Shuja - Assignment 2 - Product Development

Deakin University
School of Engineering
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment
Masters of Engineering (Professional) S751

SEM 721 – Product Development
Go-Traffic - Safe Traffic Management
Assignment 2 – Final report
Muhammad Shuja Safdar

218460859
Team number 8
Bishwapandhu Poudel, Mohammed Shareef, Sai Sandeep Vemuri
Deakin University, Waurn Ponds campus, December 2019

SEM721 T3 2019 – Product Development
Executive Summary
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction
1.1 Challenge
1.2 Rationale
1.3 Stakeholders
2 Project management
2.1 Methodology
2.2 Project timelines
2.3 Project management summary
3 User research
3.1 Observation
3.2 Extreme users
3.3 Interviewing
3.4 Empathy
3.5 Persona profile
3.6 User needs
4 Technical research
4.1 Current and emerging trends in materials and technology
4.2 Current and emerging trends in user interaction
5 Market research
5.1 Local and global market analysis
5.2 Competitor benchmarking
5.3 Product price point
5.4 Patent search
5.5 Legislations and standards
6 Concept generation
6.1 Inspiration board
6.2 Hand sketches and storyboards
6.3 Mock-ups
7 Concept development
7.1 Development of individual concept proposal
7.2 Selection matrix
8 Project proposal
8.1 Product Design Specifications
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8.2 Proposal and further work
9 Concept refinement
10 Engineering considerations
10.1 Design for X principles
10.2 Resources and processes selection
10.3 Production cost estimates
11 Detailed design
12 Engineering analyses
12.1 Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
12.2 Simulation analysis
13 Final design
13.1 Final visualisation
13.2 Final prototype
13.3 Technical documentation
14 Conclusions
14.1 Description of the final design
14.2 Evaluation of the final design
14.3 Further work
References
Appendices
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Tables:
Table 1: Competitor Benchmarking Analysis

Table 2: Patent analysis table
Table 3: Product Selection Matrix
Table 4: Product Design Specification
Table 5: Updated product design specifications
Table 6: Material/ Resource Selection
Table 7: Manufacturing processes
Table 8: FEMA Analysis
Table 9: Simulation analysis
Table of Figures:
Figure 1: Double Diamond Design Model

Figure 2: Fatigue traffic controller
Figure 3: Unefficient barrier
Figure 4: Stop/ Slow Sign
Figure 5: Road Management Equipment
Figure 6: Safe temporary traffic and access control
Figure 7: Extreme Users and Average Users
Figure 8: Dragging block from under stairs
Figure 9: Carrying block
Figure 10: Stacking blocks
Figure 11: End-User Persona
Figure 12: Needs Criteria

Figure 13: Traffic Management Components
Figure 14: Traffic Managementr Market by Region
Figure 15: Attractive Opportunities in the Traffic Management Market
Figure 16: Patent US20070290887A1 by Pleasanton, L
Figure 17: Patent US8319662B1 by Bontemps, EJ & Terrien Jr, TF
Figure 18: Patent US3867718A by Moe, S.S
Figure 19: Traffic Management System - Mind-Map and Mood-Map
Figure 20: Sketch 1 (Barrier)
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Figure 24: Sketch 5 (Traffic lights)
Figure 27: Sketch 8 (Overall concept)
Figure 29: Final sketch in road environment
Figure 30: Scale sketch
Figure 31: Mock-up overall concept
Figure 32: Mock-up overall concept (2)
Figure 33: Mock-up (close-up base))
Figure 34: Mock-up (Close-up Traffic Lights)
Figure 35: Mock-up (Close-up barrier)
Figure 36: Individual concept proposal CAD (1)
Figure 40: Basic Design
Figure 41: Basic Design (2)
Figure 42: Second Design
Figure 43: Second Design (2)
Figure 44: Third Design
Figure 45: Detailed Design
Figure 46: Variable cost estimation
Figure 47: Fixed cost estimation
Figure 48: Overall cost estimation summary
Figure 49: Break-Even Analysis
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Executive Summary
This report is the final assignment for the course SEM721 – Product Development. The presented
design challenge, in collaboration with the industry partner Go-Traffic, encompassed the
improvement on a traffic management product, called PORTABOOM. Comprising the detailed steps
of the design process, this report centres on the final design concept generated throughout the
course.
The main aims for the design challenge were as following:
1.) Modularity of the product – In order to enhance the ease of transport and set-up of the
product, the modularity, weight and size of each component is very important.
2.) Visibility at night – Especially during night hours, only a lighted design is a viable option to
control the traffic.
3.) Cost per product – The cost and price of the product has to be considered using industry-
standard.
4.) Weather-resistance: As traffic control products will be used in any weather, it is important to
include resistance of wind and of extreme temperatures.
After the proposal of four different design proposals by each group member of Group 8, the choice
of the final design has been made using a selection matrix. This chosen design concept, comprising
five modules, details a strong base holding a metallic pillar with an electric motor needed for the
control of the two traffic control concepts. Firstly, traffic lights are placed above the motor to
enhance the visibility at night. As a second instance a barrier is attached to the motor to increase the
probability of car drivers obeying by the traffic rules. Both control concepts can be regulated
automatically or manually through a remote control.
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Acknowledgements
This report is based on the group project of group 8.
Without the help and encouragement of key individuals, this report could not have been completed
in such a successful way. First and foremost, I would like to express my appreciation for the unit
chair Dr. Kaja Antlej who has constantly enhanced my creativity and through whom I have gained
new skills and improved my knowledge on mechanical engineering content. Furthermore, Clara
Usma-Mansfield has been a great help for me to grow my individual skills as she gives great
insightful feedback.
In addition, my acknowledgement goes to the team of our industry-partner Go-Traffic for giving us
students the possibility to advance our skillset through a hands-on and practical experience.
Lastly I would like to give great appreciation to my partner Anna for her continuous support, her
creativity and love.
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1 Introduction
Traffic management is a crucial part of urban infrastructure development, road-side construction,
and event management. Private vehicles are still the most common mode of transportation in
Australia which makes safe and efficient traffic management even more essential as there are not
many backup means of transportation available. Construction, civil works, and event management
sector spends hundreds of millions of dollars and employs thousands of traffic managers and traffic
controllers all over Australia. Traffic management is a challenging job and has health and Safety
consequences as it is extremely physical and requires the people to keep standing for up to 14 hours
a shift. Moreover, traffic controllers are in direct line of traffic without any safety barriers.
1.1 Challenge
Our challenge is to design a traffic management system to help traffic controllers that is easily
portable and logistically safe to transport. Our system will partially automate the traffic controller’s
work to minimize the physical strain and risks faced by them. It will be operated remotely by traffic
controllers and will enhance their productivity and efficiency. Moreover, it allows the traffic
controllers to be more dynamic around the work site and even support the construction workers,
if needed.
1.2 Rationale
While performing their job, traffic management workers are exposed to various kinds of dangers and
risks. According to Workcover Queensland data from 2014, more than 230 traffic controllers were
injured during work in that year alone (Who is protecting the protectors? Traffic controllers under
the gun 2017). According to Safe Work Australia, 37 people and 7 bystanders were killed in roadside
work related incidents in 2008-09 (Ombudsman’s 2013). In addition to the safety issues while
working with heavy machinery and close proximity of traffic, traffic controllers work long hours with
a lot of physical activity involved such as setting up all the road signs and cones. Furthermore, many
workers live with constant back pain as the job involve standing still for long hours. Traffic
controllers need better traffic management systems to assist them on work sites and to enhance
their productivity and safety.
1.3 Stakeholders
Major stakeholders involved in traffic management systems are Traffic controllers and Traffic
managers, other road users such as vehicles, pedestrians, trams as well as Traffic management
companies and service providers such as “GoTraffic”, and local city councils. Moreover,
government regulators such as Vicroads, Safe Works, Workplace Rights Obundsmun, and Australian
Workers Unions etc are also involved.
2 Project Management
2.1 Methodology
By following the Double Diamond model, a more organized and efficient design process can be
achieved leading to a more sophisticated design proposition. This model comprises of the four
stages discover, define, develop and deliver and has been used in the course.
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Figure 1: Double Diamond Design Model
Firstly, an in-depth market and technical research has been conducted to enhance the knowledge
around the traffic management market and existing concepts. Furthermore, in order to understand
the threats and issues traffic managers are exposed to on their daily basis, an empathy exercise has
been undergone. Through sketches and mock-ups every team member has step-by-step generated
their own design proposal. Using a selection matrix, the most advanced design concept has been
chosen.
In the following two stages develop and deliver this selected design has been further refined and
reassessed going through the detailed design and final design stages. Furthermore, the economic
feasibility of the design and the manufacturing needs have been clarified. Lastly, the final design has
been proposed through technical drawings and computer-generated outputs.
2.2 Project Timelines

