Autonomous Driving meets Sustainable Product Engineering: Systematic modeling of user and customer scenarios for circular systems

Motivation

Ensuring environmental sustainability and growth at the same time is being put to the test by resource scarcity and climate change. The so-called circular economy is considered to be one solution. As part of the DFG-funded research project SFB 1574 - Circular Factory for the Perpetual Product, methods, processes and tools for circular product development are being researched. The aim is to use parts of products that have already been in use for new product generations and thus create added value without having to consume excessive new resources. In this context, it is important to understand in detail which scenarios a product will be exposed to currently and in the future in order to realize maximum value retention between product generations.

Your task:

The aim of the work is the systematic recording and modeling of possible user and customer scenarios that products from autonomous driving can go through. This is to be done on the basis of a structure to be created that clearly records the various interactions of the product under consideration. Based on this, the corresponding user and customer scenarios that are relevant for the example product in the context of its circularity are to be modeled. Modeling techniques that are already established in other domains (e.g. autonomous driving) are to be transferred and applied to modeling in product development. The following work packages are to be processed for this purpose:

• Literature-based creation of a structured overview of current relevant research approaches, in particular scenario modeling in autonomous driving.
• Systematic modeling of the object structure and interactions of the operational domain for the example product (location, environment, user influences, ...).
• Identification of possible user and customer scenarios for the sample product through literature research, expert interviews, foresight methods and interactive data collection approaches (e.g. gamification).
• Modeling of the identified scenarios with a focus on application for the “perpetual product”.
• Structured and logically comprehensible documentation of all work steps and analyses.

Your chances:

• Insight into current cross-institute and DFG-funded research project “SFB - 1574 - Circular Factory”
• Practice-oriented work combined with a conceptual approach
• Opportunity to collaborate on a joint scientific publication
• Learning a scientific way of working
• Intensive supervision of the work

Your profile:

• You are studying mechanical engineering, ideally with a focus on product development
• Strong interest in modeling and systematic analysis
• High level of proactivity and results orientation
• Analytical mindset and structured way of working

Have we sparked your interest? Then please contact: kristian.vlajic∂kit.edu.