Research was done into standards and codes for each of our functional requirements.
Connects User to Help:
This was a central goal of our solution. By allowing the user to connect with help, we can potentially save users from unsafe situations. The team had discussions with several groups on campus, including minority groups and public safety, regarding how people would prefer to call for help. Given our research, we decided to aim to implement an ability to both call public safety and another number of their choice, so that the user could choose who would respond to their call for help.
Remain with User:
This was decided to be at 2 meters to both prevent the robot from tripping up the user, but to allow the user to quickly and easily access the control panel. To prevent accidental “stalking”, this requirement will have to be enabled.
Make the User Feel Safer:
Similar to our “Connect User to Help” requirement, this was a central requirement for our solution. Research was done on how to best evaluate an increase in safety, and how to make all potential users feel safe, including those who may not prefer a police response.
Illuminates Surroundings:
The group included this functional requirement to allow the user to see people approaching and to increase their feeling of safety. This prompted us to do research into similar solutions, and the group arrived at a requirement to illuminate the surroundings for ten feet. This is similar to what is produced by a street lamp.
Brings Attention to User:
Alarms can act as a deterrent to potentially unsafe situations. Similar to our “Illuminates Surroundings” requirement, research was done into similar solutions, and car alarms were selected for their attention-grabbing behavior.