Our project with the intiative to design and develop an own product for the traffic management
officers to remotely control and manage the traffic using a portable barrier is divided into five
milestone. The four main deliveries of this project are linked to the course assignements, involving
Assignment 1A – Problem identification, User and technical research, Assignment 1B – Market
research, concept generation, concept development and project proposal, Assignment 2 -Final
Report 2 and Assignment 3 – Video Presentation. We have added a fifth milestone in order to track
our design stages. The overall timeline of this project is from 11/11/2019 – 17/02/2020. Please
find our Gantt Chart for detailed information in Appendix No. 1.
2.3 Project Management Summary

Overall, the team has followed the above methodology and the defined Gantt Chart, generated in
Assignment 1A. However, there have been major changes in the resourcing and timeline due to
availability and different priorities of the group members. In short, the project team has tried its best
to catch up on the delay, however the teamwork, timeliness and overall effort could have been
improved.
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3 User research
3.1 Observation
In reference to the photo diary in Appendix 2, several aspects of traffic control management have
been observed.
Fatigue
Figure 2: Fatigue traffic controller

This road traffic controller is leaning against the road closure sign in Melbourne CBD. It is possible to
assume, the reason he is bracing on the barrier is that his feet hurt from standing all the time and he
is tired due to long working hours.
Uncooperative vehicle drivers
Figure 3: Unefficient barrier

This picture shows how several cars are not reacting to the road closure sign and drive past it which
underlines the reasoning for barriers to expand across the whole road. It explains the need for
better enforcement of traffic management rules.
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Non-Usage of Stop/Slow Sign
Figure 4: Stop/ Slow Sign
With this traffic management solution cars are forced to build one lane and pass the construction
area. However, there is no Stop/Slow sign used for interaction and early warning for the vehicle
drivers.
Usage of wheels on heavy road management equipment
Figure 5: Road Management Equipment
This road management sign is connected to wheels, which can enhance their portability. Thereby the
sign can be transported to different locations without the need to lift up any part of the equipment.
3.2 Extreme Users

People in contact with the safe temporary traffic and access control can be categorised into two
types: extreme users and average users (majority). The majority of the people in contact with safe
temporary traffic and access control can be defined as vehicle drivers. Extreme users are people
who are either constantly using the traffic control equipment (power users) or who are rejecting
the traffic management . Traffic managers and controllers as well as roadwork labourers can be
defined as power users since they control the traffic in the case of road accidents or construction.
Rejectors can be defined as for example ambulance drivers or fire brigade because they are not
following the traffic management systems in case of emergencies.
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The aim of this project is to design and fabricate a portable, remote operated device that can be
easily used by traffic management officers at the work place. Hence, we will alleviate the effort for
traffic controllers and increase the safety, productivity and efficiency of these extreme users. When
designing this product, it is crucial to consider the standards and legislation to comply with the
requirements of “VicRoads” and “Go-Traffic).
Figure 6: Safe temporary traffic and access control
Extreme Users (Rejectors) Majority Extreme Users (Power Users)
Ambulance Construction workers Traffic Controllers

Fire Brigade Event workers Incident Response Workers
Police Road Maintenance Workers
Figure 7: Extreme Users and Average Users
3.3 Interviewing
We interviewed two power users of traffic management tools and systems about their past
experiences with these systems as well as their preferences for any future technology. For detailed
interview transcripts please refer to Appendix 1 and Appendix 2.
Interview 1
Our first interview subject is a 42 years old male who is employed full-time as a traffic controller.
His job is physically challenging, and he often experiences back pain and other types of strains
caused by lifting heavy equipment or by standing on his feet for longer hours. He is thinking about
changing jobs as this work has negatively affected his health. He has heard of traffic management
systems such as Portaboom before but has not personally used any such equipment. According to
him, equipment like that is helpful if for longer roadworks but most of the time they have to move
around the equipment constantly which could discourage the use of non-portable traffic
management systems. Our interviewee complained about drivers not following the speed signs for
roadworks and believes that any equipment which allows the traffic controllers to manage traffic
without directly standing in middle of the road will help minimize safety risks for traffic controllers.
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Interview 2
Our second interviewee is an incident response worker who has been employed as a first responder for
more than 5 years. His primary task is not traffic control but his job depends on how well the traffic is
controlled after a road accident. He recalled an incident where he nearly escaped serious injuries after a
car smashed their ambulance because the traffic controllers didn’t cordoned off the accident area in
time. His major concern was freeway accidents and lack of quick response from traffic management
authorities as it could result in a traffic pileup which could result in a delay in transporting injured people
to the hospital. Our interviewee want the concerned authorities to put automated emergency response
systems on freeways to make first responders’ job easier.
3.4 Empathy
Our seminar instructor helped us simulate some basic traffic management tasks which include lifting
heavy equipment and moving it from one point to another.
Figure 8: Dragging block from under stairs
In Figure 8, I can be seen loading roughly 20kg blocks from the ground and loading them on a
simulated truck(table). I had to pick up blocks from under the stairs which was a lot harder as I had
to drag them from under the stairs first. It shows how even a simple physical task can become a lot
harder when a labourer has to make his/her way around scattered objects while carrying heavy
equipment.
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Figure 9: Carrying block
As seen in Figure 9, the second part of the simulation involved carrying the 20kg block and loading it
on the table 10 meters away. While trying to carry the block, I realized how hard it can be to carry
an equipment without proper and secure grip. Then I walked to the table and placed the block on
the table.
Figure 10: Stacking blocks
Then I went back to get another block and stacked it on top of the first block as can be seen in figure
10. I realized that stacking the second block on top of the first one is more challenging because one
has to lift the object even higher and it feels a lot heavier than usual. Then I unloaded both blocks
and put them back in their original spot.
I completed my empathy exercise in 5 minutes and at the end of it I was a little short of breath. I
grasped the fact that traffic controllers and managers have to do these things for 8 to 10 hours per
shift while facing risks from traffic as well as heavy equipment (a lot heavier than 20kg blocks). Not
to mention how rainy weather and night time work can increase the burden and safety risk.
3.5 Persona profile

Our End-User is 38 year old traffic controller James from Melbourne. He has long experience in his
work as a traffic controller and enjoys the work due to its flexibility and good wage. He is a
dedicated worker and takes punctuality very seriously. However, he also claims that there are
disadvantages regarding his work which especially include tiredness and iteration. Furthermore he
has experienced serious risk issues before which include drunk drivers, speeding drivers and drivers
who did not follow his instructions. In order to financially support his family, he is required to work
long hours every day. At the same time he does not take care of his health.
Our product will solve many of his problems, as it not only makes him feel less lethargic at the end of
the day but also increases his enthusiasm towards his work. In fact, it will also reduce his fear of
experiencing more risk issues.
Using this product, he will not be standing in direct control of traffic, but will use a remote control to
manage ongoing traffic, which allows him to support construction labourers, if needed.
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Figure 11: End-User Persona
3.6 User needs

Our product has the clear aim to increase the work safety and productivity of traffic management
officers. Thereby we define our end-users as the traffic management officer who are daily facing the
risk-related issues at their workplace. Besides an increase in safety, our product aims to alleviate
the effort and increase their productivity.
In constraint with existing solutions by “Go-Traffic” our product will furthermore be easily portable
and logistically suitable for constant location changes. Thereby we will increase the EH&S involved
in traffic management.
Our Stakeholders will like the cost-saving potential and longevity of our product. The table
below shows the Needs criteria suited for Stakeholders and End-Users.
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Figure 12: Needs Criteria
4 Technical research
4.1 Current and emerging trends in materials and technology

