Manufacture and Field Test of a New Adaptive Shading Technology: A Case Study.

Abstract

A field test of a new adaptive shading technology called the powerblind was performedon the campus of North Carolina State University. The manufacturing team evaluatedevery aspect of the design implementation from component manufacture through fieldtesting. This evaluation was intended to guide future evolutions of the technology by answering the most basic question: "What has the Talley Student Center experiencetaught us about the technology and its future?" A set of eight powerblind units, each measuring approximately three feet by fivefeet, were manufactured and installed in the Talley Student Center Boardroom. Workbegan with an existing design template. Component manufacture was performed duringthe fall semester of 2000. Manufacturing system development, troubleshooting, and unitassembly were completed during the first half of the 2001 spring semester. Installation,final troubleshooting, final delivery to the customer, and a public unveiling werecompleted in the second half of the 2001 spring semester.It was concluded that the technology works in a real-world setting. Althoughsome quality problems existed in the final delivered product, the reason in each case waswell understood, and potential avenues for solutions presented. It was also concluded thatthe product could be mass-produced to sufficient quality using relatively low-technology tools and techniques.