DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIGENOUS TRICYCLE RICKSHAW
B: Tricycle for Physically challenged users
3.5 Materials and methods
In tune with the above objectives, design development of a tricycle rickshaw for passengers in the Indian context was considered along with its prototyping and manufacturing system management.
The followings are the key areas (shown in bold type face) and are explored further to gain a better understanding of the situation under which the research work was initiated.
Study the existing design (for its limitations and Indian context):
It is essential to study the limitations of existing design of a traditional tricycle rickshaw in present context to arrive at context specific feature and aesthetics for the tricycle rickshaw and these are mentioned in sub-section 2.1.6, pp 53-54 in details.
Study the manufacturing technology of traditional tricycle rickshaw (for its limitations and in Indian context):
Manufacturing process and technology of a traditional tricycle rickshaw is to be studied to see its applicability since many new technologies has become common even in rural areas and others that were prevalent at earlier time became obsolete. Similarly new materials have replaced traditional natural materials due to the non-availability of
traditional natural material in abundance. We can cite the example of black smithy and arc welding. Earlier black smithy was prevalent in any rural areas and arc welding was not heard of. However, black smithy has become an obsolete practice in rural areas but one can find a fabrication unit equipped with arc welding and drilling. Manufacturing technology of traditional rickshaw was studied from this point of view to see whether these can be replaced with currently available technology for ease of manufacture and maintenance in a decentralized situation that is favourable with Indian SME’s distributed manufacturing sector. Details are provided in Chapter 2 under section 2.1.5.2, pp 48-51.
Indian Context:
There is a need to go back to the origins of Indian value system to understand the common and comprehensive way of living and this can provide clue to Indianness and Indian context, (Nadkarni, 1995). For a design to be successful, it must meet the actual need of the population that reflects the Indian culture and tradition and their lifestyle.
Indians has many faiths and also believes in myths, even though they may be scientifically educated, these beliefs are handed down the generations without being questioned. Although there is change in lifestyle with advent of technology, there are still these roots visible. One example cited is the photographs of gods and goddesses that are auspiciously placed in a home and oil lamp lighted each day before these deities.
With the availability of electricity, these oil lamps have been replaced with electric lamps and unlike these being located in main hall as used to be in the old times, these have been moved to the kitchen. However the tradition continues in some form or the other.
Thus in design context, when designing for the Indian population, a design will be in right context (Indian context) and will meet the need of Indian population in their context only when this culture, tradition and way of living is addressed. Imposition of outside influence will not meet the true need but will be only meeting the aspirations at the most.
Based on the above understanding prior to starting of design development of the tricycle rickshaw, way the common Indians travel, the types of ownership of the tricycle rickshaws, its manufacturing set up, ornamentation of the tricycle rickshaw that provide identity to the rickshaws etc. were observed. Some of the findings are given below:
• Regarding transportation, Indians prefer to travel with families for festivities etc.
and family being large with more number of offspring, not to mention joint families in rural and semi-urban areas, more persons travel together. This also results in crowded traveling since there is always a shortage of sufficient numbers of vehicles.
• People also carry significant amount of luggage with them during traveling including eatables. Therefore space for luggage becomes imperative for any transport vehicles.
• India being a vast country, it also has very diverse climatic conditions. In summer people prefer to travel in semi-open vehicles due to high temperature and in
winter, people need protection from extreme cold in north India. Thus designed vehicles should take care of these aspects.
• Indians has a habit of using any product in many different ways in different context. A tricycle rickshaw is used for transporting people to places, school children to school and back, transport luggage, industrial goods, food items, vegetables and fruits, vending and in a few cases even patients to hospitals. One needs to consider all these.
• In India, tricycle rickshaws are made locally by unorganized units in various dimensions and forms.
• Owners and drivers of the vehicles also prefer to decorate their vehicles in a very colourful way through painting natural sceneries, portrait of god and goddesses, film hero and heroines etc. and also fixing various decorative and ornamental pieces onto their vehicles. Providing scopes to do that may evoke their interest and providing a scope for them to create an identity for their rickshaw through this type of customization.
