Tom Betteley Industrial design & Product design portfolio 2023

RETRO

Retro is a project which explored the opportunity of improving both the reliability and community for classic car users.

The two critical elements of this project were the sensors which collected several data points of critical engine components and the service which would allow classic car users to share their knowledge and experience on an intuitive device and web service.

The Hub was designed to match the interiors of classic cars. The hub will alert drivers when there is an issue in the engine bay and aid the maintenance by pinpointing areas that need to be fixed, using the hubs touch screen interface. All information from the sensors is uploaded to the online service which helps users log the data to keep track of their maintenance.

The online service allows classic car users to share their knowledge and experience of owning and using classic cars. They are able to give advice to other users advice on technical problems using the data which is logged on the service by the sensors. Additionally, it allows users to share positive experiences by sharing their favourite roads and allowing users to meet up and find other like-minded individuals.

BRIEF

The original brief highlighted the importance of creating an early warning system for critical components within the engine bay to improve the reliability. The brief also focused on providing an online service allowing users to share their experiences and knowledge with other classic car users.

INSIGHTS

Research found reliability and continual maintenance are a problem that classic car owners regularly face. Therefore, creating an early warning system for critical components within the engine bay to improve the reliability was critical to the brief. This was further explored. The reliability now heavily focuses on the maintenance of the entire car; using data from various sensors, users are given logical and accurate diagnostics on components which need to be maintained, to improve the reliability and efficiency of their cars. The research also highlighted the opportunity of improving the community aspect, giving users more opportunities to get out and drive their classics, sharing their passion with other enthusiasts. It also allows them to share their own valuable knowledge of working on classic cars and share this information with other enthusiasts to help the less experienced.

DEMAND

There are currently 1,039,950 classic cars in the UK (MacLeman, 2016). A survey was carried out trying to understand who would be interested in this product and who would be willing to pay. It was found that 40.4% of the population asked said yes to using a service that would improve the reliability of their classic car (Betteley, 2021). Using this data, it is calculated that there are potentially 420,140 users in the UK alone. US is much larger with 6-7 million classic cars on the road. (Wiebe & Muller, 2019).

“ 1 in 3 classic car owners say that reliability negatively affects the driving and ownership experience” (T.Betteley, 2020, survey)

To test the whole concepts viability, multiple different types of prototypes were made to analyse certain aspects of the design. To test the hub and stand, it was decided that 3D printing would be the best method to test and evaluate the design. To test the sensors functionality and connectivity, prototypes were made using an Arduino and a raspberry Pi. Digital prototypes were used to test the UI/UX and the aesthetic of the physical prototypes.

The user browses new routes to explore and save to the Hub.

The user checks to see if there are any issues with the car. He finds there are two problems which need fixing.

The user goes to the garage to carry out the maintenance.

The user attaches the Hub using the carabiner to a hook on the bonnet.

The user carries out the maintenance suggested by the Hub.

The user starts his journey, heading to an event hosted by other classic car enthusiasts.

The user gets a warning that his engine temperature is high and needs to pull over.

The user checks the hub to find the source of the problem, he finds the engine temperature is high because the coolant hose is clogged.

The user carries out the suggested advice and unclogs the coolant hose

The user continues with his journey.

Home touch pad

Suction pad attachment

Screws for modularity

Home screen

CRESCENT

Crescent is a multifunctional coffee table, there are multiple storage areas, each area is specifically tailored for different items that are stored in living rooms. The table top folds out so it can be used as a flat surface to work on while sitting on the sofa.

The table was designed and built by myself as part of my A-level Product Design course.

I won the Simon Leigh Memorial Award for the design and manufacture of the table.

BRIEF INSIGHTS

The brief was to create a multifunctional ergonomic coffee table that will be used in the living room. Coffee tables are not just a flat surface to hold beverages they are now the centre piece of a room and must store a range of items to stop living spaces from becoming cluttered. The product must fit into the high-end competitive market, therefore it must be modern and the table should accommodate everyone. The product should not use up too much of the floor space because it then becomes an obstacle.

Using a variety of research methods the following key insights were generated. An ergonomic coffee table should promote good posture, this can be difficult because most users will be sitting on a sofa. People typically use laptops while sitting on the sofa, this is very bad for posture. As a result, designing a solution where the table top can be change height and angle to better suit the users needs would be ideal. The table must not only improve the user’s posture but also improve the performance of the table. Consequently, it must be easier to use and more efficient. Living rooms are one of the most used rooms in the house, therefore it can very quickly become cluttered.

DEMAND

There is a large demand for coffee tables because they are often the centre piece of a modern living room. Multifunctional furniture is very desirable because prices of furniture have risen and the space in homes is limited. Therefore, products which consider storage in an aesthetically pleasing manner are highly appreciated.

