Testing Procedures

TESTING PROCEDURES

In every scientific experiment, testing procedures are a necessary process that a project has to undergo. The testing procedure is a set of steps used to measure the final design against specifications and limitations. The testing procedure is comprised of four testing categories; Exploratory,assessment, comparison, and finally, validation. When all is said and done, the project should be able to successfully meet all the necessary requirements and restrictions to be deemed a triumph.

Exploratory Tests

The primary set of tests is exploratory. Exploratory tests are done early in the process of making the VEX Robot, when the problem has yet to be defined and alternative solutions are being contemplated. My partner and I will begin our exploratory tests exploring the potential of our first design concepts. Exploratory tests will assist my partner and I in seeing if our robot will be useful to the user, if it is operable, how the user feels about the robot, if our previous assumptions about user/consumer requirements were correct, and other useful information.Exploratory questions ask:

· Is the design in compliance with the senior capstone design challenge?

· Do you have the materials necessary for this design?

· Does it meet the specifications and limitations?

· Does it perform the desired objective it was designed for?

· Has your team modified the design to make it your own?

· Will the design be able to be finished in time?

Assessment tests

The second setof tests my partner and I will be doing is assessment. Assessment Tests go intomore detail than exploratory tests. The purpose of these tests are to help younarrow down the possible options for your final product. These types oftests tend to focus on the functionality/ accessibility of the designs. Assessment questions ask:

· What makes this design better than others?

· Is the product accessible?

· Is the product reliable/ consistent?

· Is the product convenient/appealing to users?

· Which design better fits the needs of the project?

Comparison Tests

The tertiary types of tests do just what their name implies-compares possible alternatives to each other to see which design is better suited for the project at hand. Comparison tests factor in both performance and preference. They are used to determine superiority between possible designs, understand the advantages and disadvantages of different designs, and establish a preference. Comparison tests ask:

· Does this design have more advantages than the other?

· Does this design have less disadvantages than the others?

Validation Tests

The last tests are the validation tests. As the final set of tests, validation tests aim to make sure your goals have been met. These tests can include how usable the product is, the design’s performance, its reliability, methods for assembly, and maintainability. These tests will enable us to actually perform activities with the experiment instead of walking through it. It will test the functionality and performance of the design.

Did the motor enable to VEX robotic to function?

Did the treads for the tires allow to vehicle to move without being stopped by obstacles?

Did the robot comply with the remote?

Did the camera enable video feed to be sent from the VEX Robot to a screen?

Did the claw attached to the robot work?

Did the sample holder on the side of the robot stay on the VEX Robot the entire duration of the test?

Did the PVC pipe (soil extractor) work as intended?

Was the VEX Robot able to successfully extract a soil sample?

Did the robot have enough power to get up and down the dunes without slipping/getting stuck in dune grass/ tumbling down the dune?

Did the battery enable the robot to perform its intended mission?

Did the robot perform its goal successfully?

THE AFTERMATH

If your robot did not perform as intended, answering the following questions will assist its constructors to better understand how to assist in getting the robot back to functioning level:

What went wrong during the soil sampling process?

Could the problem be narrowed down to a specific part of the robot? (i.e the claw, etc.)

Was the PVC pipe not maneuver-able enough?

Was the video feed from the robot to the users consistent and clear?

Was the robot provided with enough power from the battery to fulfill its desired goal?