• Most of the rickshaw pullers in Indian context do not own the rickshaw of their own due to their deplorable economic conditions and non-availability of funds from financial institutions. Therefore rickshaw pullers hire a rickshaw on daily basis and they can not improve their economic status due to this. When majority of the rickshaw pullers live a deplorable life, this avocation remains undignified for the unemployed youth. To make this work dignified, rickshaw pullers have to be empowered by providing them ownership, so that after initial repayment for owning the rickshaw, they are no more required to pay a significant portion of their daily earning as hiring charges. This will improve their economic situation.
Thus a mechanism will be required to achieve this and this can be micro-finance.
• People in India reuse lots of product after its primary use is met and recycle almost everything in various way and common people live a life of austerity even now. Thus design may require consideration from this point of view. This is specially true regarding the components to be used in the rickshaws. If there is better use of any of these components, these may end up with that use, and this is specially useful after the useful service life of the product is over and product is to be retired and recycle is easier in this case.
• Many a time, rickshaw pullers in a region has beliefs that are not based on scientific principles but still they adhere to it. One example that can be cited is regarding inclination of the seat of the passenger in NE region mentioned in Chapter 6 in p 198.
Old and modern goes hand in hand in India. Thus integration with existing habit of the population is essential.
Localised transportation:
Study to understand various ways that are currently adopted by common people in the context of North Eastern Region of India is essential for design development of a new tricycle rickshaw. These are mentioned in Chapter 1 under section 1.3 in pp 13-14.
Appropriate technology for manufacture (of the tricycle rickshaw to be newly designed in present context in NER of India):
Traditional rickshaws use various skills that were common at the period of time when it evolved, like black smithy, carpentry, tailoring etc. Currently these are becoming scarce in towns and cities and also materials like wood used for fabricating rickshaw body locally are becoming scarce and expensive specifically after tree felling has been banned in NER for more than a decade to preserve the eco-system of its fragile eco-system.
Against this back drop, many new technologies have become common even in rural areas and others that were prevalent at that time became obsolete. Example of black smithy and fabrication workshop equipped with arc welding, drilling and cutting can be cited here. Earlier black smithy was prevalent in any rural and urban areas and arc welding was not heard of. However, black smithy has become an obsolete practice in urban and semi rural areas but one can find a fabrication unit equipped with arc welding, drilling and cutting mild steel even in any rural area that is electrified. Similarly new materials like plastics have replaced traditional natural materials due to the non- availability of traditional natural material in abundance.
Thus manufacturing technology and materials of traditional rickshaw can be replaced with currently available appropriate manufacturing technology and materials such as plastics (FRP in this case) for newly designed tricycle rickshaw for ease of manufacture and maintenance in a decentralized situation that is favourable with Indian SME’s distributed manufacturing sector. These are suitable and appropriate at present context.
Demonstrate the design methods and technological details (through product design process, prototyping and testing):
A product design methodology is to be practically demonstrated to the target manufacturer, in this case Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in North Eastern Region of India. Design methodology to be adopted for this purpose should be simple to understand even by a layman while transferring design and technology and thus helps in subsequent design process by the target manufacturer in a conventional way. Method adopted is Morris Asimow propagated design method mentioned in Chapter 1 under section 1.7, p 30 and discussed in this chapter in detail under section 3.5.1, pp 83-85 Technological details in terms of the technology to be used for the manufacture of the tricycle rickshaw to be newly designed and the process of design development, prototyping, testing and manufacturing are to be appropriately demonstrated to the target manufacturers so that they can adopt these within their constraint resources such as infrastructure for the design to be successfully implemented.
Target manufacturer:
The focus was on small and medium enterprises, in many cases tiny enterprise for manufacturing of the tricycle rickshaw to be newly designed in the context of North Eastern Region of India as the target manufacturer. These are decentralized, Small and Medium Enterprises specifically in North Eastern Region of India who are interested in undertaking manufacture of the design. No patents should be attempted so that anybody interested can improve or modify the design as per their contextual requirement.
