Product Requirements
Project Team 208 Date of Creation: 9/19/2025
Project Objective
This project aims to investigate and develop a new water leak detection system. The target is to create a water leak detector that is reliable and accurate. Additionally, we want to make the device simple to use and repair by keeping it simple overall regarding how it functions and is constructed. Lastly, we want the device to fit within the free market without creating an unethical monopoly over the user by giving the consumer the right to repair.
Stakeholders
- Target group High-income upper-class professionals between the age of 20 and 45. Their personalities are determined and ambitious. The main benefits sought are recreation and self-expression.
- Target purchaser Target group profile with special attention to Full Nest I and Full Nest II mothers.
- Customer service Prefers easy-to-repair, recyclable product, and easy-to-fix complaints to fit with Apple’s intuitive user experience.
- Marketing & Sales division Looks for unique selling points around the Apple Aspirer-Explorer lifestyle and user experience.
- Retailers Prefer products that can withstand a wide range of storage conditions including variations in temperature, vibration, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, and have a strong and compact, theft, and vandalism-proof packaging.
Use Cases
User Story #1: James James is a young, busy professional who owns a home with appliances and piping of various ages. In recent months, he has noticed that his water bill has increased substantially. He notes that nothing about his household's consumption habits has changed, and he suspects a leak but doesn’t know where to start. Numerous points in his home could be the source of a leak, and rather than replacing the piping or manually checking all of his appliances, he needs a tool that can automatically detect varying pressure and usage for him. By utilizing a water primary sensor, he sees that his water usage rises drastically when he runs his shower, then lowers when turned off, but remains well above no flow. He determined that the shower pipes that extended from the main line must have caused the leak and hired a plumber to replace those pipes. Ultimately, he has saved hundreds of dollars in diagnostic costs and repairs to pipes that are not the root cause of the leak.
Before leaving the house, James starts the dishwasher one afternoon. He has been away for several hours when his new water sensor system detects water pressure dropping quickly. Recognizing this as a significant leak, the system can shut off the water and prevent further kitchen flooding. James is alerted to this leak and shutoff process and returns home to clean up. Since the system alerted him to the leak and source, he can purchase a new dishwasher.
User Story #2: Donna Recently, Donna had a faulty door lock mechanism on her washer that caused severe flooding in her garage. This damaged several valuable tools underneath her workbench and took several hours to clean up thoroughly. After calling a technician to fix the lock, she still has concerns over flooding caused by her washer and the adjacent water heater. She installs a water leak detector with an adjustable alarm system to give her peace of mind and mitigate potential damage. In the following weeks, a small drip causes an accumulation of water that rises an eighth of an inch in the flood pan that the washer sits in. Upon detecting this buildup, the system shuts off the water to the washer and sets off the alarm. Given the location of the washer in the garage, Donna had set the alarm level to the high setting and could hear it from across the house. This allowed her to promptly replace the washer and prevent water from reaching her valuables again.
Aspects
| Req ID | Category | Requirement | Verification Method(s) | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Functionality | The product shall run off batteries so it doesn’t fail during a power outage. | The device should have its own battery system contained within and verified by having battery storage. The device should have a long battery life. Verified by running for 6 months. The device should be able to have its battery swapped easily. Verified by testing how fast the battery can be removed and put back in. | 10 |
| 2 | Functionality | The product shall detect water leaks within the area it is located, using a water sensor | The device should turn on the alarm whenever water is detected. Verified by placing it in different levels of water, and | 10 |
| 3 | Functionality | The product shall have a temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the water | The device should be able to give the temperature of water in Fahrenheit. Verified by placing it in different temperature water and seeing if it provides an accurate reading, ranging from water at 40°F to 200°f | 2 |
| 4 | User Experience | The product shall have a simple installation and setup process, requiring no more than 5 steps or 10 minutes. | The device should not need fasteners to function. Verified by seeing if it’ll stay still, being placed on a leveled service. The device should still be able to use them if the user requires it to be fastened down. Verified by having a casing with mounting holes. | 8 |
| 5 | Hardware | Product Design | The product shall be easily repairable if it breaks during operation. The internals of the device should be easy to identify.Verified by testing how fast a consumer can identify each part. | 5 |
| 6 | Safety | The product shall be safe to use (waterproof) | The device should not shock the user when wet. Verified by checking if the circuits are waterproof | 10 |
| 7 | Manufacturing | The product shall be economical for the business and consumer | The device should be designed using minimal parts. Verify by checking for unnecessary redundancy. The device should provide 15% profit margin per unit sold and save the consumer $500 a year. | 5 |
| ## Open Questions |
- For example, can we move towards a recyclable and repairable product with ZIF connectors and glue/solder-free assembly?
- Can we extend the battery life?
- Can it withstand weather conditions (Sun, Snow, storm, and others…)?
- Can we improve the device's durability?
- Can we add accessibility features?
- Should we explore a rechargeable battery?
- Can it be compatible with mobile devices?
- Can we add customizable colors to it?
- How can we reduce the cost of the product without loss of quality?
- How can we reduce the latency for users?
- Can we add a long-distance connection for the user?