In many countries National real-time traffic information systems have been in place and they
incorporate the real-time data of all the construction works, roadworks, and events. That way, road
users know beforehand any changes in traffic conditions. These real-time traffic information systems
include road weather management technologies, integrated corridor management, maintainance
decision support system, electronic freight management systems, and traffic incident response
systems ('Traffic Management: State of the art, current trends and future perspectives ' 2016).
Additionally, mobile geopositioning systems such as Google Maps, Waze, etc. have also
incorporated real-time road disturbances and construction works that warn road users about any
road work delays ahead of time.
Dynamic curve warning systems have helped enhance the safety of current management systems. In
many developed countries live traffic controllers at work sites have already been replaced by
electronic traffic signals but in Australia human capital is still widely used for roadside works. These
optimized traffic signals can be used in Australia to maximize productivity and achieve a certain level
of automation.
As far as the portability and logistical feasibility of the equipment is concerned, many light weight
materials have been introduced in the manufacturing industry recently, most notably carbon fibre
structures but as of now the technology is new and expensive and is not financially practical to be
used in traffic management equipment (Warren et al. 2009).
4.2 Current and emerging trends in user interaction

Traffic management is not feasible to totally automate but trends point to a partial automation
of many functions of traffic control. Moreover, many new technologies have been introduced to
assist traffic controllers in their work. These partial automated or application oriented systems
are often termed as intelligent traffic management systems (Milanes et al. 2012). Currently, most
of the roadworks are carried out during low traffic demand times such as night time but low
visibility for traffic controllers also compromises their safety and productivity.
Home, office and work appliances are increasingly controlled remotely with rising complexity.
Furthermore, computerized devices such as mobile phones are constantly carried with an increasing
amount of communication between these devices. Userfriendly Apps can be used for user
interaction as well as non-complex remote controls (Nichols 2019).
Many developed countries such as Denmark and Germany have automated most of the physical
aspects of traffic control but Australian work sites still employ manual workers to control traffic.
With a little effort from Safe works Australia, other government regulators and some investment in
new technology, traffic control and management work can be made less physically challenging and
relatively safer for the workers that are employed in this industry.
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Figure 13: Traffic Management Components
5 Market research
5.1 Local and global market analysis

In 2018, the global traffic management market was valued at 29.7 billion USD which is
expected to grow up to 71.9 billion USD by 2025 (Traffic Management Market 2019). This
means that the industry is growing at a healthy 13.7 percent each year. According to the
report, Asia Pacific region which includes Australia is experiencing the fastest growth in this
industry. This puts Australian traffic management companies in a perfect position to capture
this regional emerging market.
Figure 14: Traffic Management Market by Region
This is our total available market and it incorporates all traffic management systems and
service providers but presently out industry partner is looking to introduce our product in
local Victorian market. According to GoTraffic, there are around 240 traffic management
companies in Victoria which are working on hundreds of projects all over the state
('GoTraffic Studio session' 2019). According to our industry partner, they are looking to
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produce around 150-300 products initially for the Victorian market and then expand to the
Australian national market in the next 3 to 5 years ('GoTraffic Studio session' 2019).
Figure 15: Attractive Opportunities in the Traffic Management Market
GoTraffic employs 300-400 people and their clients include Geelong City council, Surf coast
city council, Warnambhool council, power companies, gas and water maintenance
companies, event management companies etc. Traffic management industry is linked to
multiple industries and therefore it is hard to accurately define the exact valuation of
Australian traffic management market but according to Traffic Management Association of
Australia (TMAA), each year government and private sector spends more than a billion
Australian dollars on traffic management systems and services providers (Traffic
Management Association of Australia 2019).
5.2 Competitor benchmarking
For benchmarking the sector of traffic management and traffic controlling, four businesses
with singular different products have stood out in our research and are available for the
Australian market. The four businesses are namely PORTABOOM, tempo, Horizon signal and
Madison technologies.
When comparing the four products, we firstly defined 15 comparison criteria, which we
then ranked by importance for the user. In the next step we have assigned each product at
each criterion a number of stars (*) that reflect their level of accomplishing the criterion.
The number of stars (*) is then being multiplied by the factor of relevance so that the
importance for the user is included in the analysis Lastly, all numbers have been summed
and the four products have been ranked. Please see the table below for further
reference.
Preference
User needs
S.no.
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1. Device competency 5 **** 25 **** 20 *** 15 *** 20

* *
2. Portability 5 **** 25 *** 15 *** 15 *** 20
* *
3. Compatibility 5 **** 25 ** 10 *** 15 *** 15
4. Temperature 4 **** 16 **** 20 **** 25 ** 10
*
5. User-friendly 5 **** 20 **** 20 **** 20 *** 15
6. Wind resistant 5 **** 25 **** 20 **** 25 * 5
* *
7. Battery power 5 *** 15 **** 20 **** 20 ** 10
8. Safe handling 5 **** 25 **** 20 *** 15 *** 20
* *
9. Easily comprehendible 5 **** 25 **** 25 **** 20 *** 25
* * **
10. Wear and tear 4 *** 12 *** 15 **** 20 *** 15
11. Meeting all legislation and 5 **** 20 **** 20 *** 15 *** 25
standards **
12. Visuals(in Sunlight and 5 ** 10 **** 20 **** 20 *** 20
dark) *
13. No. of operators required 3 * 3 *** 15 ** 10 *** 15
14. Accessibility using remote 4 *** 12 **** 20 *** 15 *** 15
15. Cost 5 *** 15 ** 10 ** 10 *** 15
Overall Score 273 270 260 245
Table 1: Competitor Benchmarking Analysis
Discussion of benchmarking:
PORTABOOM convinces with their device’s competency, portability and compatibility.
However, due to no lights involved in this solution, it lacks the needed visibility at night.
Tempo has invented a very light-weight and easily comprehendible traffic management
solution, that lacked cost-efficiency. The product of Horizon signals shows problems in
extreme temperatures, comes with a high cost and mounting and dismounting issues but is
proven to be working very good in the night and brings a high wind-resistance. Madison
technologies’ product has been fabricated as lightweight, portable and compatible, but it is
not wind-resistant and the materials do not have a longevity.
After assessing all the advantages and disadvantages of the products, we can conclude that
PORTABOOM has herein scored the highest points and can therefore be seen as the most
advanced product in the traffic management and traffic controlling market.
5.3 Product price point
Retail price of this product is expected between 3000-3500 AUD if manufactured in mass
scale of more than 300 and can increase substantially if the scale of manufacturing is less
than 150 units. 3000-3500 AUD is extremely competitive price for this highly modular
product as it is less than most of the similar products in the market and has better
functionality. Its modular nature is advantageous for maintenance as well and issues with
any one module can be solved by just replacing that module instead of replacing the whole
thing. Furthermore, this price point is close to the expectation of our industry partner.
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5.4 Patent search
Product features Patent Patent Patent

US20070290887A1 US8319662B1 US3867718A
Power source Battery Not defined, Battery
(could be used
in dark areas)
Size Not defined Not defined 340/84 Scantlin
units
Sensors Inbuilt sensors LED's No sensors
Innovative Bluetooth, Inbuilt White strobe Uses radio signals
features GPRS, LED operated by for signaling
micro-processor,
sensor operated
Portability Could be carried Could easily be Could easily be
anywhere by single carried anywhere commuted
person everywhere
accessibility Could be accessed Could be Uses remote
using re operated by one transmitter system
person
Cost Affordable Costly Not economical
Table 2: Patent analysis table
There are three portable traffic controller solutions explained in the paper. The first by
Pleasanton, L 2007 shows portable traffic signal device. It consists of two parts. The upper
portion is signal head whereas the lower portion (base) is coupled to pylon. The main power
is supplied from pylon and travels all the way to signal head. In addition, the device is not
heavy and could easily be operated by one operator. Also, it could easily be accessed using
remote.
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Figure 16: Patent US20070290887A1 by Pleasanton, L
The other patent is portable traffic control unit from (Bontemps, EJ & Terrien Jr, TF 2012)
which is capable of operating in both Auto and Manual mode. The device is light weight and
could easily be carried in any small vehicle. It comprises of colored LED lights (red, green,
orange) , radio receiver and transmitters. Sensors are also positioned in the device.
Amazingly, it possess the ability to communicate with the similar devices placed at distant
locations.
Figure 17: Patent US8319662B1 by Bontemps, EJ & Terrien Jr, TF
Moe, S.S., 1975 patent concept is same as that of patent two. It is light weight and could be
commuted to various location. Upper part has the red, green and orange lights supported
by sticks. Innovative features include transmitter and radio signals.
Figure 18: Patent US3867718A by Moe, S.S