Multiple uses:
Tricycle rickshaw and its derivatives are used for various localized transportation needs currently in North Eastern Region of India. Thus in addition to transporting passengers, it is also used to transport school children inappropriately (Fig. 2.22, p 42). Similarly garbage disposal from narrow roads and lanes, use of tricycle based derivatives extensively (Fig. 2.24, p 42) is a need of the society today. Thus these areas provides for immediate scope and action for design. While designing a tricycle rickshaw from the beginning, keeping in view modularity (Otto and Wood, 2001) for designing derivatives will help in the long run and reduce cost of design development. This also provides for capacity planning for the manufacturing so that facility can be economically feasible.
Thus design development of tricycle rickshaw modifiable for multiple use such as School van, delivery van, garbage van etc. were included.
The area of work was considered as a part of system design approach of transportation design for the fact that this is the first level for any transportation aspect and at best can be useful for meeting localized transportation needs as given below:
Environment friendly manually propelled tricycle
• Trikes for single user–modifiable for lower limb disable person- done experimentally as presented in the previous section of this chapter.
• Tricycle rickshaw for multiple use
• Passenger version - considered initially based on the basic form of the single user version.
• School van - considered based on the passenger version
• Garbage disposal van- considered based on the passenger version
• Delivery van - considered based on the passenger version
• Vending cart etc. - considered based on the passenger version.
The basis of research considers:
• A tricycle (often abbreviated to trike) - a three-wheel (thin rim) vehicle.
In India, most commonly seen tricycle is a passenger tricycle rickshaw. In addition to passenger tricycle rickshaws, there are tricycles used as delivery vans with boxy storage compartments, goods carrier, school children van etc. in Indian context.
The research also considers:
• Product design:
In product design, the following steps were followed-
i. Need identification/ creation and conceptualization to satisfy the context specific requirement of the period of time and prediction regarding scope of the need for near future.
ii. Prototyping
: mock up model to assist visualization, form study, ergonomics etc.;
: functional prototypes- alpha model, beta model to assess functionality and target users trial for feedback for design refinement.
iii. Production and
iv Marketing and use; and feed back and modifications.
In the preceding chapter titled Tricycle Rickshaw Development: Issues and Contextual relevance, it is found justified to undertake the research work.
Branding exercise is to be carried out to differentiate the tricycle rickshaw designed under the research work in the market place as a strategy. Appropriate promotional materials are to be prepared to establish this brand in the market.
3.5.1 Design process
Design in the most simplest form is defined as initiation of change in man-made things (Christopher, 1992). Product design deals with conversion of ideas into reality (tangible products) and, as in other forms of human activity, aims at fulfilling human needs.
A designer designing products/systems is also many a times referred as an Industrial Designer, being identified such because he is to design products/systems which can be mass produced using industrial production/manufacturing lines.
In a mass production set up, an industrial designer does not usually produce the products or services that satisfy consumer’s needs immediately. Rather, he facilitates the production of the prototype which is used as a sample for reproducing the particular products or services as many times as required.
Whenever an existing or a prospective manufacturer is confident that a sufficient number of customers will be satisfied by the product, then mass production of the item or service may be initiated by the production department in an existing industry or a set up for producing the product or services is brought into existence. During the course of production, an error due to the producer in manufacturing an item may lead to its rejection for not meeting the specification in terms of quality etc. but an error in design of a product or services will be repeated in all products, and may lead to an economic misadventure of enormous proportions or even legal implications. Therefore the designer’s responsibility is stupendous.
Design development of any product is a systematic science. This is basically carried out in seven phases and their constituent steps (Chitale and Gupta, 1999). This process is also called as morphology of design. Of the seven phases (Flow Chart 3.1), the initial three phases Feasibility Study, Preliminary Design and Detailed Design proposed by Asimow (Asimow, 1962), belong to design, and the remaining four phases belong to production, distribution, consumption and retirement (or recovery or disposal) and also called as the production-consumption cycle (Chitale and Gupta, 1999). It is one of the main features of the socio-ecological systems. The Flow Chart 3.1 shows the various phases in morphology of design and the production-consumption cycle is illustrated in Fig. 3.39, p 85.
PRIMITIVE NEED
PRIMARY DESIGN PHASES
PHASES
RELATED TO
PRODUCTION
CONSUMPTION
CYCLE
Flow Chart 3.1 Morphology of design process
Each phase shown in above has several steps. These are given below: