It has been a while since my last blog, but there is not much news. We have been searching for an adhesive that will both withstand weather conditions and regular wear from cars running over the signs.
So far, we have tested several different kinds with little success. This has proven to be a real problem and has been the first true test of our project's ability. Hopefully we will be able to figure out a good solution within the next few weeks.
I have not been able to be as much of a part of this particular process as it is very technical work and requires very specific knowledge. Instead, I have simply contacted suppliers, etc. and asked them about some of the basics regarding their respective products.
Again, not much has been going on the past few weeks unfortunately, but things will hopefully pick up once we can make it past this setback.

A few potential signs...they are each about 6 inches in length

Steve Wozniak Biography

I am reading a biography about Steve Wozniak, the inventor of the Apple computer and co-founder of Apple. Apple is one of the largest companies in the world today, yet it began in a garage in Silicon Valley. In the biography, Wozniak's life is described, but his work and contributions for Apple are highlighted against his early life story.
I am already about halfway through this book and have found it very interesting. Wozniak is clearly a brilliant engineer, but his contributions to the business and operation of the company are sometimes overlooked. Steve Jobs often overshadows Wozniak from the public perspective, but each has made great contributions to the exponential growth of the company.
Just as Apple started in a garage, my own sign company is beginning in my garage. I do not mean to say that my company will anywhere approach the success of Apple, but it is very interesting to see that the founders of Apple encountered some similar problems that I face working with my own project.

Goal for the Year and This Week/ October 16 Update

My goal by the end of the year is to have a patent for the signs and to have signs manufactured already. I will hopefully be in the middle of advertising for sales to potential cities who would be buying the signs. Ideally, the sign would be in the review process to be included in the California Road Signs handbook for the year 2014 (we would be too late to be included in the 2013 handbook).

My goal this week is to begin making a pro/con list of potential designs and attempt to map out flaws in each idea.

I have had a busy last two weeks. My mentor has called sign manufacturers and has made an order of road signs. NOTE: When I say "signs" in this case I only mean literally the stop signs, not the entire sign that goes on the road. The shipment should arrive by Thursday or Friday at the latest. When the shipment arrives, we will be able to experiment with different designs and get a better idea of how the entire road signs will function best. I will be sure to post pictures of this first shipment of signs!

So, the next few steps involve the design process exclusively as we begin making tangible progress on the project. We will be working with the signs themselves and will have the opportunity to construct a prototype soon as we also have shipments of potential fastening devices and basic forms of what will be holding up the sign. Again, I will be sure to include pictures of the project as it begins to take form. It is quite difficult to describe what we are creating because there is still so much to be figured out, and I am sure it is nearly impossible to get a good idea of exactly what I am working on! All of this confusion will be cleared up soon when I can post some pictures!

October 2 Update

My homework for this week is to learn more about the patent process. The plan is to apply for a provisional patent as we complete the design. We are able to do this because any changes we make would be in the material and not affect the overall design.
The design process officially began last night as we had a brainstorming session. We have identified a few areas as potential problems:
1. The current flaps in the road seem to attract drivers to drive over them, causing them to wear out very quickly. We must find a way to construct signs that can withstand such wear over a long period of time.

2. We must plan for these flaps to be run over by cars, trucks, even street sweepers. Such durability is difficult to achieve, so the material must be well thought out. We plan to use rubber, but are debating whether we will need aluminum reinforcement to ensure the signs' durability as well as its structural integrity because the sign must remain at the same angle at all times.

3. We are trying to avoid putting metal into the design because of the potential for damage to the cars. Any metal included would also significantly increase the cost of each sign. However, durability cannot be compromised simply because of cost.

