Section outline

  • Design Thinking & Prototyping Template

    Now that you have identified and filtered your idea, it is time to bring it to life through structured planning. This section introduces the Design Thinking process and provides a prototyping template to move your idea from paper to a physical robot.

    • 🔄 What is Design Thinking?

      Design Thinking is a practical, human-centered approach used by engineers, innovators, and startups to build usable products. It involves 5 major steps:

      1. Empathize – Understand the needs of the user or environment
      2. Define – Clearly state the problem based on observations
      3. Ideate – Brainstorm creative ideas, think without limits
      4. Prototype – Build a small working model
      5. Test – Try, fail, learn, and improve continuously

      This approach helps make robotics projects more user-friendly, relevant, and scalable.

       

    • 📋 Prototyping Planning Table

      Use the table below to map your robotics project before starting the physical build. This will help clarify what to build, why to build it, and how to build it.

      Step Details Example: Elderly Medication Robot
      Problem What issue are you solving? People forget to take medicine on time
      User Who will use it? Elderly people living alone
      Core Idea Your selected solution in one sentence A robot that reminds and dispenses medication at scheduled times
      Key Features Main functions to include Audio reminder, button for confirmation, pill box mechanism, LED feedback
      Inputs Sensors or inputs needed Real-time clock module, button press
      Outputs What robot will do Play voice message, light LEDs, dispense pill using servo
      Hardware Required Electronics and mechanical parts Arduino Uno, servo motor, RTC, speaker, LED, push button
      Software Flow Logic in simple steps 1. Check time → 2. Match with dose time → 3. Play reminder → 4. Wait for button → 5. Dispense pill
      Challenges What could go wrong? Pill box jams, user forgets to press button, power outage

       

      🛠️ Design Tips Before Building

      • Keep your first version simple and testable
      • Use cardboard or 3D-printed frames for early builds
      • Use modular wiring so components can be swapped easily
      • Start testing small parts of your robot individually

      📌 Deliverable for This Section:

      Create your own project planning table and fill in each row. You can write or type it, but be detailed. This will act as your blueprint throughout the course.

      💡 Pro Tip:

      Take a photo or screenshot of your completed template and save it. This will help during documentation and final project video creation.