Requirements List Created!

After discussing many ideas we have put together a list of requirements for our bike trailer including both demands and wishes. The list of requirements below is a vital part of organizing and progressing our design.

Group A		Bike Trailer Requirements List	Page : 1 of 1
Changes	D/W		Responsible
		Geometry
	D	Length - 63"
	D	Width - 18"
	D	Height - 16"
	D	Clearance from Ground - 6"min to 12" max
		Kinematics
	D	Suspension
	D	3" Travel
	W	Air Shock Suspension
		Forces
	D	Linear Axial
	D	Angular Axial
	D	Weight < 20lbs
	D	Load - 100lbs max
	D	Elasticity
		Energy
	D	Power Output
	W	USB 3.0
		Material
	D	Corrosion Resistant
	D	Weather Resistant
	D	Elastic
	W	Weldable
	D	Machinable
		Waterproof Container for Battery
		Safety & Ergonomics
	W	Brake Lights
	W	Turn Signals
	D	Environmentally-Friendly
	D	Narrow Body
	D	Easily Connectible to Bicycle - Rear Axle
	D	Max speed - 50 mph
	W	Torsion Control
	W	Quick Release
		Production
	W	Potential for constant production
	D	Produced as one-off
	D	Load Bearing Tests
	D	Fatigue Tests
		Assembly
	W	End-user Assembly
	D	No-assembly required
		Operation
	D	Rugged Outdoors
	D	Environmentalist Demographic
	D	Conservationist Demographic
	D	Active Lifestyle Demographic
	D	Travel Demographic
		Maintenance
		Rust
		Parts Wear
		DC Motor
		Recycling
	D	Metal - Aluminum
	W	Plastic - Carbon Fiber
		Costs
		Schedule
		Constructed by April 2014

Within the next few weeks we will post a short overview of the many discussions we had in order to create this list. 

Off-Road Bike Trailer Ideas

Now that we all have agreed on an off road bike trailer for our senior design project we can expand on the idea.

Knowing that there are similar products in the market we first analyzed the pros and cons of many designs. We also researched our target consumers and asked a few simple questions:

1. What activity did you do to warrant using a bike trailer?
2. What trailer did you use?
3.  What did you like and not like about your current bike trailer?
4. Are there any features that would have made your activity easier or more enjoyable?

After discussing our findings with each other we concluded many things:

• There are many people who participate in long distance bike trips and/or activities (such as camping, etc...) that would require a bike trailer.
• Almost every trailer in the market today is a two wheel design.
• There are a few one wheel design trailers out in the market but they are very expensive.
• Many people complained about the lack of agility in two wheel designs.
• There is a need to charge electrical components such as phones and GPS devices.
• Safety is a big concern to everybody and features such as trailer size and stability were found to be a problem in some cases.
• While a trailer has one real main use, many people requested a design that helps them in their off-bike routines while on the road (cooking, storage, shelter, etc...)

As of now we have an outline of what we want to create.

We would like to design a bike trailer capable of traversing rugged off-road terrain while still being able to tow the equivalent of what is necessary to accompany a long distance trip up to a maximum of 100lbs. We also want to incorporate a power generating device capable of charging up small electrical devices either on the go or later through means of stored energy. This design must be safe, comfortable, and easy to use.

Soon we will be putting together a requirements list featuring the various demands and wishes of our design.