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Design Engineering

Tsuyama National College of Technology

1. Introduction
Ladies and gentlemen! Design Engineering: What is it? And why is it important? Today we will answer these questions.

Design Engineering is about products and product design. What kind of seat are you sitting on? What do you have in your bag? These objects have been created by designers. In this presentation, we want you to feel “the Heart of Design Engineering”.

We are from Tsuyama National College of Technology: Otani, Sakihara and Iida. Please enjoy our presentation.

2. Human Factors in Design Engineering
What is this? Of course, it is a computer mouse. It was made several years ago. This is a computer mouse too. It was made recently. Please com-pare these two photos. Which mouse do you want to use? Most people will choose the new one. Why?

First, let's focus on the shape of the mouse. This shape is easy to grip, and you don’t get tired even if you use it for a long time. Next, it has several buttons while the old one has only two. With the new mouse, you can do one-touch operations. For example, you can easily move to next page. Finally, we can use the wheel to quickly scroll down the screen.

The main point is the computer mouse has developed in just a few years to become easier and more efficient for us to use.

Next, let's take another example, the development of the plastic bottle. Can you guess what was changed in this plastic bottle? The shape has been made easier to grasp. Moreover, you can peel the label easily and not get irritated because there are incisions in the label. Did you notice these changes? These are small changes, but they are very useful.

Recently, there is a plastic bottle that can be easily crushed by hand like this. So, we don’t have the trouble of crushing the bottle before we discard it.

In sum, almost everything we use, from cans and pens to software running on computers, has been developed to become easier for us to use. To make the things easier for the users to use ― we call this “Ningen Kogaku” in Japanese, or Human Factors in English. Human Factors is important for Design Engineering.

3. Human Factors in Machine Operations
Human Factors also cover ease and effectiveness of machine operation. For example, these are controls for burners on the kitchen stove. Please look at this photo. (Ah, which control is for which burner?) Now, please look at this one. Which do you prefer? (I prefer this one, because it is clearer. This control is for this burner.) This design is more effective.

Please imagine: suppose the mechanism of a steering wheel in cars was different. Suppose that when the driver turned the wheel to the right, the cars turned left. How inconvenient would that be? (Very inconvenient!)

Such Human Factors also involve safety engineering. Let’s look at one example concerning large passenger jets like this one. Sometimes, jets have stalled just before landing. (This is a stall. It is very dangerous.) However, the cause of these accidents is now understood.

When the aircraft lands, some plates called “spoilers” are put up in the rear of the main wings to slow down the aircraft. The pilots can set the spoilers for “automatic” or “manual”. Pilots usually choose the “automatic” setting when landing. But sometimes when the pilot intended to put the spoilers into “automatic”, in fact they went into “manual” mode. So, the aircraft stalled, contrary to the pilot’s intentions, creating a dangerous safety situation. Therefore, the cause of the accident was a mistaken operation of the gear for the spoilers.

The cause of the mistake was that the “automatic” and the “manual” positions were on the same line. In brief, the design of the gear operation system didn’t have enough thought and consideration put into it.

Since the design has been improved like this, similar accidents have not happened. With this design, there is no mistaking the gear operation. It is a better design because it is based on Human Factors.

Moreover, such a design concept has been adapted into the driver’s seat of regular cars. The positions of the “park” and the “reverse” are placed on a bent line deliberately. The drivers can change into these gears only by intentional operation.

You see, the wisdom of Human Factors can give us convenience and prevent risks.

4. Conclusion
Have you understood what Design Engineering is? It refers to people who have knowledge of both design and engineering and use them together to create products that are better and more effective.

For example: How can the shape be made so that it is easy to grasp? How can a product be made easy to use? How can airplane accidents be stopped? Design engineers are needed to answer these questions. However, it will necessary for the user’s world and the designer’s world to become closer and closer. We need to be able to imagine how something can best be used by someone.

“Design”. It means re-forming current good things to make them better things.

“Engineer" means a specialist who can use his or her technical knowledge to create things, as well as develop processes and systems.

Therefore, the key points for Design Engineers are to create products that are convenient to use and effective. These products must have the functions users need, and be easy to use. But to be good Design Engineers, we need to have imagination and inquiring minds. We need to be able to visualize new ways of doing things that are more intuitive and ultimately more effective.

And for you in the audience, look at your seat, your watch, and your cell phones. These things have been made by someone. If you can feel the “Heart of the Design Engineer” in these products, you will be moved and understand the importance of Design Engineering more and more.

In conclusion, when you examine products, please consider the design engineering that was used to create it.