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Hence, it could be observed that designed traffic controller devices from the team ensures it
meets all the legislation and standards that is already present in the patented devices.
Discussion of patent analysis:
For the product development phase, it is necessary to take the already patented solutions
into account as the new product has to differentiate between these solutions by using
different design, structure or materials. Only then the solution can be awarded a patent to
hinder competitors from producing similar products which is the strategic approach for the
developed solution. Most of the patented products are under the category of innovation
patents instead of standard patents which means that patent infringement can be avoided
by changing the design and functioning that is the basis of that innovation patent. The
combination of traffic lights and physical barrier is an efficient strategy to avoid
infringement. Furthermore, the inclusion of a timer instead of a yellow light will help set
apart our product from other protected patents.
5.5 Legislation and standards
Major currently enforced standards:
For road safety the following standards are to be observed:
AS (Standards Australia) and NZS (Standards New Zealand)
Design related:
AS 1742.1: 2009 - General introduction and index of signs
AS 1742.2: 2009 - Traffic control devices for general use
AS 1742.6: 2014- Manual of uniform traffic control devices tourist and services signs
AS 1742.10: 2000 - Advanced warning requirements for zebra crossing
AS 1742.13: 2009 - Road humps
AS 1743: 2018 - Road signs specifications
Saiglobal.com. (2016).
Incident related:
AS 1742.9: 2000 – Classes of traffic prohibition (road access sign)
AS 1742.11: 1999 – Exceptions to drive in an emergency stopping lane
AS 1742.15: 2007 - Direction signs, information signs and route numbering
Manufacturing related:
AS/NZS 1580.403.1: 1999(R2013) – Paint and related materials method of test- scratch
resistance
AS/NZS 1906.1: 2007(R2018) – Retroreflective materials and devices for traffic control
purposes
AS 1397: 2011 – Steel sheet and strip – hot-dipped zinc coated or aluminum/zinc coated
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AS 2700: 2011 – Color standards for general purposes

Safety related:
AS/NZS 3845: 1999 - Road safety barrier systems
AS/NZS 3845: 1999 - Road safety barrier systems
AS 1743: 2018 - Road signs specifications (Infostore.saiglobal.com, 2007),
Major Australian regulatory bodies:
 NTC (National Transport Commission)

It advices the transport and infrastructure council for development of Australian land
transport sectors.
 VicRoads
It designs, develops and deals with the roadway networking system and conveys
road safety activities.
 ANRAM (Australian National Risk Assessment Model)

It gives a framework to implement a broadly predictable hazard based road
evaluation program, to recognize road segments with most chances of extreme
accidents.
 ATAP (The Australian Transport Assessment and Planning)

It gives guidelines of best practice for transport planning and appraisal.
 BITRE (Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics)

It gives monetary analysis, research and statistics on infrastructures, transport,
territorial improvement and nearby government issues to educate both Australian
government policy development and wider community understanding.
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6 Concept generation
6.1 Inspiration board
Figure 19: Traffic Management System - Mind-Map and Mood-Map
6.2 Hand Sketches and storyboards

Sketches 1, 2, 3 and 4 are experimenting with the different barrier stick solutions.
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Sketches 5, 6 and 7 are experimenting with the different concepts of traffic lights.
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Sketches 8 and 9 are concepts where the previous sketches of the traffic lights and the stick
have been into consideration leading to an overall solution.
User environment:
In a construction event this product can be used to secure the worksite by forcing the
approaching cars to stop, see Figure. Besides traffic lights that are counting until the color
changes, this product includes an actual barrier as a second instance for safety reasons. To
enhance the visibility at night, this contractible barrier has reflectors and the stop sign that
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is attached to it, is lighted so that the car driver as the user of this product has extraordinary
guidance throughout the traffic situation change at day and at night.
Figure 29: Final sketch in road environment
Scale Sketch:
The reference scale in the scale sketch is taken as 1cm = 1 ft. The product is highly modular
and consists of 6 parts which can be easily assembled and detached. This makes it easily
movable and requires only one person to carry the modules. Modules take minimal space in
a utility van as the module 5 is contractible.
Figure 30: Scale sketch
28
6.3 Mock-ups
The bar stool of the mock-up shows the base of the proposed design whereas the round base is
detachable from the outgoing stick that connects the base with the motor and electronics portion,
herein presented as the shoe-box. The traffic lights are placed on top of this box and an actual
barrier is used to enhance the safety. This barrier is captured by the mop and it is fitted with lights
and a stop sign. The koala, as the traffic controller, is in charge of managing the traffic using a
remote control and having an overview from a lifted position.
Figure 31: Mock-up overall concept
Figure 32: Mock-up overall concept (2)
Figure 33: Mock-up (close-up base))
29
Figure 34: Mock-up (Close-up Traffic Lights)
Figure 35: Mock-up (Close-up barrier)
7 Concept development
7.1 Development of individual concept proposal
After taking the many different concepts and solutions into account, the proposed design
concept includes a strong base for wind-resistance, a battery for electrical controlling of the
system, a traffic light for visibility at all times that includes a timer as well.
30
7.2 Selection matrix
Designer Shareef Bala Sandeep Shuja

Concept
Key points
Portability + + + +
Compatibility + - + +
Maintenance - - - +
cost
31
Ease of + - + -
operation
Life span - - - +
Manufacturi + - - -
ng cost
Wind - + - +
resistive
Temperature - + + +
factor
Innovative + - + +
features
No. of person + + + +
required to
operate
Apart from - - - +
traffic
managers,
who will be
using the
device(tradie
s)
Sum of (+) 6 4 5 9
Sum of (-) 5 7 6 2
Net score 1 -3 -1 7
Continue? No No No Develop
Table 3: Product Selection Matrix
The selection matrix above was used to determine the best of the four individual concept
proposals in accordance with the research above. This selection matrix takes into account
the user needs, the innovation criteria, necessary for being granted a patent and the
legislation and Australian standards. After every team member has proposed his design
concept, the three other team members have ranked that specific product in terms of
compatibility, portability etc. using plus and minus. If a product has been ranked positively
by two or all three group members, it will be listed with a (+) in the table and vice versa
when being given a (-). Afterwards all (+) were added and all (-) were subtracted to
determine the net score and thereby the best product.
8 Project Proposal
8.1 Product Design Specification
Design Category Module Type Specification

Length of Assembled Product Not Applicable 8 ft
Height of Assembled Product Not Applicable 6 ft
Thickness of Assembled Product Not Applicable 1 ft
Weight of Assembled Product Not Applicable <50 kg
No of Modules 6 modules
Weight of Each Module Module 1 20 kg
Module 2 10 kg
Module 3 10 kg
32
Module 4 5 kg
Module 5 3 kg
Module 6 <1 kg
Overall Lifetime Modules 3,4 can be 8 Years

replaced after 8
years
Retail Price Modules can be 3500 AUD
bought separately at
a price
Durability All Modules Wind Resistant up to
90km/h
Rain Resistant
Able to withstand
temperatures from -15
degree celsius to 50 degree
celsius
User Demographics All Modules Product must only be used

by people over 18
Assembling All Modules Product must be assembled
and disassembled according
to the user manual
Materials All Modules All materials must have
minimal carbon footprint
and can be recycled
Portability All Modules Product can be easily
portable
Handling Modules 3 and 4 Modules 3 and 4 should be
handled with care
Module 1 should have two
handgrips
Safety Requirements All Modules Should not have sharp edges
No harmful paint or coatings
No loose materials
Should be operated while
wearing safety boots
Manufacturing metals All Modules Module 1,2 should be made
of stainless steal
Modules 3,4,5 should be
made of lightweight
aluminum
Manufacturing time All modules 3 days per unit
Standards All Modules Must meet all Australian
manufacturing and safety
standards/Vicroads
standards
Maintenance All Modules Maintenance free up to 12
months if warranty
purchased
33
Disposal All Modules All materials can be

