Introduction to the case studies

Case studies are a useful and effective way of bringing the world outside school into the classroom. In this section you will find guidance on using the studies, 5 studies, and a feedback sheet to allow you to let the authors know how you are using the studies and how they might be improved.

The first case study, Vehicle Management, describes how advances in the technology of display systems have led to changes in the way aircraft are controlled.

The second case study, Hybridrive, describes the HybriDrive system developed by BAE Systems engineers to help decrease pollution caused by buses.

The third case study, Power Out, describes what goes wrong when systems engineering fails, in this case the power supply disruption that took place in northern USA and Canada in the summer of 2003.

The fourth case study, Segway, is in two parts. Part 1, A balanced approach to transport, describes the thinking behind the development of the Segway, a self balancing, electrically powered personal transporter. Part 2, Designing magic, describes in more detail how the Segway was developed and how it works.

The Final case study, Gym, is a short study that shows how equipment in a modern gymnasium uses simple mathematics to provide performance information to those using the equipment.

Please use the Feedback form to provide the authors with information on how you used the case studies, their effectiveness and how they might be improved.