Design reuse in the development of haptic feedback systems
Sinkkonen, Santeri (2023)
Sinkkonen, Santeri
2023
Konetekniikan DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Mechanical Engineering
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2023-11-24
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-2023112210183
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-2023112210183
Tiivistelmä
The automotive industry is in a state of constant, slow evolution. In recent years, trends such as touch screens, seamless surfaces, and driver safety have driven the industry trends forward. Among these trends, haptic feedback systems have emerged as a solution to increase intuitiveness and driver safety, while enabling the design of more aesthetically pleasing HMI (Human-Machine Interface) panels. Haptic systems require a lot of design work, and the problem of the thesis relates to the long product development cycles within the automotive industry. Reusable designs could reduce the time and resources needed in the early development phases. This thesis is written for BHTC Finland, which is a research and development center for BHTC GmbH. The company is a tier 1 automotive supplier of HMI solutions.
The structure and strategy of the thesis follows the framework of constructive research approach. This includes a thorough literature review of haptics and design reuse theories, with a focus on automotive applications. The literature review is followed by an empirical section, and an evaluation of the contributions to existing scientific literature.
The first objective of this thesis is to gather knowledge on the connections between haptic feedback system properties and customer requirements. This is achieved in the empirical section by studying automotive haptic products through company resources. The connections are illustrated with a design decision sequence. The second objective was to gather knowledge on the reusability of the company’s haptic feedback systems. Design information related to the physical components and structures of haptic systems enabled the evaluation of the reusability of general haptic system elements. The evaluation is made according to attributes that are considered beneficial to design reuse in scientific literature. The reusable elements and structures are then used to construct a reusable model of a rotational, normal haptic system. This construction is the third and final objective of the thesis. The model utilizes explicit reference modeling method and para metric modeling to further enhance its robustness and reusability.
The design decision sequence showed that the customer requirements that guide the system structure and the main component selections are related to UI dimensions. Since the company’s strategy is based on an ETO-process, most of the properties of a haptic product can be adjusted to fit customer requirements. The limitations to the properties of the system come from the selected actuator technology, force-sensing components, and the surface materials.
Three separate haptic system structures were identified, and their main properties were defined. Out of the three system structures, the rotational normal haptic system showed the most potential regarding reusability. Iterations of the system were in use, and the components and design knowledge were readily available for designers. This led to the construction of the reusable, parametric haptic system frame. The explicit reference modeling method proved to be beneficial to the model’s robustness. The suggested product structure type also reduces the number of unique components in the system.
Suggestions are made for the company to continue the study of the two other haptic system structures. The accessibility of design information could also be increased by examining the reusability of design elements after each customer project and documenting the results.
The structure and strategy of the thesis follows the framework of constructive research approach. This includes a thorough literature review of haptics and design reuse theories, with a focus on automotive applications. The literature review is followed by an empirical section, and an evaluation of the contributions to existing scientific literature.
The first objective of this thesis is to gather knowledge on the connections between haptic feedback system properties and customer requirements. This is achieved in the empirical section by studying automotive haptic products through company resources. The connections are illustrated with a design decision sequence. The second objective was to gather knowledge on the reusability of the company’s haptic feedback systems. Design information related to the physical components and structures of haptic systems enabled the evaluation of the reusability of general haptic system elements. The evaluation is made according to attributes that are considered beneficial to design reuse in scientific literature. The reusable elements and structures are then used to construct a reusable model of a rotational, normal haptic system. This construction is the third and final objective of the thesis. The model utilizes explicit reference modeling method and para metric modeling to further enhance its robustness and reusability.
The design decision sequence showed that the customer requirements that guide the system structure and the main component selections are related to UI dimensions. Since the company’s strategy is based on an ETO-process, most of the properties of a haptic product can be adjusted to fit customer requirements. The limitations to the properties of the system come from the selected actuator technology, force-sensing components, and the surface materials.
Three separate haptic system structures were identified, and their main properties were defined. Out of the three system structures, the rotational normal haptic system showed the most potential regarding reusability. Iterations of the system were in use, and the components and design knowledge were readily available for designers. This led to the construction of the reusable, parametric haptic system frame. The explicit reference modeling method proved to be beneficial to the model’s robustness. The suggested product structure type also reduces the number of unique components in the system.
Suggestions are made for the company to continue the study of the two other haptic system structures. The accessibility of design information could also be increased by examining the reusability of design elements after each customer project and documenting the results.