more accurate. The DataScope is weighs 327 grams and the size has the dimensions 114 x 43 x 61 mm. It is waterproof and rubber buttons and grips makes it slip-free even when wet. Reflections: A combination of a monocular and a digital compass gives a good accuracy when taking bearings. The DataScope has no map alignment possibilities; the compass module is made only for bearing measuring. The weight is 327 grams, not particularly light weight. The design reminds about a basic monocular, which gives a good clue about how it is supposed to be used, even though it is not very attractive. The dark colour does not simplify detection if lost, that is one negative thing. Brunton V2 The Brunton Nomad V2 is navigator that uses an electronic compass to get compass bearings and direction readings. The compass has both a forward and reverse bearing function, which makes it easier to find your way back. The compass is declination adjustable, which makes it possible to use all around the world. Except for being a digital compass, it has a built-in thermometer, time and date and an alarm function. The display has a backlighting, which makes nighttime usage possible. The Brunton Nomad V2 is small (89 x 58 x 18 mm) and lightweight 100 grams), which makes ideal to bring on your field-trips. Reflections: The Brunton Nomad V2 is a small and light weight Picture 12: Brunton digital compass, with an attractive design. The grey colour Nomad V2 makes it look more like an instrument made for urban use, it takes away some of the rugged and tough look that are common for outdoor instruments. Garmin eTrex Vista C The Garmin eTrex Vista C is pocket-sized and light weight handheld GPS with a 256-colour sunlight-readable display. In addition to the GPS feature, it also features barometer, altimeter and electronic compass. The eTrex Vista C is made to be used for all kinds of outdoor pursuits, ranging from sailing, biking and hiking to geocaching. The GPS has an automatic route generation function that automatically finds the shortest way in urban environments, and that automatically recalculates the route whenever you are off-route. It also has other features such as travelled distance and mean speed. The built- 3(5) in memory is 24 Mb, and an easy connection to computers and other instruments is enabled by a USB port. The primary controls are placed on the side of the unit to allow easy one-hand operation, and a so called rocker switch, that enables the user to input data easily, scroll through menus, or pan the map page is located on the face of the unit. The eTrex Vista C is powered by two AA- batteries, which gives up to 12 hours of typical use. The Garmin eTrex Vista C is made to be brought wherever you go, and is therefore light weight (150 grams) and has a small size (112 x 51 x 30 mm). Reflections: The Garmin eTrex Vista C is light weight and has a small size. The controls that are placed on the side are good, but the button on the top surface are badly placed; when you’re using this button, parts of the display view are in risk of being blocked. A good thing about this GPS is the use of standard AA- Picture XX:Garmin eTrex batteries, which makes the GPS more portable when you’re out Vista C on longer field-trips. The dark colour does not simplify detection if lost, that is one negative thing. Magellan eXplorist 600 Magellan eXplorist 600 is a pocket-sized GPS with built in electronic compass, altimeter, barometer, and thermometer. The eXplorist features a 16-colour display that gives good visibility in all lighting conditions. The display is divided into four navigation screens that allow different information to be shown at the same time. The GPS also features 8Mb of built-in memory for storage of maps and routes. The memory is expandable with a SD-card, and the GPS is also compatible with a computer through a USB port. This allows the GPS to use the computer’s storage abilities. The GPS-module has an accuracy of three meters, and allows different calculations such as the area in between a travelled route, travelled distance and mean speed. The battery can power the GPS for up to 17 hours of continuous use. Picture 14: Magellan The Magellan eXplorist 600 is manoeuvred by the use of a eXplorist 600 joystick that allows one-button access to the most important features. The eXplorist features a wide range of languages, and an intuitive keypad to make it more user-friendly even for the novice user. The Magellan eXplorist 600 is water tight and has a rugged rubber armoured impact resistant construction and a small size (56 x 119 x 33 mm) and light weight (130 grams) that allows you to bring it with you where ever you go. 4(5) Reflections: The eXplorist has good functions and a logic interface that allows easy navigation and monitoring of the other functions even though its small size and low weight. The life-length of the batteries is not particularly good, if you’re out in the wilderness without any recharging capabilities, things can get complicated. Compared to the Garmin GPS, the design of the Magellan GPS are more attractive, even though the logotype on the top surface seems to be too big. The dark colour does not