Cases

These situations and resources are presented for students and instructors looking for directed study areas. A small amount of text is provided to provide context. Please note that these tend to focus on accidents and problems - but these provide the best learning experiences.

Dreamliner 787 Battery and other recalls - This case emphasizes the risks of using a proven technology for a new application.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2013/06/12/faa-boeing-dreamliner/2415439/

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/0520/Boeing-787-Dreamliner-back-in-US-skies.-Battery-questions-linger

http://gizmodo.com/5995093/overhauled-boeing-787-dreamliner-officially-cleared-for-take-off-by-the-faa

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/05/01/uk-boeing-dreamliner-idUKBRE93T10X20130501

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323687604578465263540663612.html#

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-23/boeing-says-787-shim-work-will-take-10-to-14-days-per-airplane.html

F35 - The design is very complex and multifaceted. The design is a good illustration of the effect of specifications on the design process. In particular the single design was meant to fulfill multiple roles, making it much more complex. The problems are also excellent examples of risk and unexpected problems and delays.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/12/joint-strike-fighter-13-flaws

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0612-fighter-jet-testing-20130612-dto,0,4701367.htmlstory

http://gizmodo.com/5890906/pentagon-helps-new-stealth-fighter-cheat-on-key-performance-test

iPad Development- The legal battle between Samsung and Apple exposed many interesting aspects of the design process. These can be used as a case showing design iteration and alternates.

http://www.tuaw.com/2013/05/21/tim-cook-on-the-state-of-ip-protection-our-product-cycles-move/

http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/26/apple-v-samsung-court-filings-reveal-sony-inspired-iphone-kick/

http://gizmodo.com/5932793/here-is-the-entire-132+page-samsung-internal-report-apple-released-into-evidence-today?tag=apple

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbuchanan/the-original-ipad-was-gigantic

Space - Space exploration involves the use of new technologies in new environments at great costs and with great public attention. What could go wrong?

http://gigaom.com/2012/08/20/nasa-scrubbed-mars-rover-code-clean-over-and-over/

http://www.space.com/10930-mars-landings-red-planet-exploration.html

http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/did-bad-memory-chips-down-russias-mars-probe/?utm_source=techalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=022312

http://blog.koldcast.tv/2012/koldcast-news/a-golden-parachute-this-ones-about-to-land-on-mars/

Medical Recalls - The drive towards very high reliability has made the medical industry a great source of problems and solutions. And, given the public oversight these are well documented.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/21/us-medtronic-fda-warningletter-idUSBRE87K0ND20120821

https://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/fda-software-failures-responsible-24-all-medical-device-recalls-062012

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2079793/Tycoon-breast-implants-scandal-admits-KNEW-approved-use.html

Deepwater Horizon - The failure and damage caused by this incident is a study in willful negligence and poor decision making.

http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/11/27/1248219/BP-Ignored-Safety-Modeling-Software-To-Save-Time

http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/chasing-the-hidden-effects-of-deepwater-horizon-oil/29523?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323622904578127173280594296.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories