Stage 2
Deliverables
A link to our full Stage 2 report (click here).
A) Description of Project
B) List of Stakeholders
C) IDEO Method 1
D) IDEO Method 2
E) IDEO Method 3
F) Justification of IDEO Methods
G) Reflection (what went well, what went poorly)
H) User Task Descriptions
Description of Project
Our idea is a Drone Fleet Management System (DFMS). This will be a desktop application that allows the user to manage a fleet of drones, while they receive packages and deliver them to customers. The Operator will be overseeing the entire delivery from pick up to drop off with the ability to monitor the drones, see the status of the drones, where they are currently, where they are headed and many more tasks.
List of Stakeholders
Customer - uses the service to deliver the goods they order from a retailer
Retailer - uses the service to deliver their goods to the customer
Operator - uses the DFMS to monitor the service and resolve issues
Maintenance Personnel - responsible for the physical operation of the drones
Transport Canada - organization responsible for all transportation policies and programs
Developer - responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of the DFMS
IDEO Method 1: Activity Analysis
Through the activity analysis we were able to gain insights about the main stakeholders of our application. Our findings primarily consisted of the tasks to be performed and various interactions that take place. The most valuable information we discovered was pinpointing the main functionality required for the operator, such as checking the drone status, checking aggregate drone statistics, and viewing the map of all drones in the area. To see our completed Activity Analysis please visit our GitHub linked in at the top of the page in Stage 2 deliverables.
IDEO Method 2: Error Analysis
We went through each step of the procedure we envision for the drones and came up with many potential problems and solutions. Our biggest issue was human error. To limit this, we suggested a specified landing pad where the drones can drop off the deliveries. One of our other big problems was drones being damaged, whether it's through user interaction or weather. For this we decided on drone prioritization. Essentially, we will always prioritize the drone, making sure not to send it through risky paths, dangerous weather conditions, or risk battery failure. See our completed Error Analysis please visit our GitHub linked in at the top of the page in Stage 2 deliverables.
IDEO Method 3: Scenarios
By applying the Scenarios method, we were able to explore different functionality that we believe would improve our system. To use the method, we brainstormed possible use cases for our system which helped us discover new additions to activity and error analysis. This method shows how well our methods complimented each other. We incorporated aspects from current delivery systems and the research about drones from other methods to create detailed scenarios. To see our completed Scenarios please visit our GitHub linked in at the top of the page in Stage 2 deliverables.
Justification of IDEO Methods
From Activity Analysis, we get a list of all the tasks involved in the delivery process. This is necessary because it gives us a better understanding of the problem domain and how different entities interact with the system. In Error Analysis we list ways in which each task from the list generated during Activity Analysis could go wrong. Error Analysis is important because many of our user tasks involve mitigating these errors. We chose Scenarios to represent the user tasks of our system with concrete examples. Scenarios are derived from both the tasks from Activity Analysis that are within the scope of our system and ways to mitigate the errors found in Error Analysis.
Reflection
We completed these research methods in a collaborative way, generating and discussing ideas as a group. Doing so helped us elucidate our project and develop a collective understanding of it. The variety of methods we applied allowed us to explore the different perspectives helping us understand what considerations need to be made for each group of stakeholders. Due to our team’s overall inexperience with drones, we think it’s difficult to know if our Activity Analysis and Error Analysis are comprehensive. Our primary user (the operator) is not someone we can learn readily about by asking our friends or family.
User Task Description
First list item. Add your own content here or connect to data from your collection.
1. View Drone Status
Must be Included
Display a summary of a drone’s status. This includes, but is not limited to, serial number, status keyword, velocity, battery, payload weight, dispatch time, etc.
First list item. Add your own content here or connect to data from your collection.
2. Drone Recovery Request
Must be Included
If a drone is unable to return to the flight center, the operator can send a Drone Recovery Request to the Drone Maintenance Personnel so they can go recover it.
First list item. Add your own content here or connect to data from your collection.
3. Register New Drone
Must be Included
The serial number and model are input by the operator which indicates details of battery type, body type, propellor type, acceleration, etc.
First list item. Add your own content here or connect to data from your collection.
4. View Drone History
Important
This information includes but is not limited to maintenance history, kilometers on the drone, number of deliveries, average speed of deliveries
First list item. Add your own content here or connect to data from your collection.
5. View Map
Important
The operator sees a map of their service area and sees icons representing all the active drones and their trajectories, these icons can be selected to view drone status.
First list item. Add your own content here or connect to data from your collection.
6. Aggregate Fleet Statistics
Important
Displays information about all drones in the fleet. This includes the total number of deliveries, number of active/dormant/out-of-order drones, average delivery time, average kilometers on drone, total flight time, and common errors.
First list item. Add your own content here or connect to data from your collection.
7. Issue Advisory
Could be Included
If a disruption in service is expected, the operator can issue an advisory alerting customers and retailers of the possible disruption, updating the expected pick-up/drop-off time or cancelling the order entirely.