simplify detection if lost, that is one negative thing. Suunto D9 Suunto D9 is a dive computer that is water resistant down to 200 meters with a built in digital compass. During a dive, there are several gauges to monitor to receive crucial information about the dive. To make the monitoring easier, Suunto has combined all the crucial information into one device; depth, dive time, temperature, time, tank pressure and compass direction among other functions. The compass has a built-in memory with a divers logbook for storage of headings and important data about the dive. The housing for the D9 is made of titanium, which makes it durable and light weight. The matrix display is covered by mineral crystal glass, which prevents scratching. Picture 15: Suunto D9 Reflections: Since it is made for underwater use, the Suunto D9 diving compass must fulfil high demands on water sealing and readability. The user interface in diving computers must generally be well developed as there is a lot of information that must be displayed on a small area. The information must also be readable in bad sight conditions and in stressful situations Nokia 5140i Nokia 5240 is a mobile phone made for an active lifestyle. The phone is designed for supreme durability; it optimizes your active-leisure experience by providing useful functionalities applicable to a wide range of sporting activities. Nokia 5140i has a built-in electronic compass that shows a north indicator arrow as well as the heading degrees, and is also compatible with GPS-modules to display maps and directions. The mobile phone is also compatible with training watches, and together with the Fitness Coach application planning and recording of activities, as well as sharing of training data with training partners is enabled. Except for these functions made for an active lifestyle, Nokia 5140i has other features that are included in most mobile phones nowadays. 5(5) As the phone is made for outdoor use, it is made to be more durable, and is more resistant to rough treatment. The phone is, even though it has so many features, light weight and small sized, and the combination of a phone and electronic compass makes it worth carrying with you wherever you go. Reflections: If the 5140i is viewed as a mobile phone and is compared to other phones, the design is not impressive, but if it is compared to other electronic outdoor devices the design is more impressive, even though it is not amazingly good in any way. Picture 16: Nokia 5140 Appendix 2 1(3) Notes 1. Because the compass can be used in environments where no power out- lets can be found the battry life length is one issue to take into concern. 2. Solar cells can be used to make the This will of compass battery life longer. course only work in daytime. The compass should be designed so 3. that both right and lefthanded people can use it in an satisfactory way. The compass should be viewable 4. under all conditions. One way to solve this is to use a backlighting function. Appendix 2: Non hierarchical handheld compass mindmaps for Hand held compass: General mindmap Hand held compass: User interface - Ergonomics mindmap Notes 1. The buttons should be placed in an symmetrical way so that no user is ruled out. 2. To give the compass a mor uniform look. The buttons can be shaped in the same way that the casing is shaped. 3. When the buttons are pressed they should give direct optical feedback through the display. The display can also be used to give cues of which but- tons the user should use. 4. The overall shape is an big issue when designing an user interface. Both ergonomical and physological factors must be taken into concern. 5. Since the product is a hand held de- vice it can not have a too high weight 6. The LCD can be designed with both segments or a dot-matrix. 2(3) Hand held compass: User - Features mindmap Notes 1. A ruler can be integrated in the design and be used as a tool for map alignment. 2. A function that shows the slant on one location can be preferable for some users, e.g. skiers. 3. If the compass is used in vehicles it should be possible to mount it in some way. 4. When the compass is used at sea its main function propably is as a tool for sighting and therefore the compass should allow a good sight. 5.Some users may use the compass under very harsh conditions and therfore the compass should have a rugged look and be shockproof. 3(3) 1(4) Appendix 3: Product specification - hand held compass SPECIFICATION Hand-held compass Changes D/W Requirements Responsible Geometry D An overall size that does not affect functionality negatively W An overall size that offers high portability D Water tight D Geometry that offers good grip D Provides enough size to fit compass module, and other components with fixed dimensions W Device built up by modules W Compatible with other instruments W Map-alignment possible W Accurate sighting possible W Mounting possible W Battery hatch Display W Readable from varying angles W Easy readable and clear characters Buttons W Button length 13 – 51 mm W Button height 13 – 25 mm W Buttons maneuverable wearing gloves W Number of buttons that gives an optimized user interface Forces D Weight that does not affect outdoor pursuit negatively W Device design to prevent damaging forces to occur W Weight that permits floating Energy D Powered by batteries W Battery life ≥ 200 hrs 2(4) W Recharging of batteries possible W Easy change of batteries W Low energy consumption Material D Able to withstand corrosion W Low weight D Fatigue resistant W Low cost W Easy to keep clean D Suited for outdoor environment W Material that permits effective manufacturing W Shock resistant W Allows a good grip Signals W Optical feedback through display W Audible feedback W Buttons with sensory and audible feedback W Provide enough information to reduce risk of errors (redundancy) W Compass rose W Display heading W Off-course indicator W Battery indicator Safety D Waterproof according to the IPX7 standard D Floating W Shock resistant W No sharp edges W Easy to detect if lost W Low battery alarm W Automatic stand-by mode W Low weight Ergonomics W Well suited controls W Provide accessible attachments W Easy to mount/demount W LCD interface that is easy to understand W High portability W Color and shape suited to match the desired 3(4) function W Components with related or similar function follows the same design pattern W Easy readable display Production D No screw threads should act as force bearing surfaces D All parts should be axially secured to prevent them from being loosened by rotating parts D All components should permit fixation without deformation occurring D As many standardized components as possible D Consequent use of components and materials D All screws, attachments and similar devices should be metric D Minimize cost for production D Clear areas for glued parts D Sufficient tolerances for dimensions and surfaces Quality control D According to Silva Sweden ABs standards Assembly D Easy assembling D Modular construction and assembling Transport W The device should be highly portable W Some kind of protecting case to simplify transportation W Many attachments to simplify transportation Operation D Function in temperatures ranging from -18°C to 60°C W Function in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 60°C D Withstand rough environments D Reliable D Robust controls 4(4) Maintenance W Low frequent service W Easy inspection and maintenance W Easy to keep clean W Easy changing of batteries W Long life-length W Easy to dissemble Costs W Low production cost W Low purchase cost of standard components W Consequent use of components Recycling W Ecofriendly batteries W Recyclable W Low energy use W Ecofriendly manufacturing W Manufactured according to environmental regulations Design W Appeal to many users W Express high quality, reliability, forward- thinking, and toughness W User-friendly and ergonomic W Easy to transport, attach, and use 1(4) Appendix 4: Results of survey - Hand held compass Number of participants: Gender: Male Female 74 % 26 % Age: 15-20 years 21-25 years 26-30 years 31-35 years 36-40 years 9 % 35 % 12 % 12 % 5 % 41-45 years 46-50 years > 50 years 5 % 7 % 14 % 1. Which is/are your primary outdoor activity/activities? Down-hill skiing Sailing Hiking Nordic skiing 15 % 13 % 13 % 11 % Other interests: Kayaking, Motor boating, Scuba diving, Sea-life, Ice-skating, Hunting, Fishing, Horse riding, Mountain biking, Golfing, Orienteering, Climbing, Moto-cross and Snowmobiling 2. How long have you practiced your outdoor pursuit? < 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years > 10 years 2 % 3 % 10 % 11 % 73 % 3. How often do you practice this activity? Every year Every month Every week > 1 time a week Every day 37 % 14 % 25 % 23 % 2 % 4. Which features would you like to be built-in into an outdoor product? GPS Compass Watch Thermometer Wind gauge 11 % 11 % 9 % 7 % 7 % Barometer Flashlight 6 % 6 % Other functions: Pedometer, Heart-rate monitor, Altimeter, Map measurer, USB- memory, Incline measurer, Magnifier, Alarm, Ruler, Mirror, Sight compass, Map alignment, Transceiver, Stop-watch, Binoculars, Radio, Range-finder, Speedometer, MP3-player, Mobile phone, Digital map viewer (plotter), depth meter. 2(4) 5. Rank the features in the previous question according to their importance: GPS Compass Watch Wind gauge Transceiver 25 % 20 % 7 % 6 % 5 % Heart rate Flashlight Barometer Thermometer Stop-Watch monitor 5 % 4 % 4 % 3 % 4 % Other ranked functions: Pedometer, Altimeter, Map measurer, USB-memory, Incline measurer, Magnifier, Alarm, Mirror, Sight compass and Map alignment 6. Rank the demands you have on outdoor products: Durability Easy use Reliability Waterproof High quality 30 % 15 % 10 % 8 % 6 % Shockproof High precision Low price 5 % 4 % 4 % 7. How skilled do you consider yourself to be in compass navigation? (1 = Totally unskilled, 5 = excellent) 1 2 3 4 5 0 % 9 % 25 % 28 % 39 % 8. How would you rank a digital compass in comparison with an analogue compass? (1 = The analogue compass is much better, 5 = The digital compass is much better) 1 2 3 4 5 5 % 21 % 55 % 13 % 5 % 9. How high are your demands on the precision when using a compass? (1 = Very low demands, 5 = Very high demands) 1 2 3 4 5 2 % 7 % 30 % 39 % 21 % 10. How often do you use an instrument to get a bearing? (1 = Very seldom/Never, 5 = Very often) 1 2 3 4 5 15 % 11 % 37 % 26 % 11 % 3(4) 11. In which situations do you use an instrument to get a bearing? When sailing near shore, During sailing competitions, When sailing long distances on open water, To make sure the right course is maintained, During orienteering in flat terrain, To navigate in bad sight conditions or when positioning targets are missing, In combination with GPS when about to berth in the archipelago and When hiking outside paths. 12. How high are your demands on the precision when using sighting instruments? (1 = Very low, 5 = Very high) 1 2 3 4 5 3 % 5 % 42 % 37 % 13 % 13. Compare the following statements, and rank which characteristic is more important. (1 = Left characteristic more important, 3 = Equally important, 5 = Right characteristic more important) 1 2 3 4 5 Easy use 27% 32% 22% 20% - Many functions Easy use 8% 46% 32% 13% - Easy use Easy use 12% 29% 34% 19% 7% Highly compatible Easy use 37% 34% 21% 5% 3% Attractive design Low price 3% 5% 18% 46% 28% Long life-length Low price 8% 16% 43% 30% 2% Many functions Low price 20% 30% 22% 24% 3% Attractive design Low price 2% 18% 18% 46% 15% Ergonomic design Low price 5% 10% 28% 46% 11% Easy mounting Attractive design - 2% 10% 48% 40% Long life-length Attractive design 5% 10% 28% 46% 11% Easy mounting Attractive design - 7% 19% 51% 24% Ergonomic design Attractive design - 3% 12% 33% 52% Easy readable Highly compatible 2% 22% 58% 15% 3% Easy mounting Highly compatible 3% 22% 43% 28% 3% Many functions Highly compatible 3% 29% 28% 28% 10% Low price Easy readable 25% 45% 18% 10% 2% Show many functions Easy readable 24% 42% 25% 9% - Low price Show many functions 3% 17% 14% 39% 27% Easy to use 14. Rank how important you find the following factors when buying outdoor equipment (1 = Totally unimportant, 5 = Very important) 1 2 3 4 5 4(4) Attractive design 9% 18% 39% 32% 2% Low price 3% 17% 41% 25% 14% Small and handy - 9% 22% 32% 17% Easy to use 4% - 20% 34% 42% Works as a status symbol 47% 36% 9% 7% 2% Has many functions 2% 18% 46% 30% 5% Is ergonomically designed - 7% 45% 38% 10% 1(1) Appendix 5: Criteria weighting matrix for hand held compass Criteria A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S Sum, pi pi / Σpi % A. Provide many functions 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 14 0,039 3,9 B. Be highly compatible 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 13 0,036 3,6 C. Have an appealing design 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 12 0,033 3,3 D. Have a long life-length 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 28 0,078 7,8 E. Provide easy mounting 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 23 0,064 6,4 F. Be highly readable 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 29 0,080 8,0 G. Be ergonomically designed 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 2 2 25 0,072 7,2 H. Have low price 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0,008 0,8 I. Be hard to loose 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0,012 1,2 J. Show many functions 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 12 0,033 3,3 Criteria K. Be highly portable 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 25 0,069 6,9 L. Act as a status symbol 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0,008 0,8 M. Be highly reliable 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 32 0,089 8,9 N. Have high precision 2 2 2 1 1 0 1 2 2 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 22 0,061 6,1 O. Provide map-alignment 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 32 0,089 8,9 P. Be easy to operate 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 1 1 1 2 2 30 0,083 8,3 Q. Be easy to understand 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 31 0,086 8,6 R. Be easy to maintain 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 15 0,042 4,2 2,2 S. Be environmental friendly 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 0,022 A Sum 361 1,00 100 pp endix 5 Concept scoring matrix – Handheld compass Criteria A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S Sum Rank W 0,039 0,036 0,033 0,078 0,064 0,080 0,072 0,008 0,012 0,033 0,069 0,008 0,089 0,061 0,089 0,083 0,086 0,042 0,022 S 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 3 3 26 1 WS 0.033 0.128 0.080 0.144 0.016 0.012 0.033 0.069 0.008 0.183 0.267 0.083 0.258 0.126 0.1440 3 S 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 23 2 Concept WS 0.066 0.064 0.160 0.144 0.008 0.012 0.066 0.069 0.016 0.122 0.178 0.166 0.172 0.042 1.285 4 S 3 3 1 3 2 2 1 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 32 3 WS 0.099 0.192 0.080 0.216 0.016 0.024 0.033 0.207 0.024 0.122 0.178 0.249 0.172 0.084 1.696 1 S 1 2 3 2 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 3 2 3 26 4 WS 0.033 0.128 0.240 0.144 0.008 0.012 0.099 0.069 0.016 0.061 0.089 0.249 0.172 0.126 1.446 2 Criterias: 6 Appendix A. Provide many functions B. Be highly compatible C. Have an appealing design D. Have a long life-length E. Provide easy mounting F. Be highly readable G. Be ergonomically designed H. Have low cost I. Be hard to loose J. Show many functions K. Be highly portable L. Act as status symbol 1(1) M. Be highly reliable N. Have high precision O. Provide map-alignment P. Be easy to operate Q. Be easy to understand R. Be easy to maintain S. Be environmentally safe Appendix 7: Interaction diagram for handheld compass Display overview – Functions and sub-functions Current time Compass Sighting Inclination Mode Mode Mode Mode • Clock/Date • Map-alignment • Bearing • pitch/roll Set Set Set Set Set (Long press) Stored angle Set time/date Store heading Store bearings •Range finder Alarm Mode Timer Mode Mode Mode Stop-watch Stored angle •Height meter Use bearings Mode Altimeter Mode Barometer Mode Temperature Set Set Set 24h Bar. Pressure 24h Temp. Set reference Appendix 7 altitude 1(5) Mode Set clock hours Mode Set/Reset Set clock minutes Set/Reset Set year Set/Reset Mode Mode Set clock seconds Set/Reset Set month Set/Reset Alarm Mode Set (Long press) Set Set day Set/Reset Current time Set Mode Alarm on/off? • Clock/Date Mode Stop-watch Mode Timer Mode No Yes Set Set Set Set Clock starts Reset Set hours Set minutes Set/Reset Set/Reset Set Split time Mode Mode Clock stops Set minutes Set hour Set/Reset Set/Reset Reset Mode Mode Resets clock Alarm is set Countdown starts 2(5) Compass Sighting Mode Mode • Map-alignment • Bearing Set Set Store bearing Mode Use bearings Mode Set Set Align with map Turn Bezel Store bearing 1 Bearing 1 Mode Bearing 2 Mode Set Set Set Bearing 3 Stores heading Store bearing 2 Align with map Set Set Turn compass Store bearing 3 3(5) Inclination • pitch/roll Set Mode Stored angle Stored angle Mode •Range finder •Height meter Set Reset Set Reset Set height ft m Set distance ft m 10 Mode 100 Mode 500 Mode 10 Mode 100 Mode 500 Mode Set Set Displays range Displays height 4(5) Mode Temperature Mode Barometer Mode Altimeter Reset Reset Set Reset °F °C Set reference inHG mBar hPa ft m altitude Set/Reset 5(5) 1(1) Appendix 8: Tactical class information Tacktick Micro Compass is allowed in following fleets: 18 ft skiff Flying JY15 RS 600 2.4m class Dutchman Lark Santa Cruz 470 Flying Fifteen Laser 2 Santana 20 49er Flying Scot Laser 2000 Scorpian 5,5 Folk Boat Laser 4000 Shearwater 505 Force 5 Laser 5000 Snipe A Class Cat Formula 18 Laser SB3 Soling B14 GP14 Laser.eps Solo Blaze Harbor 20 Lightning 368 Sonars Boss H-Boat MC Scow Sonata Bull 7000 Hobie 16 Meleges 24 Spice Buzz Hobie Cat 14 Merlin Rocket Squib Byte Hobie Cat 15 Miracle Star C Class Cat Hobie Dragon Moth Tartan 10 Catalina 22 Hobie Fox MX Ray Tasar Contender Hobie Fx One Nacra Tempest Cork 1720 Hobie Pacific National 12 Tornado Coronado 15 Hobie Tiger National 18 Ultimate 20 Dart Hawk Hornet OK Dinghy Unicorn Dolphin 81 Hunter 707 Phantom Vaurien Dragon International 14 Prindle Wanderer EPS ISO RS 200 Wayfarer E-Scow J/105 RS 400 X79 Etchells J/22 RS 800 X99 Fireball J/24 RS K6 Yngling Firefly J/80 RS 300 Tacktick Micro Compass is not allowed in following fleets: 420 Europe Laser Streaker Albacore Flying Junior Mirror Sunfish Blue Jay Graduate Optimist Thistle Cadet Interlake Osprey Topper For the following fleets no ruling has been made for Tacktick Micro Compass: 29er Dart 18 Hurricane 5.9 M16 606 Enterprise Johnson 18 M20 A-Scow Finn Kestrel Super Scow C-Scow Hobie 405 Laser 3000 1(4) Appendix 9: Benchmarking on tactical dinghy compasses Silva Sweden AB Silva has a wide range of compasses and other products suited for navigation in marine environments. All Silva’s marine compasses has a cone shaped so called no-spin card which makes them unaffected by boat speed and vibrations that usually affect the accuracy of the compass negatively. Silva Sail racing compass 103R The 103R model is one of the most popular racing compasses for dinghies. It was first developed for the Laser, but it suits other dinghies as well. The compass has a tactical scale that grades from 0-20 and the figures correspond on port and starboard tack. 103R shows the course with an accuracy of ± 0.5° and handles a heeling angle of 30° in both pitch and roll. The size of the compass is 150x133x132 mm and it weighs 909 g. Silva 103R Silva Sail racing compass 73E The 73E model has a design that makes the compass installable on all inclinations or positions with its bracket. The compass can be removed from its bracket and be used as a hand-bearing compass. It has a tactical scale on the vertical plane of the compass card and a main steering scale on the horizontal plane. The compass shows a course with an accuracy of ±1° and can handle heeling angle of 30° in roll and 360° in pitch. It measures 85x85x175 mm Silva 73E and has a weight of 430 g. Suunto OY Suunto is a Finnish company that was founded in 1936. They offers a similar range of products as Silva and is currently one of the largest manufactures of compasses and precision instruments used for measurement in areas such as forestry, mining and surveying. 2(4) Suunto Pioneer The Suunto Pioneer is a compact compass suited for kayaks, dinghies and other small boats. The compass housing has vibration dampening which makes it suitable also for power boats. The compass card has a diameter of 50 mm and is luminous which makes it visible in darkness. The compass has to be mounted on a flat surface and has a maximum tilting degree of ±25°. Another feature is that the compass is floatable. Suunto Pioneer Suunto K-95 The Suunto K-95 is a tactical racing compass. The card has a 360° graduation and different coloured sectors printed on it. The coloured sectors make it easier to detect wind shifts and how they affect the boat. On the outside of the dome an adjustable ring with 5° steps is located. The ring helps the user to remember crucial bearings. Geometric properties on this product were not found when the research was done. Suunto K-95 Tacktick ltd Tactick is an English company and was the first to develop totally self-contained electronic compass for dinghy sailors. Today Tacktick produces a full range of wireless networking marine instruments for all sizes of sail and power boats. Tacktick Micro Compass T061 T061 is a tactical compass with two digital displays. The compass has three display modes; compass, timer and tactics and is operated by two buttons; mode and set. In the Tactics mode, the display shows a mean heading. The tactical scale’s figures correspond on port and starboard tack. The readings are always the same whilst tacking, which means that the user never has to remember numbers. Tactick micro compass T061 3(4) When on starboard, if the numbers get smaller the user should tack. When on port, if the numbers get bigger the user should tack. In the compass mode, the displays show the course in which the boat is heading. The compass has a heading resolution of 1° and the timer has 1s resolution and is programmable between 1-20 minutes. The compass power supply comes from solar cells, which are located on the top surface of the compass, and backup batteries. T061 is waterproof (submersible to 10 m) and shockproof. It measures 100x68x57 mm and weighs 153 g and must be mounted on vertically (e.g. the mast). The characters on the displays are 20 mm in height. KVH Industries Inc KVH Industries is an American company that develops and produces mobile, high-bandwidth satellite communications systems, tactical navigation products and fiber optic products. KVH was also the first company to produce a digital fluxgate compass. KVH Sailcomp 103AC KVH states that Sailcomp 103AC is the most widely used electronic tactical sailing instrument available on the market today. Sailcomp includes built in timer, bearing memory, and graphical indicators to show wind shifts. The compass can detect a wind shift down to two degrees and has a heading accuracy of ±0.5°. What separates the Sailcomp from the Tactick Micro compass is that KVH Sailcomp 103AC the Sailcomp is not self-contained. This KVH compass is a system consisting of display, keypad, junction box, and a remote sensor. The sensor, a digital fluxgate sensor, has a standard NMEA 0183 output so that it is compatible with other instruments. NMEA is short for the National Marine Electronics Association, an organization of manufactures, distributors and dealers. NMEA has developed different standards that define electrical interfaces and data protocols for communications between marine instruments. The size of the display unit is 120x90x20 mm and it weighs 397 g. Since the display is a detached unit and is connected with wires (through the junction box) to the fluxgate sensor it can be mounted however the user pleases. 4(4) KVH Azimuth 1000 The Azimuth 1000 is digital fluxgate compass best suited for power boats. The user interface consists of a LCD-display and two push-buttons. The display shows the heading, a compass rose, and off-course steering information. The compass has to be mounted on a flat horizontal surface, but the heads-up display provides good visibility. The compass has to be connected to an external power source to function. KVH Azimuth 1000. Azimuth 1000 features continuous automatic compensation that corrects the boats magnetic distortion, providing accuracy to ±0.5°. The compass also features heading data output with other NMEA 0183 compatible instruments, e.g. radar, auto-pilot. The compass has a base diameter of 15.9 cm, a height of 7 cm, and it weights 340 g. Appendix 10: Non hierarchical mindmaps for dingy compass Tactical compass: General mindmap Notes 1. When sailing the compass should be readable from bot port and starboard. 1. This can be solved with two separated displays. 2. Because this product is to be used 5. at sea it has to be water-tight and 7. mounted rigidly on the boat. 6. 3. The shape of the compass can not be so that it reduces the boats sailing capabilities. The casing should also be 2. shock-resistant. 4. The compass will be powered by solar cells and backup batteries. The solar cells must be placed so that their perfomance is optimal. Connections between solar cells and the battery must be water proof. 5. The display should be readable in all condtions. 3. 6. A novice sailor and a professional may not have the same preferneces, this should be taken in to concern. 4. 7. For optimal visibility a big display with clear characters is needed. Appendix 10 1(3) Tactical compass: User - Features mindmap Notes 1. If the compass is dropped in the water it should be easy to detect. Use of bright colors can solve this problem. 2. Because this product is to be used at sea it has to be water-tight and mounted rigidly on the boat. 3. A color display can make some features and functions easier to under- stand. 4. All features on the compass should be easy to understand, regardless of what status the sailor has. 2(3) Tactical compass: User - Features mindmap Notes 1. The buttons should be designed with concern to ergonomic standards. For instance should the user be able to operate the compass when wearing gloves. 2. The make the compass easier to understand the buttons should give visual, audible and tactile feedback when pressed. 3. The total weight of the product can not be so high so it affects the sailing performance negatively. 4. All buttons should function in all conditions 3(3) 1(4) Appendix 11: Product specification - dinghy compass SPECIFICATION Dinghy compass Changes D/W Requirements Responsible Geometry D An overall size that does not affect functionality negatively W An overall size that offers high portability D Water tight D Geometry that prevents ropes and other objects from damaging the device D Provides enough size to fit compass module, solar cells and other components with fixed dimensions W Easy to mount and demount on boat W Device built up by modules W Compatible with other instruments Display W Readable from all angles between port and starboard W Digits readable from 3m in all conditions W Character height ≥ 20 mm Buttons D Button length 13 – 51 mm D Button height 13 – 25 mm W Buttons maneuverable wearing gloves W Number of buttons that gives an optimized user interface Forces D Weight that does not affect sailing performance negatively W Device design to prevent damaging forces to occur D Weight that permits floating D Mounting that permits stability in all conditions 2(4) Energy D Powered by solar cells and backup batteries W Backup battery life ≥ 200 hrs W Alternative recharging of batteries W Low energy consumption Material D Able to withstand corrosion W Low weight D Fatigue resistant W Low cost W Easy to clean D Suited for marine environment W Material that permits effective manufacturing W Shock resistant Signals W Optical feedback through display W Audible countdown alarms W Buttons with sensory and audible feedback W Off-course indicator W Battery indicator Safety D Waterproof according to the IPX7 standard D Floating W Shock resistant W No sharp edges W Easy to detect in water D Prevent ropes and other objects from damaging the device Ergonomics W Well suited controls W Easy to mount/demount W LCD interface that is easy to understand W High portability W Color and shape suited to match the desired function W Components with related or similar function follows the same design pattern 3(4) Production D No screw threads should act as rotation bearing surfaces D All parts should be axially secured to prevent them from being loosened by rotating parts D All components should permit fixation without deformation occurring D As many standardized components as possible D Consequent use of components and materials D All screws, attachments and similar devices should be metric D Minimize cost for production D Clear areas for glued parts D Sufficient tolerances for dimensions and surfaces Quality control D According to Silva Sweden ABs standards Assembly D Easy assembling D Modular construction and assembling Transport W The device should be highly portable W Some kind of protecting case to simplify transportation Operation D Function in temperatures ranging from 0°C to 50°C D Withstand marine environments D Reliable D Robust mounting Maintenance W Low frequent service W Easy to inspect and maintain 4(4) D Demountable W Easy to keep clean W Easy recharging of batteries W Long life-length W Easy to dissemble Costs W Low production cost W Low purchase cost of standard components W Consequent use of components Recycling W Ecofriendly batteries W Recyclable W Low energy use W Ecofriendly manufacturing W Manufactured according to environmental regulations Design W Appeal to many users W Express high quality, reliability, forward- thinking, and W User-friendly and ergonomic W Easy to transport, mount, use, and demount 1(4) Appendix 12: Results of survey - dinghy compass Total number of participants: 42 Gender: Male Female 81 % 19 % Age: 15-20 years 21-25 years 26-30 years 31-35 years 36-40 years 41 % 3 % 10 % 5 % 10 % 41-45 years 46-50 years > 50 years 5 % 15 % 10 % 1. For how long have you been sailing? <1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years > 10 years 2 % - 17 % 24 % 56 % 2. How often do you practice sailing? Every year Every month Every week > 1 time a week Every day 12 % 17 % 34 % 29 % 7 % 3. What type of boat are you sailing? 420 Finn Europe Laser Other 15 % 13 % 11 % 9 % 51 % Other boats: Star, Yngling, Maxi, Splash, Semona, Accent, J24, J80, SK30, International 4. Are you competing in sailing, or have you been competing? Yes No 90 % 10 % 5. If yes, for how long have you been competing? <1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years > 10 years 10 % 16 % 13 % 23 % 39 % 6. What class are you competing in? 2(4) Europe Optimist Finn 420 Star 13 % 10 % 9 % 9 % 6 % LYS Express Other 6 % 5 % 42 % Other classes: 470, Maxi, OK, Single scott, Drabant, OP, IMS, Splash, J24, J80, International, 505, 606 7. What type of navigational equipment are you using when competing? Analogue Digital 75 % 25 % 8. During competition, where is your attention directed: Nav. equip. Next buoy Opponents 3 % 52 % 45 % Other: Speed and tack, VMG, Sails, Tell-tails, Wind direction, Topography, Charts, Clouds, Angles 9. Ran how important you consider each of the following features to be in a digital sailing compass? (1 = Totally unimportant, 5 = Very important) 1 2 3 4 5 Countdown timer 5 % 11 % - 37 % 47 % Stop-watch 6 % 47 % 19 % 11 % 17 % Split-times 45 % 34 % 16 % 5 % - Easy used bearing function 11 % 16 % 26 % 37 % 11 % Display of boat slant 22 % 16 % 30 % 19 % 14 % Automatic mean heading 15 % 26 % 33 % 18 % 8 % Manual mean heading 13 % 37 % 26 % 16 % 8 % Display compass heading 3 % 3 % 5 % 16 % 74 % Background lighting 11 % 16 % 21 % 29 % 24 % Memory 39 % 34 % 13 % 8 % 5 % Compatible with other instruments 13 % 11 % 18 % 39 % 18 % Other desired features: Graded; above / below 40° to next buoy, Synchronisation with stop-watch, Tack-indicator, Clock, Big buttons (Possible to manoeuvre wearing neoprene gloves) 3(4) 10. Do you experience any problems with today’s navigational equipment? Yes No 11 % 89 % Experienced problems: Compatibility, Display, Sensitive to interfering magnetic fields, Only functioning up to 30 ° roll and pitch, To much oscillation (analogue instrument) 11. Compare the following statements, and rank which characteristic is more important. (1 = Left characteristic more important, 3 = Equally important, 5 = Right characteristic more important) 1 2 3 4 5 Easy use 39 % 24 % 24 % 12 % - Many functions Easy use 30 % 27 % 24 % 12 % 6 % Easy use Easy use 33 % 12 % 39 % 15 % - Highly compatible Easy use 48 % 30 % 12 % 9 % - Attractive design Low price 3 % 9 % 33 % 36 % 18 % Long life-length Low price 9 % 24 % 42 % 21 % 3 % Many functions Low price 32 % 32 % 24 % 12 % - Attractive design Low price 15 % 18 % 44 % 15 % 9 % Ergonomic design Low price 3 % 12 % 35 % 29 % 21 % Easy mounting Attractive design - - 13 % 39 % 48 % Long life-length Attractive design 3 % - 16 % 48 % 32 % Easy mounting Attractive design - 3 % 35 % 39 % 23 % Ergonomic design Attractive design - - 3 % 22 % 75 % Easy readable Highly compatible 13 % 22 % 41 % 13 % 13 % Easy mounting Highly compatible 9 % 9 % 55 % 18 % 9 % Many functions Highly compatible 13 % 19 % 25 % 31 % 13 % Low price Easy readable 38 % 38 % 13 % 9 % - Show many functions Easy readable 29 % 45 % 26 % - - Low price Show many functions - 9 % 22 % 38 % 31 % Easy to use 12. Rank how important you find the following factors when buying outdoor equipment 1 2 3 4 5 Attractive design 7 % 30 % 33 % 20 % 10 % Low price - 7 % 47 % 40 % 7 % Small and handy 3 % 3 % 40 % 40 % 13 % 4(4) Easy to use - - 17 % 37 % 47 % Works as a status symbol 65 % 26 % 10 % - - Has many functions 7 % 20 % 27 % 40 % 3 % Is ergonomically designed 3 % 13 % 40 % 33 % 10 % Comments and suggestions: High quality is more important than low price, Digits readable from 3-4 meters Criteria A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O Sum, pi pi / Σpi % A. Be highly portable 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 2 1 15 0.067 6.7 B. Be compatible 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 5 0.022 2.2 Appendix 13:Criteriawei C. Have an appealing design 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 7 0.031 3.1 D. Be built-up by modules 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 9 0.040 4.0 E. Provide easy mounting 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 19 0.084 8.4 F. Be highly readable 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 24 0.107 10.7 G. Be ergonomically designed 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 0 12 0.053 5.3 H. Be self-protecting 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 23 0.102 10.2 Criteria I. Be hard to loose 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 24 0.107 10.7 J. Express reliability 2 2 2 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 2 1 19 0.084 8.4 K. Be easy to use 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 25 0.111 11.1 ghting fordinghycompass L. Express high quality 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 2 1 13 0.057 5.7 M. Express Silva unity 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 5 0.022 2.2 N. Have low price 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 7 0.031 3.1 O. Be easy to maintain 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 1 18 0.080 8.0 225 1,00 100 1(1) 1. Be easy to use 11.1 % 2. Be highly readable 10.7 % Be hard to lose 10.7 % 3. Be self-protecting 10.2 % 4. Provide easy mounting 8.4 % Express reliability 8.4 % 5. Be easy to maintain 8.0 % 6. Be highly portable 6.7 % 7. Express high quality 5.7 % 8. Be ergonomically designed 5.3% 9. Be built-up by modules 4.0 % 10. Have an appealing design 3.1 % Have a low price 3.1 % 11. Be compatible 2.2 % Express Silva unity 2.2%