What Can A Starship Do?

Summary

This project aims to create a Library/Textbook Delivery System for college students who face challenges with textbook accessibility. By adapting food delivery insulation systems, the project seeks to provide a secure and efficient way to deliver textbooks, addressing issues like long wait times, limited availability, and inconvenience.

Project Goals

Target Audiance

  • College students who depend on library textbooks but struggle with accessibility.

Problems Faced

  • Long wait times at the library
  • Limited availability of books
  • Inconvenience of physically picking up or returning textbooks
  • Difficulty in tracking book availability

List Of Methods We Used

Design Space & Research Insights

  • Adaptation of food delivery insulation systems for book delivery
  • Moisture protection, firm compartments, hard-shell cases, and automated lockers

Research Insights

  • 2023 study: 70% of students prefer digital reservations or delivery
  • Survey of 500+ college students: 75% would use a textbook delivery service
  • Automated book lockers increased textbook accessibility by 40%

User Feedback

  • Limited storage capacity
  • Uncertainty about disability access
  • Concerns of theft

Refinements

  • Touch screen for ease of use
  • Larger container for multiple orders
  • Locks to prevent theft

Key Findings

Research

  • Automated robots face issues like theft, environmental concerns, and worker-related problems
  • Aerial drones are faster but have safety and noise issues

Scenarios and Storyboards

  • Medicine delivery: beneficial but faces security and legal challenges
  • Book delivery: useful but has return strategy and timing issues
  • Mail delivery: good idea but faces accuracy and safety concerns

User Evaluation Results

  • Users found the service useful, especially for book availability and ease of return
  • Feedback for improvements: larger container, more touchscreen functionalities

Personal Contributions

Article Selection

  • Chose an article comparing flying and ground vehicles, learning about their efficiency and theft issues.

Scenarios and Storyboards

  • Analyzed multiple perspectives for medicine, books, and mail delivery.

Sketches

  • Developed base designs and refined them with features like increased security, touch screen, and book dividers.

Final Design and Design Rationale

  • Created a comprehensive design for buying, borrowing, and returning books with enhanced security and usability features.

Overview of Process

  • Conducted interviews, implemented scenarios and storyboards, sketched ideas, tested with users, and made final tweaks.