Data on the configuration design of internet-connected home cooling systems by engineering students

Christopher McComb; Jonathan Cagan; Kenneth Kotovsky

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2017.08.050

Data on the configuration design of internet-connected home cooling systems by engineering students

Data Brief. 2017 Sep 4:14:773-776. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2017.08.050. eCollection 2017 Oct.

Authors

Christopher McComb¹, Jonathan Cagan², Kenneth Kotovsky³

Affiliations

¹ School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA.

Abstract

This experiment was carried out to record the step-by-step actions that humans take in solving a configuration design problem, either in small teams or individually. Specifically, study participants were tasked with configuring an internet-connected system of products to maintain temperature within a home, subject to cost constraints. Every participant was given access to a computer-based design interface that allowed them to construct and assess solutions. The interface was also used to record the data that is presented here. In total, data was collected for 68 participants, and each participant was allowed to perform 50 design actions in solving the configuration design problem. Major results based on the data presented here have been reported separately, including initial behavioral analysis (McComb et al.) [1], [2] and design pattern assessments via Markovian modeling (McComb et al., 2017; McComb et al., 2017) [3], [4].

Keywords: Configuration; Design; Engineering.