recycled.
Table 4: Product Design Specification
The product design specification contain the major criteria this product will meet and the
major specification that the final end design should meet. The product design specification
was formed based on the market research and technical research as well as the technical
requirements by Go-Traffic.
Major Elements of Interest:
For the design of the product, a large focus has been given to increase the modularity of
similar solutions. Thereby this product includes six different modules, but will still be able to
set up very quickly due to easily sticking the pieces together. Special attention has also been
given to the design of the product. Besides just focusing on one way to force vehicles to stop
by using traffic lights, this solution includes a barrier that will move down as soon as the
traffic light hits the red light. Including several barriers will enhance the safety on worksite
for the laborers.
For our local market it is necessary that this product can withstand numerous of different
climates, as being very wind-resistant and being unaffected from very low to very high
temperatures. The dimensions of the product were estimated through taking various road
measures into account.
8.2 Proposal and future work
The proposed concept design of this group is the traffic light with barrier and stop sign,
including three different regulatories to stop the vehicles in construction work sites. This
product has most similarities with the product PORTABOOM by theindustry-partner Go-
Traffic. Yet, this product has improved PORTABOOM in various factors. Through the lights,
this product has also a high visibility at night making this product useful for construction site
during all times of the day. Additionally these traffic lights come with a countdown, which
will be beneficient for the vehicle drivers waiting behind the barrier and the red light and
have a positive impact on their psychology and their reaction towards road construction.
The product will furthermore fit into a normal-sized van using a contractable barrier and a
modular approach towards material. Improving the portability and making the assembly of
the product faster will be positive for the construction workers, so that they can move on to
further tasks. A lighted stop sign will furthermore enhance the product’s visibility at night.
Further research necessity:
More research should be done to provide the exact measurements of each of the different
module measurements. Furthermore the stick system will need further research as well as
the contractability of the barrier. Lastly, in order for the full automatic mode of this product
to function smoothely, it will be necessary to use sensor-technology which needs further
research.
9 Concept refinement
After sketches and mock ups, a basic structure was designed keeping in mind the requirements of
our industry partners. The initial design was similar to “Portaboom” with an addition of traffic lights
for better visibility and light weight material for better maneuverability.
34
Figure 40: Basic Design
Figure 41: Basic Design (2)
On the other hand, the initial design had a lot of drawback such as very basic and non-modular
design and instability due to high center of gravity. Moreover, the base was not suitable for uneven
surfaces and barrier was too short. In short, this design was not suitable ergonomically or
environmentally.
35
Figure 42: Second Design
Figure 43: Second Design (2)
Having learned lessons from the first iteration, the next design was highly focused on modularity.
The product had 6 major modules which would join together to produce a functioning traffic control
system. This modular design solved many problems such as heavy weight, logistical issues etc. but
the problem of assembly was still remaining. The design was still relatively basic with a lack of focus
on assembly of parts and functioning of barrier.
36
Now the focus shifted to a simple but durable assembly. Many solutions including the basic nut and
bolt mechanism was tried and tested. Stability was also an issue as a simple rectangular base did not
have the capacity to withstand intense winds especially while placed on uneven surfaces. The design
was an attempt to solve both the assembly and stability issues.
Figure 43: Third design
This design turned out to be somewhat more stable than the previous ones but was still not good
enough, Moreover, the Motor housing/box was too small to fit everything ranging from battery and
sensor to gears and spring.
FEMA Analysis was conducted as seen in Appendix 6, and several potential hazards related to the
design concept were reflected. Structural weaknesses in the motor cabinet and barrier were
observed. Therefore the model was refined and structurally improved by introducing ribs inside the
motor cabinet and ABS plastic barrier. Hence, strength and durability of these ABS plastic parts were
significantly improved.
37
Figure 44: Third Design (2)
And lastly, the nut and bolt assembly mechanism was still somewhat traditional. The final design
addressed all these problems by increasing the length of motor housing/box, using threads instead
of nuts and bolts, and increased the length of barrier to 2.7 meters so it could easily cover an entire
lane.
Figure 45: Detailed Design
38
Please find the updated product design specifications below comprising all product-related
information:
Design Category Module Type Specification

Length of Assembled Product Not Applicable 8 ft
Height of Assembled Product Not Applicable 6 ft
Thickness of Assembled Product Not Applicable 1 ft
Weight of Assembled Product Not Applicable <50 kg
No of Modules 8 modules
Weight of Each Module Module 1 – base 30kg
Module 2 - pole 10 kg
Module 3 – motor 5 kg
cabinet
Module 4 – traffic 3 kg
lights
Module 5 – barrier 1 kg
Module 6 – stop sign < 1 kg
Module 7 – crank < 1kg
shaft
Module 8 – 4x feet 3 kg each
Overall Lifetime Modules 3,4 can be 8 Years
replaced after 8
years
Retail Price Modules can be 3500 AUD
bought separately at
a price
Durability All Modules Wind Resistant up to
90km/h
Rain Resistant
Able to withstand
temperatures from -15
degree celsius to 50 degree
celsius
User Demographics All Modules Product must only be used

by people over 18
Assembling All Modules Product must be assembled
and disassembled according
to the user manual
Materials All Modules Usage of recycled materials
to have minimal carbon
footprint. Materials will be
recycled after use.
Portability All Modules Product can be easily
portable
Handling Modules 3 and 4 Modules 3 and 4 should be
handled with care
Module 1 should have two
handgrips
39
Safety Requirements All Modules Should not have sharp edges

No harmful paint or coatings
No loose materials
Should be operated while
wearing safety boots
Manufacturing metals All Modules Module 1,2,8 should be
made of stainless steal
Modules 3,4,5 should be
made of ABS plastic
Manufacturing time All modules 3 days per unit
Standards All Modules Must meet all Australian
manufacturing and safety
standards/Vicroads
standards
Maintenance All Modules Maintenance free up to 12
months if warranty
purchased
Disposal All Modules All materials can be
recycled.
Table 5: Updated product design specifications
10 Engineering considerations
10.1 Design for X principles
Design for X is an integral key to competitive and cost-effective product prototyping. 80 percent of
costs are fixed at the time of design and cutting cost becomes difficult after the design stage
(Gatenby & Foo 1990) that is why it is essential to implement DfX principles such as
manufacturability, maintenance, assembly, cost, sustainability etc. As we are using an existing
design of “Portaboom” and making it more practical and cost-efficient, it is of utmost importance
that our design is more convenient when it comes to ease of manufacturing, logistics,
assembling/disassembling, cost, and maintenance. Moreover, it should be environmentally
sustainable and parts can be recycled.
Often the design of X principles conflict with each other for example a design with features that are
good for manufacturing, might not be good for maintenance. Similarly, design characteristics that
are good for cost might not be good for environmental sustainability and design elements that are
good for logistics might compromise the functionality. So it needs to be a compromise with a focus
on features that are critical for your product, and for your target customers.
Strategy of Implementing DfX
Our team discussed the design of X principles strategy in detail and finalized the most important
design features i.e. design for assembling, design for maintenance, design for logistics, and design
for environmental sustainability.
Design for Assembly
 The final product design is kept highly modular with a strong focus towards ease of
assembly. As the road barrier needs to be assembled and disassembled every time it is
deployed to a work site, it is important to have a design that can be assembled quickly.
40
 Keeping in mind the limited time and resources at work site, the design and assembly are
made simple enough with internal and external threads so that traffic controllers or even
laborers can assemble the road barrier with simple steps without sophisticated tools or any
help from a technician.
 The average assembling or disassembling period is given as 12 minutes which is made
possible by simple threading assembly style similar to IKEA and avoiding unnecessary holes
for bolts and nuts makes the design better water resistant as well.
Design for Logistics
 In collaboration with our industry partners at “GoTraffic” we realized that one of their major
concern regarding Portaboom was that it was a logistical nightmare. Keeping that in mind, it
was made sure that this design would be highly modular hence easy to transport.
 It has 10 main parts which are highly compact when disassembled, therefore, it saves
logistics costs for example, exporting the product to other countries would cost significantly
less as compared to Portaboom.
 Another drawback of Portaboom is that its operating costs are too high mainly because of
time, labor, and money it needed to be transported from warehouse to worksite and back.
Our product minimized those operating costs as it requires less time to assemble, is easy to
transport, and requires less space.
Design for Environmental Sustainability
 Our manufacturing process includes recycled aluminum and steel to minimize the ecological
footprint out our product on the environment.
 Because of the highly modular design of our product, if one part is damaged it can be easily
replaced by another part instead of replacing the whole product which helps its lifecycle
and makes the product more environmentally sustainable.
 After the end of lifecycle of our product, most of the parts are recyclable which makes it
synchronized to the circular economy.
10.2 Resources and processes selection
Part 1 – Standing Base

Legs  Stainless Steel, Grade 316
Base  Stainless Steel, Grade 316
Pillar/Pole  Stainless Steel, Grade 316
Part 2 – Motor Cabinet
Motor Box/  ABS Plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
Housing
Motion Sensor  750 Infrascan Series Sensors
Battery  High output M18 Redlithium Battery
Worm Gear  0.5 MOD 10mm Bronze worm gear
Crank Adjusting  Park CWP-7 Crank adjusting rod
Rod
Main Spring  Recliner Spring 160mm
Inverter Motor  WEJOIN WJ-DZ7 circuit board controller
Manual Clutch  RS 485 Manual Clutch
Capacitor  WEJOIN WJ-DZ7 circuit board controller
Controller  WEJOIN WJ-DZ7 circuit board controller
Part 3 – Traffic lights
Lights module  AC 87: 12 volts LED Traffic lights module
41
Part 4 – Traffic Barrier

Barrier  ABS Plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
Stop Sign  ABS Plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
Reflectors  Reflective paint for barrier and stop sign
Bolt  Steel bolt to connect shaft with barrier
Table 6: Material/ Resource Selection
Table 6 provides an overview of all the materials used for product constituents. The whole product is
divided into four major parts. Part One and Part Four constitute the structure of the product. For
Part One, which includes legs, base and pole, stainless steel, grade 316 is used as this is significantly
heavier and more resistant than the rest of the parts combined in order to ensure maximum stability
and enhance the products’ safety during strong winds. Part Four consists of a barrier, a stop sign
both covered with reflective paint to enhance the visibility during low visibility weather conditions.
Both parts are made of ABS plastic due to its cost-efficiency and light-weight character. A steel bolt
connects the shaft with the barrier.
Part Two consists of a motor cabinet which houses the motor, battery and the sensors. Part Three
includes a traffic light which can be mounted on top of the motor cabinet using internal and external
threads.
The main rationale for the choice of materials is the ease of transport through light-weight materials
such as ABS plastic, but still maintaining a strong base for meeting the safety requirements. In order
to limit the ecological footprint, ABS plastic was selected to manufacture light-weight components as
it is a thermoplastic material and can be easily recycled. Furthermore, the stainless steel used to
manufacture the heavy base is supplied as a recycled product. Lastly, both of these materials are
economical as compared carbon fiber and premium aluminum.
Manufacturing Wall Ribs

Components Material
process Thickness
Part 1 – Standing Base
Legs  Stainless Steel,  Laser-Cutting  5  needed
Grade 316  Induction mm
bending
 Threading
Base  Stainless Steel,  Laser-Cutting  100  n/a
Grade 316  Threading mm
Pillar/Pole  Stainless Steel,  Laser Cutting  5  needed
Grade 316  Threading mm
Part 2 – Motor Cabinet
Motor Box/  ABS Plastic  Machining  4  needed
Housing (Acrylonitrile  Engraving mm
Butadiene  Injection
Styrene) Molding
Motion  750 Infrascan  Commercially  n/a  n/a
Sensor Series Sensors available
Battery  High output  Commercially  n/a  n/a
M18 available
Redlithium
Battery
Worm Gear  0.5 MOD  Commercially  n/a  n/a
10mm Bronze available
worm gear
Crank  Park CWP-7  Commercially  n/a  n/a
Adjusting Crank adjusting available
Rod rod
42
Main Spring  Recliner Spring  Commercially  n/a  n/a

160mm available
Inverter  WEJOIN WJ-  Commercially  n/a  n/a
Motor DZ7 circuit available
board
controller
Manual  RS 485 Manual  Commercially  n/a  n/a
Clutch Clutch available
Capacitor  WEJOIN WJ-  Commercially  n/a  n/a
DZ7 circuit available
board
controller
Controller  WEJOIN WJ-  Commercially  n/a  n/a
DZ7 circuit available
board
controller
Part 3 – Traffic lights
Lights  AC 87: 12 volts  Commercially  n/a  n/a
module LED Traffic available
lights module
Part 4 – Traffic Barrier
Barrier  ABS Plastic  Machining  4  Needed
(Acrylonitrile  Injection mm
Butadiene Molding
Styrene)
Stop Sign  ABS Plastic  Machining  2  n/a
(Acrylonitrile  Injection mm
Butadiene Molding
Styrene)
Reflectors  Reflective paint  Commercially  n/a  n/a
for barrier and available
stop sign
Bolt  Steel bolt to  Commercially  n/a  n/a
connect shaft available
with barrier
Table 7: Manufacturing processes
10.3 Production cost estimates

As a first instance the variable costs regarding the procured materials and products have been
assessed as seen in the figure below.
43
Item Description Quantity Price Currency

Legs Stainless Steel: Price per kg: 1.17 AUD, Weight: 3 kg each 4 14.04 AUD
Base Stainless Steel: Price per kg: 1.17 AUD, Weight: 30 kg 1 35.1 AUD
Pillar Stainless Steel: Price per kg: 1.17 AUD, Weight: 10 kg 1 11.7 AUD
Motor Cabinet ABS plastic 1 5.42 AUD
Motor Commercially available 1 170 AUD
Sensor Commercially available 1 110 AUD
Battery Commercially available 1 96 AUD
Traffic light Commercially available - connected with threads to motor and battery 1 98.71 AUD
Barrier ABS plastic 1 4.85 AUD
Stop Sign ABS plastic 1 1.92 AUD
Bolts Commercially available 1 0.32 AUD
Sum of variable cost per unit 548.06 AUD

Figure 46 – Variable cost estimation
By using recycled materials such as stainless steel and ABS plastic, the cost-efficiency of the solution
is enhanced. A further assessment has been conducted regarding the fixed costs of labor and
manufacturing facilities. Herein, the decision has been made that manufacturing machinery such as
laser cutting tools, injection molding machine, ABS machining and engraving tools and threading
machine will be leased in order to reduce the initial investment to a minimum and thereby fasten
the break-even point and improve the profitability.
Summary of Costs - Labour

Number of workers 4 workers
Working hours per week 38 hours
Working weeks per year 45 weeks
Hourly pay 20 AUD
Sum of labour costs per year $ 136,800.00 AUD
Summary of Costs - Manufacturing

Rent (+ Utilities) p.a.: 90$ per sqm, 1000 sqm $ 90,000.00 AUD
Leasing of machinery: 500$*12 months $ 6,000.00 AUD
Summary of Costs - Other

R&D/ Software (Initial investment) $ 20,000.00 AUD
Quality Assurance $ 2,000.00 AUD
Marketing/ Finance/ Organization $ 8,000.00 AUD
Sum of fix costs per year (without initial investment) $ 242,800.00 AUD
Sum of fix costs per month (without initial investment) $ 20,233.33 AUD
Number of units manufactured per months (=240/12) 20

Fix costs per unit $ 1,011.67 AUD
Figure 47: Fixed cost estimation
It has been assumed that 240 products can be sold within one year, comprising of twenty units each
month. With this assumption an overall cost amount, price point, gross margin and profit have been
defined as below.
44
Overall costs per unit
Fix costs $ 1,011.67 AUD

Cost of Labour $ 570.00
Cost of Manufacturing Facilities $ 400.00
Other costs $ 41.67
Variable costs $ 548.06 AUD
Own manufacturing $ 73.03
Procurement $ 475.03
$ 1,559.73 AUD
Gross Margin 30%

Selling price $ 2,027.64 AUD
Profit $ 467.92 AUD
Profit per months: $ 9,358.36 AUD

(considering selling 20 items)
Figure 48: Overall cost estimation summary
In the examined Break-Even Analysis, it can be observed that this product reaches its breakeven
point in between 10 – 20 units per month, to be exact at 14 units sold per month. Thereby, when
assuming the company can sell 240 units per year, a profit of 112,300.32 AUD can be generated.
Considering the opportunity that the market for traffic management will further grow, it is
assumable that the sold items per months will grow in alignment. Due to leasing the manufacturing
facility and the machinery, the initial investment has been kept very low with only 20,000 AUD in
R&D and software. When selling 20 items per months, 240 items per year, the debt of these 20,000
AUD can be eliminated within the three months.
Break-Even Analysis
$140,000.00
$120,000.00
$100,000.00
$80,000.00
$60,000.00
$40,000.00
$20,000.00
$-
10 20 30 40 50 60
$(20,000.00)
Fix price per month Variable price Overall price

Revenue per month Profit per month
Figure 49: Break-Even Analysis
In order to be able to respond to the customers’ need as flexibly as possible, the production and
assembly of the product will be done locally. However, some parts will be supplied from overseas as
for example the traffic lights, which are manufactured in Guangzhou, China.
45
11 Detailed design
Proposed Product Composition
The detailed figures of the final prototype are given in the appendix. The feature that sets this design
apart from many other traffic control systems is its highly modular design which can be easily
assembled and disassembled without any sophisticated tools or technicians. It has 10 major parts
including heavy legs and base with an internal and external threads for assembly. Lights and motor
housing are assembled using threads as well. Motor is connected to the crank shaft using a gear
which is connected to the barrier using a nut and bolt mechanism.
Figure 50: Detailed Design including all specified modules
User Interaction
In terms of functionality, user interaction is very limited as user mostly uses remote control to lift
the barrier up and down as needed. A traffic controller can easily assemble and disassemble the
control system in an average time of 12 minutes. The modular design makes it very easy for the user
to lift the individual components with putting much strain on his/her back.
Engineering Consideration for Production
Details such as draft angles, wall thicknesses, ribs, assemblies etc. can be seen in appendix.
Commercially Available Components
List of Certified commercially available components is given in appendix.
12 Engineering analyses
46
12.1 Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Table 8: FEMA Analysis

FEMA analysis was conducted on all parts of the design structure and it was concluded that support
legs, base, and support pole could potentially bend under pressure so material of these components
were improved and stainless steel was selected to make them more durable as well as increase
stability with lower center of gravity.
47
Motor housing/box has the potential to be damaged during installation or overweight. The strategy
to minimized this threat includes using ribs with ABS plastic and use lighter traffic lights that are
mounted on top of the motor housing.
Similarly, traffic barrier and stop sign could potentially damage under pressure which can be
minimized by using carbon fiber or adding ribs inside the hollow barrier.
12.2 Simultation analysis
Thin Metalic arm with bolt holes

Solver Type Static displacement stress
Constraints Fixed constraints were applied under both sides of the cylindrical pipe
External Loads A 1500 N angular rotational force was applied in the middle of the
cyllinder
Information Using nuts and bolts assembly mechanism is not suitable for thin steel
obtained support poles as bolt holes compromise the integrity of the structure.
Changes made Nuts and bolts assembly is replaced with internal and external threading
to model assembly
Table 9: Simultation analysis
13 Final Design
13.1 Final visualisation
The final product concept has been designed through the CAD-software and 2D technical drawings
have been performed. The overall design comprises the six modules: stance, base, pole, motor,
traffic lights and barrier and can be examined through the following figure. Further figures regarding
each module are shown in the Appendix.
48
Figure 50: Final Design Concept comprising of the 7 modules specified in the product design
specification
Figure 51: Module One comprising of a heavy base out of steel with 100 mm wide holes for modules
7 and module 2
Figure 52: Module Two comprising of a steel pole which connects the base, module one and the
motor cabinet, module three
49
Figure 53: Module Three, comprising of the motor cabinet which connects the electric motor, battery
and sensor to the traffic light and barrier in order to control the traffic
Figure 54: Inside of modular cabinet, picture taken from Sesewo (see references)
50
Figure 55: Module Four, comprising of the traffic lights which are easily connected to the motor
cabinet through internal and external wires
Figure 56: Model Five, comprising of the barrier which is wide enough to cover most of the lane and
is made of ABS plastic
Figure 57: Module Six, comprising of the stop sign which is equipped with reflective paint to enhance
its visibility at night. It is easily attached to the barrier through a stick-on mechanism
Figure 58: Module Seven, each of the four feet is made out of steel and enhances the stability and
thereby safety of the product
User Interaction
In terms of functionality, user interaction is very limited as user mostly uses remote control to lift
the barrier up and down as needed. A traffic controller can easily assemble and disassemble the
control system in an average time of 12 minutes. The modular design makes it very easy for the user
to lift the individual components with putting much strain on his/her back.
51
13.2 Final prototype
Figure 59: Third prototype with too small barrier and unclear assembly of motor
52
Figure 60: Assembly of third prototype
53
Figure 61: Final prototype overview
Figure 62: Exploded view of front side of the final design concept
54
Figure 63: Exploded view backside of design concept
13.3 Technical documentation
The complete technical drawings are shown in the Appendix.
14 Conclusions
14.1 Description of the final design

The proposed product is designed to increase the safety at the worksite for traffic managers,
increase the efficiency of traffic management during roadworks and force car drivers to obey by the
traffic rules. With its modular, lightweight design the product is easy to transport to and from the
designated area and by comprising thread assembly accompanied by one large bolt to connect the
crank shaft with the barrier, this product can be easily assembled and disassembled. After the quick
assembly a traffic manager can operate the system, constituting the traffic lights and the barrier,
through a remote control standing outside the direct line of traffic. The user-friendly remote
controls the movement of the barrier and the signals of the traffic light. Through the traffic lights
and the reflective paint, the visibility at night is enhanced in comparison to our industry-partners’
product PORTABOOM.
14.2 Evaluation of the final design
55
Figure 59: SWOT Analysis
The strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of our proposed product design have been
examined as seen in figure x. All of our previously defined aims regarding necessary improvements
of PORTABOOM have been met by our design, ensuring visibility at night, ease of assembly and
transport. Due to its modularity, the maintenance of our product comes at low-cost. Furthermore,
the product is defined through its user-friendliness through a remote control and significantly
improves the safety for the onsite traffic controllers.
However, due to its modularity the difficulty of manufacturing with this solution is higher as precise
manufacturing is necessary for all parts to fit together, especially the legs, base and pole to meet our
safety requirements.
With a further growth in urban population, roadworks will continue with the necessity of further
road enhancement. This clearly states an opportunity for the product to be used in traffic
management, and that not only in Australia but in many other countries worldwide as well since it is
not a problem limited to the Australian market. Furthermore, using the sensors a fully automated
mode is possible as a further enhancement of the current solution.
However, as especially in Australia the labour unions are fairly strong, the traffic controllers required
for a roadworks/ worksite situation might become limited through further regulations by the
government. Additionally, as with any new start-up, it is quite challenging to pitch the new solution
in an already existing market with competitors able to produce similar products for a possibly lower
price.
14.3 Further work
The design proposal has several areas for improvement that are not yet feasible due to economic
constraints. Firstly, the barrier can be made contractable in order to enhance the transportability of
the product. Secondly, the traffic lights could be supplied with a timer and a pedestrian traffic light,
56
to support the user interaction. Additionally, the remote control could be exchanged through an
application over a mobile device to increase the user-friendliness for traffic managers. By using
carbon fiber material, the product’s weight, quality of material and durability could be upgraded, if
the price point of the material decreases significantly. Lastly, the design concept can be improved
economically through up scaling and overseas production if the product is considered for the
international market.
References
'GoTraffic Studio session', 2019, Deakin course lectures for Product Development, database.
, Traffic Management Association of Australia 2019, <https://tmaa.asn.au/>.
, Traffic Management Market 2019, <https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/traffic-

management-market-sharesize-2019-global-industry-brief-analysis-by-top-countries-data-strategic-
initiatives-competitors-industry-peers-news-and-significant-growth-with-regional-trends-by-
forecast-2024-2019-10-21>.
Screen, C. (2003). Set of 2 Tempo temporary traffic lights - with remote control
Horizonsignal.com. (n.d.). The SQ2T® System, Portable traffic signals
Madison Technologies. (2003). Portable traffic signal system for roadwork or construction traffic
control.
Milanes, V, Villagra, J, Godoy, J, Simo, J, Perez, J & Onieva, E 2012, 'An Intelligent V2I-Based Traffic
Management System', IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 49-
58.
Nichols, J 2019, 'Generating Remote Control Interfaces for Complex Appliances '.
Ombudsman’s, WR 2013, ' Workplace Report on the Contract Traffic Control Industry
Queensland', database.
'Traffic Management: State of the art, current trends and future perspectives ', 2016, database.
Warren, CD, Paulauskas, FL, Baker, FS, Eberle, C & Naskar, AK 2009, Development of Commodity
Grade, Lower Cost Carbon Fiber - Commercial Applications, Conference: SAMPE Fall Technical
57
Conference 2008, Memphis, TN, USA, 20080908, 20080911, ; Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL),
Oak Ridge, TN (United States).
, Who is protecting the protectors? Traffic controllers under the gun 2017, Alert Force2019,
<https://alertforce.com.au/who-is-protecting-the-protectors-traffic-controllers-under-the-gun/>.
Trafficaccess.com.au. (2016). Portable, radio controlled, traffic control device
Pleasanton, L 2007, Portable traffic signal, Google Patents.
Bontemps, EJ & Terrien Jr, TF 2012, Ultra portable traffic management system, Google Patents.
Transportinfrastructurecouncil.gov.au. (2016). National Road Safety Strategy 2011‐2020

Implementation status report.
Moe, S.S., 1975. Portable traffic control system. U.S. Patent 3,867,718.
Infostore.saiglobal.com. (2007). AS/NZS 1906.1:2007 | Retroreflective materials and dev... | SAI

Global.
Saiglobal.com. (2016). Manual of uniform traffic control devices.
Gatenby, DA & Foo, G 1990, 'Design for X (DFX): Key to competitive, profitable products', AT&T
Technical Journal, vol. 69, no. 3, pp. 2-13.
Sesewo.com (2020). Parking Management System, Pedestrian Access Control System, Door Access
Control System.
58
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Gantt Chart
59
60
61
62
63
Appendix 2 – Photo Diary
1: Lane restriction through poles 2: Poles on both sides of lane for traffic
management
3: Poles and flag 4: Truck Crossing with full barrier
5: Fatigue traffic controller 6: Unefficient barrier
64
7: Unused Stop/Slow Sign 8: Road Management Equipment with

wheels
10: Road dividers separating

9: Traffic management through poles and arrow construction vehicles from normal
traffic
65
Appendix 3 – First Interview
Date: 22/11/2019
Duration: 0:10:55
Location: Fawkner, Melbourne.
INTERVIEWER: Hello, can I talk to u for a minute?
RESPONDER: Yeah, sure, what is it about?
INTERVIEWER: Actually, I am working on an assignment on the design and development of a user

centric product solution for temporary traffic and access control scenarios with high consideration of
operational ergonomics and user safety.
RESPONDER: Sure, go ahead.
INTERVIEWER: So, tell me about yourself. How old are you? Where do u live?
How long have you been working as a road safety officer?
RESPNDER: I am 42. I live in Coburg. It’s been long I’ve been working for
Vicroads Can’t even remember the dates and*laughs*.
INTERVIEWER: How many days you work in a week and how many hours shift do u have?
RESPONDER: I have a shift of 8hrs for 5 days a week, mate.
INTERVIEWER: Don’t you get tired while working that long as it looks like a job that requires
muscle power?
RESPONDER: It is a job demanding power and yes, I do get tired and frankly speaking sometimes I
get exhausted.
INTERVIEWER: What do u think is the biggest problem using current portaboom?
RESPONDER: Its heavy man. Have you checked its weight. Not possible to move if you are weak.
INTERVIEWER: And what do u think of another drawback?
66
RESPONDER: As it is difficult to mount/dismount there’s always a risk in carrying.
INTERVIEWER: Is it cost effective?
RESPONDER: It requires customized storage which is expensive.
INTERVIEWER: Is it safe or what do you think?
RESPONDER: It’s a heavyweight which we carry so there is always a risk of accident.
INTERVIEWER: If given a chance, what would you change?
RESPONDER: If possible I would make it light weight and more portable, that would solve the
problem.
INTERVIEWER: It was nice talking to you, thank you for your time.
RESPONDER: Same here mate, bye.
67
SEM721 T3 2019 – Product development
Appendix 4 – Second Interview
Date: 25/11/2019
Duration: 0:10:00
Location: Footscray, Melbourne
INTERVIEWER: Hi there, can I borrow little bit of your time?
RESPONDER: Hey, okay, what is it about?
INTERVIEWER: I am doing an assignment on the design and development of a user centric product
solution for temporary traffic and access control scenarios with high consideration of operational
ergonomics and user safety.
RESPONDER: It looks a tough job to remember the topic only*laughs*, okay, so what can I do
to help?
INTERVIEWER: I will ask you few questions for your opinion and that’s it.
RESPONDER: Okay
INTERVIEWER: How long have you been driving ambulance? How long shifts do u have a day?
RESPONDER: It’s been 5 years and the shift is about 6hrs but it always extends its time limit
because you never know when we get emergency calls.
INTERVIEWER: Don’t you get tired of your job as it requires lot of driving and to deal with lot of
traffic?
RESPONDER: Yeah sometimes it’s a tough but now I am habituated. And to talk about traffic I can’t
say much as its not in my hand but it would have been better if I get freeway.
INTERVIEWER: What do u think of boomgate?
68
RESPONDER: No, I wouldn’t like to deal with it.
INTERVIEWER: can I know the reason behind it?
RESPONDER: Last time I got stuck because of one in a critical condition. Its sensor was not
working properly I guess.
INTERVIEWER: Any other problem that you have encountered?
RESPONDER: It is not a small issue for emergency vehicles like ours. A minute difference creates
a life loss scene.
INTERVIEWER: So, what do u think we should change?
RESPONDER: Its sensors should work properly and at least the man handling the equipment should
be smart enough to detect the flaw in machine.
INTERVIEWER: So, you mean good operators?
RESPONDER: No, I mean trained and smart ones.
INTERVIEWER: That will be enough for the task. Thank you for your time.
RESPONDER: Alright mate. Bye.
69
Appendix 5: FEMA Analysis
70
71
Appendix 6: FEMA Analysis previous design
72
73
Appendix 7: Engineering considerations
Crank shaft assembly
74
Draft angle
Angular view of detailed design concept
75
Appendix 8: List of certified commercially available components:
Motion  750 Infrascan  Commercially

Sensor Series Sensors available
Battery  High output M18  Commercially
Redlithium Battery available
Worm Gear  0.5 MOD 10mm  Commercially
Bronze worm gear available
Crank  Park CWP-7 Crank  Commercially
Adjusting adjusting rod available
Rod
Main Spring  Recliner Spring  Commercially
160mm available
Inverter  WEJOIN WJ-DZ7  Commercially
Motor circuit board available
controller
Manual  RS 485 Manual  Commercially
Clutch Clutch available
Capacitor  WEJOIN WJ-DZ7  Commercially
circuit board available
controller
Controller  WEJOIN WJ-DZ7  Commercially
circuit board available
controller
Lights  AC 87: 12 volts LED  Commercially
module Traffic lights available
module
Reflectors  Reflective paint for  Commercially
barrier and stop available
sign
Bolt  Steel bolt to  Commercially
connect shaft with available
barrier
76
Appendix 9: Technical drawings
77
78
79
80

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Deakin University

Masters of Engineering (Professional) S751

Go-Traffic - Safe Traffic Management

Assignment 2 – Final report

Muhammad Shuja Safdar

Deakin University, Waurn Ponds campus, December 2019

8.2 Proposal and further work

Table 1: Competitor Benchmarking Analysis

Table 6: Material/ Resource Selection

Table 7: Manufacturing processes

Table 8: FEMA Analysis

Table 9: Simulation analysis

Figure 1: Double Diamond Design Model

Figure 3: Unefficient barrier

Figure 4: Stop/ Slow Sign

Figure 5: Road Management Equipment

Figure 6: Safe temporary traffic and access control

Figure 7: Extreme Users and Average Users

Figure 8: Dragging block from under stairs

Figure 9: Carrying block

Figure 10: Stacking blocks

Figure 11: End-User Persona

Figure 12: Needs Criteria

Figure 23: Sketch 4 (Barrier)

Figure 41: Basic Design (2)

Figure 42: Second Design

Figure 43: Second Design (2)

Figure 44: Third Design

Figure 45: Detailed Design

Figure 46: Variable cost estimation

Figure 47: Fixed cost estimation

Figure 48: Overall cost estimation summary

Figure 49: Break-Even Analysis

The main aims for the design challenge were as following:

Figure 1: Double Diamond Design Model

2.2 Project Timelines

2.3 Project Management Summary

Figure 2: Fatigue traffic controller

Figure 3: Unefficient barrier

Non-Usage of Stop/Slow Sign

Figure 4: Stop/ Slow Sign

Usage of wheels on heavy road management equipment

Figure 5: Road Management Equipment

3.2 Extreme Users

Figure 6: Safe temporary traffic and access control

Extreme Users (Rejectors) Majority Extreme Users (Power Users)

Ambulance Construction workers Traffic Controllers

Figure 7: Extreme Users and Average Users

Figure 8: Dragging block from under stairs

Figure 9: Carrying block

Figure 10: Stacking blocks

3.5 Persona profile

Figure 11: End-User Persona

3.6 User needs

Figure 12: Needs Criteria

4.1 Current and emerging trends in materials and technology

4.2 Current and emerging trends in user interaction

Figure 13: Traffic Management Components

5.1 Local and global market analysis

Figure 14: Traffic Management Market by Region

Figure 15: Attractive Opportunities in the Traffic Management Market

1. Device competency 5 **** 25 **** 20 *** 15 *** 20

5.4 Patent search

1. Device competency 5 ** 25 20 * 15 *** 20