Quieting a Loud Bicycle.
In the spring of 2015 I was hired as a contractor to design a testing jig for a car horn that would be strapped onto a bicycle so that bicyclists could alert drivers to their presence. Having been studying roads and the many dangers that exist for bicyclists, pedestrians and other non-vehicular users, I recognized the need that this product was attempting to solve. The issue I was tasked with addressing was the testing portion of the manufacturing line. The horns were capable of outputting 120 dB, a necessary loudness if you want to catch the attention of a driver, but dangerous to a worker trying to do some quality assurance on the line. To address this issue, I was tasked to create a flat-pack jig that would seat a pair of earmuffs that would allow the tester to quickly insert, test, and remove the horn. I went through several iterations with the client, evolving the simple design I started with to address various stakeholder values; the easy to ship and low cost requirements set forth by the client, and the ergonomic and time efficient process desired by the user who would be testing the horns. I enjoyed that impact of my work was real, and that the requirements were not simulated or given to me, and the reward was tangible.