Multiple processes were used to construct this coffee table. A mix of traditional hand working with modern use of machines and CAD. The main frame of the coffee table was drawn on CAD and CNC machined. This is because the frame had to be exact otherwise the whole coffee table would be offset. The oak panels for the shelf and top were joined using traditional biscuit joint method and glued together. The folding mechanism was machines out of steel by hand and screwed into the side of the coffee table. This allowed the table top to fold in and out.

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CRESCENT

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PILL POCKET

Almost half of all adults take prescription drugs. Some drugs must be taken throughout the day or at different times of the day, therefore people are forced to take boxes which are full of tablets. These boxes are unsightly and are hidden away in bags, so they are not as accessible.

Pill Pocket is a small storage product which can store a variety of medication. Pill Pocket is branded with GSK one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.

As a group a prototype was manufactured using injection moulding, with the intention of creating a mass produced product.

Prep rime- 2 seconds

Injection time - 2.5 seconds

Hold time - 2 seconds

Closing time - 0.5 seconds

Fill time - 1.6 seconds

13.6

SECONDS

Cooling time - 5 seconds

3,303,528 Manufactured In Three Months

There were several stages and developments used to manufacture the Pill Pocket. To check the design was feasible a 3D printed model was produced. The next step was to create a CAD simulation which would be used to CNC machine the mould. Blue foam was used first to see if there were any issues before moving onto the aluminium blocks. Each insert was individually made by hand using the lathe, pillar drill and manual milling machine. Once the mould was complete it was placed into the Injection moulding machine. Plastic is pushed into the mould resulting in a finished prototype.

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ECOHUB

Watering plants can often be forgotten when you have a busy schedule. There are multiple health benefits of having plants in homes such as reducing airborne dust levels and carbon dioxide.

This project involved designing a device with a chosen brand. The brand chosen was Dyson. The Ecohub takes inspiration from existing dyson products.

The Dyson Ecohub helps nurture and nourish a young plant sapling and mature into a tree/plant. The Ecohub helps to improve the health of the sapling by monitoring its growth and water levels. Once the sapling has established itself it can be transplanted into another more suitable location outside. The purpose of the Ecohub is to not only make sure plants and saplings flourish but it also supports a sustainable ecosystem.

A fully functional prototype was produced to demonstrate feasibility.

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User inserts a sapling or seed of their choice into the ecohub.

The ecohub must be positioned in an area where direct sunlight can penetrate the plant.

When the Ecohub registers that the soil is dry, water will be sprinkled onto the sapling.

The Ecohub is constantly drawing in water via its dehumidifier which allows it to be left to work autonomously.

The app helps the user stay informed about the health of the plant.

Once the sapling/plant has reached a suitable size it can be planted and the process can be repeated.

ECOHUB

The Dyson Ecohub promotes a sustainable planting ecosystem. It allows users to live in a healthy home and nourish their plants. Not only can they improve the air quality at their home but together we can improve the air quality of our home, planet Earth.

CHARLIE KINGHAM

During my placement I worked at company called Charlie kingham. Charlie kingham is a bespoke cabinets and kitchen makers based in England. Charlie kingham is a small company, therefore I was able to work on multiple projects from start to finish. This involved speaking to clients, drawing up designs based on interior floor plans, developing these drawings on a CAD software, creating a price list of materials and utilities and pitching it to the clients. If the client was happy with the designs I would move onto to speaking to the manufacturer and sending drawing dimensions and plans as well as speaking to appliance distributors to make sure we could source the correct appliances. I was also involved in making sure the fitters knew what they had to do and deal with any potential problems during the installation.

The design process involved drawing a range of plans using Sketchup or 3DS Max. To give clients a better understanding of how their kitchen would look, renders were produced using V-ray.

PRODRIVE

During my placement at Prodrive I was tasked with procuring a robot to help aid the production processes at Prodrive. Unfortunately this placement was cut short due to COVID - 19. However during my short time at Prodrive I researched several avenues to try and procure a robot. Research consisted of looking at which areas of Prodrive’s production could be automated or aided by the use of robotics.

During the research stage a number of applications were explored. This lead onto writing a report about how SME’s (small to medium sized enterprises) could integrate collaborative robots into their product assembly. Collaborative robots allow for much faster and easier programming which makes them ideal for production lines which are ever changing.

To demonstrate how robotics could potential be implemented and to see how a collaborative robotic arm would be programmed a prototype was built. The robotic arm was constructed out of cardboard and used four small 180 degree motors. The robotic arm was programmed using Arduino. The robot arm was able to pick up an object and move to another area.

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