Interviews with Contacts 1, 2, 3: February 1, 2017
Interview with Contacts 4, 5, 6: February 2, 2017
Team Deep Clearance plans to move forward by reaching out to all persons of contact provided by our sponsors, as each of them is aware of the problem and can provide varying perspective. We have began to draft ideas for solutions based on our interview with both sponsors; however, we will continue to dive deeper into understanding this issue.
Giavanna Verdi:
My “ah-ha” moment was when our sponsors had mentioned that not only is the military affected by this deep clearance problem, but this issue also affects the firemen, police officers and first responders. This pertains to the idea that the users of our solution will not only be in caves, but will also be in buildings as well.
One key insight from my interview with Contact 1 was the mention of an one-time use prototype; Contact 1 explained that if the enemy sees the prototype, then he/she could destroy it or take it. This lead to a discussion of a possible challenge throughout our team’s brainstorming processes, which is the recovery of the unit. Another key insight from my interview with Contact 1 was the suggestion of thermal technology, in which Contact 1 had more familiarity with the black and white technology as opposed to colors. My last key insight came from my curiosity of weight limits pertaining to a potential prototype, and Contact 1 suggested to have a prototype with multiple pieces, as this would allow distribution of the overall weight, as there are individuals carrying machine guns and others carrying rifles.
Marshall Grimard:
My “ah-ha” moment was when our sponsors said that the previous ideas were good, but these ideas lacked the aspect of being put all into a single package to give them the best information on the target. This made it so we did not have to rule out any ideas, rather think about how to fuse all of them together.
My moment with Contact 2, was when they emphasized that we could utilize sensors in order to discover negative space. Instead of looking for what is there, which for some sensors may be difficult to accurately detect, use sensors in order to determine what is not there. Finding empty rooms, how large rooms are, areas which may possibly be a backdoor, and any of a wide range of other possibilities can also be identified to give usable information on top of what is there.
My moments with Contact 3 were numerous and helpful. The first moment was that whatever we decide to do, we need to make it something which is easy to use, and suggested using either an Xbox or Playstation controller to fly the drone, as soldiers are familiar with the controls. Another moment was when he stressed that it should run as silent as possible in order to avoid detection and provide the most reliable, and continuous information as possible. The final moment was when they confirmed two points about using a battery readily available to the military (5590 or another common one) as well as that if possible, it should weigh close to nothing.
Cassandra Hagstoz:
My “ah-ha” moment was when our sponsors mentioned that they had not tried many drone or robot solutions on the battlefield, due to connectivity issues, and this leaves the solution field wide open. Our sponsors also advised our team to focus more on the PROBLEM, rather than the technical questions. It had taken the Stanford students 3-4 weeks before they really understood the problem, as a result of great focus on the technology in interviews.
When talking with Contacts 4, 5, and 6 with Giavanna, one piece of information we hadn’t come across was that the caves they are encountering aren’t just one and done, they don’t leave the station they’re at until the cave is cleared. A really big key insight was that all these guys want something that maps out the area so they can see the architecture of the caves. Contacts 5 & 6 were previously K-9 Handlers, and both mentioned they would not send in a dog before knowing the contents of the cave. When they previously sent in the dogs for inspection, they noted that the connection did not last them more than 20-30 ft. They would rather send in a man-made drone for detection rather than risking a life.
Josh Talley:
My “ah-ha” moment was when our sponsors explained that the “superman” technology (heartbeat sensor) has yet to be used in an operation because it is still experiencing some inconsistency with detecting heartbeat. This allowed for either cancellation of this idea altogether, or a more specialized way to get these monitors more mobile and agile rather than stationary, which was the problem our sponsors mentioned of having.
My “ah-ha” moment with Contact 7 was when he mentioned the durability of the device. He said that they break a lot of things, not on purpose, but they deal with very rugged terrain so the device is subject to breakage. Another thing is the amount he honed into the actual mapping of the device because they don’t want to be surprised when walking into the building or structure.
Michael Zurn:
My “ah-ha” moment was when our sponsors agreed that we are serving them, so they stated that they would be at our disposal for whatever we may need for this project. Our sponsors were really attentive during our interview, providing great feedback and information, as well as providing us with several contacts to interview.
JMU X-Labs
4-VA
