Iteration is the process of repeating a given process over and over again. In the design process, iteration is the process of repeating the design process over and over again for each new problem that is encountered. The design process is cyclical, meaning that it is repeated over and over again. The design process is also iterative, meaning that it is repeated over and over again at any level of the process as needed.
Iteration is important because it allows engineers to improve their designs. No one gets it right the first time. Engineers will make mistakes and will need to go back and fix them. Each time back through the design process is called an iteration. The more iterations that are done, the better the design will be.
The number of iterations needed depends on the problem. Some problems can be solved in a few iterations, while others may take many iterations. When dealing with large problems, it is important to break the problem down into smaller problems that can be solved in a few iterations. This is called decomposition. Decomposition is the process of breaking a large problem into smaller problems that can be solved individually. By combining the solutions to the smaller problems, the solution to the larger problem can be found.
When the problem is solved, you can stop iterating. Every teams definition of “solved” will be different. Some teams may be satisfied with a design that meets the minimum requirements. Other teams may want to go above and beyond the minimum requirements. It is important to have a clear definition of what “solved” means for your team. This should be written down in the first step of the design process.
An example iteration is shown below. The design process is repeated over and over again until the problem is solved.
Problem: The robot does not drive straight well enough to park on the charging station.
- Identify the Problem
- The robot does not drive straight well enough to park on the charging station.
- Research
- The robot is not driving straight because the wheels are not turning at the same speed.
- Brainstorm
- The robot should use a gyro sensor to measure the angle of the robot.
- The robot should use a PID controller to adjust the speed of the motors to keep the robot straight.
- Create a Prototype
- The robot uses a gyro sensor to measure the angle of the robot.
- The robot uses a PID controller to adjust the speed of the motors to keep the robot straight.
- Test the Prototype
- The robot drives straight enough to park on the charging station, but loses traction when the station is angled.
- Communicate the Results
- The robot drives straight enough to park on the charging station.
- Repeat
- Go back to step 1.
- New Problem: The robot loses traction when the charging station is angled.