As you can see, we have some problems to work out. During the interim, I am learning about the patent process so we can apply for a provisional patent in the next month or so. My mentor is contacting sign suppliers and testers to find the best material for the signs. The road signs handbook also requires a certain number of tests to be run on the product applying, so we will have to prepare for that, as well.
The tangible results thus far are few, but we will begin to see the process as we begin to create CAD designs of the sign. These designs will help us for the specifications necessary for the manufacturing of the signs as well as for the designs required for submittal of the provisional patent.
I am very surprised at how much planning is necessary for this project. Though it seems simple, so much must be thought out before actually beginning manufacturing the product. It has been a learning process thus far, and I expect to learn much more by the end of this week!

Planning Process

My mentor and I met once more this week to further discuss the design process. Our plan is to pick out the materials for the sign and make initial measurements for the sign within the next week. We decided that it would be best to scrap the idea of using recycled rubber from old tires to use because the material would not be as flexible. We would like to pursue the notion of using recycled materials down the road, but want to make the signs as simple as possible to begin. 

Our first drawings have the sign at standing about six inches tall and a total of about 12 inches long if laid flat. If you think of the sign as a piece of paper, fold the paper "hot dog style" (lengthwise). The make a fold at the center of the "hot dog" with the halves at a ninety degree angle. The paper standing up is the face of the sign. The half of the "hot dog" sitting on the ground will be the base of the sign.

In our meeting, we found that the greatest trouble we will face in the design process is how we will secure the base of the sign to the ground. Many of the current road flaps installed are secured with glue on a ceramic tile which is secured to the ground. Because rubber is a tough material to bond, it may be difficult for us to glue the rubber directly to the road. We are currently searching for alternatives to the ceramic tile, which would increase the cost of each sign significantly.

Within the next month we will also be using a CAD program to create a design on the computer of our sign. When we submit our papers for a patent, we will need the CAD drawings to include. We hope to have a "patent pending" statues by the end of November, so we will need to get started on the CAD designs as soon as possible. My dad already has a lot of experience with CAD and I currently have limited experience using the program, but he will be guiding me on some of the design because it is a simple design.

Overall, our process has not yielded tangible results as all work has been planning, but we will soon be starting the CAD work, which I am looking forward to. We are on track to meet our goal of the "patent pending" status and remain steadfast in our overall goals of marketing the product by the end of the year.

All of this planning seems a bit tedious now, but I understand that it will save is much time in the long run as we will not have to go back to revise mistakes that we may have glossed over because we were going too fast in the initial process.

Now weeks in, I am pleased with our progress thus far and look forward to the work that will follow. I hope to be able to post pictures of our designs soon!

My First Mentor Meeting

I met with my mentor on Sunday for the first time to discuss a SMART goal. We both agreed that a realistic goal would be to be finishing the testing process for the road signs. While this arduous process goes on, we will be marketing the product as well as attempting to have the CalTrans California road signs handbook include our sign in their list. Their approval and subsequent inclusion in their book would give us a seal of validity and provide us with much needed exposure to potential clients. Inclusion in that handbook would help us market the product; however, we will need to stay in contact with those interested because most will need details on exactly what the sign is and can be used for because it will be a recent addition to the handbook. When we embark on our journey of testing the sign, we will need to be talking with CalTrans to be included in the new edition of the handbook.
From now until testing, we will need to finish the initial design of the road sign and send that off to manufacture prototypes which can then begin the testing process. We expect that we will need to make changes to the design after the testing.
We have a lot of work before prototypes can be manufactured because the initial design process is still ongoing. We are attempting to think out the design as much as possible in collaboration with some other sign companies so we can avoid common pitfalls in the testing process.
Our first meeting was all planning, and this planning is necessary so we can have a plan to follow along the way. My journey officially began on Sunday and I am very anxious to begin the process of building up a business.

iQuest Intention

iQuest Intention
My Project: creating a business of manufacturing supplementary stop signs to be placed on the road

I hope to learn the process of creating a small business. This will help me in the future because I would like to attend business after earning an undergraduate degree. The application of knowledge from small business can then be transferred and ultimately help me in whatever endeavors I undertake in the future, even if I pursue a career elsewhere in the business world.