|
|
|
|
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS The team project will involve designing a “complex system” using systems thinking modeling and the systems engineering development process. The characteristics of a system whose key development, test, and application require the practice of SE are that the system: • Is an engineered product and hence satisfies a specified need, • Consists of diverse components that have intricate relationships with one another and hence is multi-disciplinary and relatively complex, • Uses advanced technology in ways that are central to the performance of its primary functions and hence involves development risk and often relatively high cost. Each team will consist of 1-3 students and shall choose a project topic based on mutual interest and importance to meeting a societal need. Each team shall choose a team leader whose role will be to coordinate and lead team meetings, as well as organize short meetings with me if needed. After the team decides on a topic, it shall then prepare a proposal to submit to me for approval by Feb 23. The proposal should clearly describe the system to be designed and convincingly explain why and how the proposed system will satisfy a societal need. In addition, the proposal should also include a project plan (e.g. Gantt chart). Teams are encouraged to think ‘outside the box’ in order to identify a critical societal need and what potential ‘engineered system’ may effectively meet that need. Note that your ‘engineered system’ may not even be in existence today! Therefore, your project ideas should not be restricted by limitations in hardware. Potential areas for finding a good project topic include the following: • Healthcare • Homeland security • Energy (coal, oil/gas, nuclear, solar, etc) • Environment/ecology • Business Management • Education/Learning • Military Applications If the team cannot decide on a topic, I may provide a project topic for the team, or assist the team in finding one. It is important that you decide on a topic that you will enjoy studying and learning more about, and that lines up with your career goals! DELIVERABLES 1. Final Project Report. The deliverables of the project include a final project report (softcopy and hardcopy) due on last day of class and shall include the following: • Systems thinking models: causal loop models (CLMs), N2 Charts, etc. • The systems engineering management planning (SEMP) documents 1. Problem Situation 2. Customer Requirements 3. Derived Requirements 4. System Validation 5. Concept Exploration 6. Use Case Model 7. Design Model 8. Mappings and Management • A computer GUI (graphical user interface) or basic simulation model of the system based on the team’s ability to develop these applications. Each team shall organize their own meetings outside class and learn to use Rational Rose software for preparing the documents, especially the use case diagrams. Other documents that the team can develop in addition to the above documents are class diagrams and sequence diagrams. 2. Team Member Critiques. In addition to the final project report, each team member shall submit a critique of the other team members. The critique shall include the description of the work/tasks each team member performed and any complaints related to lack of teamwork. The critiques shall be emailed to me in confidence by May 1st. Therefore, even though you will work as a team, your project grade will be based on your contribution to the team effort. If you do not contribute to the team effort (e.g. do not attend some team meetings, do not do or fail to complete your tasks) you will automatically get a lower score than the other members of the team. 3. Midterm Progress Report. All teams will present a summary of their progress in class on a date TBA. Each team will be given 10 minutes to do their presentation. This will provide an opportunity for the team to share there work, and in return, get feedback from the students outside the team and me. |
Send mail to ntaimo@tamu.edu with
questions or comments about this web site.
|