Bryce Shaw

10033704
October 4th 2013

HW5: Customer Requirements

Identification
Product Description
This product has to perform the essential function of offering Martian explorers a
safe emergency shelter which can keep them in good health in the event that they
are stranded outside of their basecamp (potential reasons include mechanical
failure and injury). It must be robust and portable enough that it can be brought
along on exploratory journeys into the Martian landscape without creating an undue
burden (which could otherwise prompt explorers to leave it behind if they needed
space for other essential equipment).

Must Have
Provide 36+ hours of shelter- This is a performance measure. Given that the
main function of the product is to provide emergency shelter to facilitate
rescue, it must be able to provide food, shelter, and water for long enough for
a rescue to be carried out (36+ hours).
Sufficient thermal Properties- An essential performance detail is that the
product must provide enough insulation (potentially coupled with additional
heating source) such that the occupant can maintain a comfortable body
temperature.
Inspectible- This is an important safety consideration. Because this is a
lifesaving device which is not used on a regular basis, it must be easily
inspectable to ensure continued functionality.

Should Have
Ease of Assembly- In the case of emergency, storm, darkness, etc; this
product should be capable of being set up in a short amount of time, reliably.
Space Multiple Persons (2+)- Any expedition outside the base should carry
within it emergency shelter for all members. Past this, designs should be
implanted such that two or more people can fit into a single shelter for the
purpose of providing medical assistance in the case of injury.
Light and Compact Design- Size and weight are important parameters of the
design. The product will be taken on all expeditions outside the base, so it
must have dimensions that dont hinder the carrying capacity of the Martian
vehicles excessively.
Reparability- The structure should have an included kit which could provide
the option for field repair in the event of equipment failure.
Humidity Controls/Air Conditioning- Due to the fast that exhaled air contains
a high moisture content, the shelter should have climate controls which
 remove this moisture to avoid excessive condensation inside the enclosure
(which would otherwise provide a problem in terms of safety and user
comfort).
High Visibility Design Choices- In the case of rescue, highly visible colours,
flags, signal balloons, etc; are all options which could assist in the expedient
resolution of an emergency situation.

Could Have
Reusable construction- This is a special consideration where the product
could be easily un/re-packed. This could mean that it could be more than an
emergency device, but also a more commonly used tool (Increasing its value
to the explorers). E.g. temporary shelter.
Modular/Extendable construction- Multiple single person shelters could be
designed such that they could be combined to provide shelter for multiple
people. This is non-essential but would assist communication and decrease
feelings of isolation in a stressful situation.

Design Aspects
Performance
The product must perform to a base level of performance. It is not necessary for it
to excel in any performance criteria (no luxuries are expected), but it must reliably
perform its central task of providing a safe emergency shelter.

Value
There are opportunities to increase the value of the product to the explorers (See
examples in the Could have needs section) but these are secondary to ensuring
the reliable and safe functioning of the base task.

Size
Due to the fact that this is a product which will always be carried and very rarely
used, considerable effort will be expended to ensure that it is of the smallest
possible size (to decrease cargo requirements)

Safety
This is a piece of emergency equipment, so safety is the foremost concern.
Reliability should be paramount and the continued safe operation in an emergency
situation should never be in question.

Special
There are many special add-ons which could be included, but careful analysis should
be done to ensure that the value they add is not negated by the resulting increase
size requirements, and especially the safe and reliable operation of the shelter.