Assignment Overview: Write a short technical report in memo format to settle a dispute in an accident involving an autonomous car.
The Scenario
A self-driving car manufactured by Adonis crashed into a tree in adverse weather conditions. Fortunately, none of the passengers were seriously hurt. Unfortunately, the car is a total wreck.
Gecko, the car owner’s insurance company, is suing Adonis, arguing that, according to Adonis’s advertising and technical specifications, the car’s collision-avoidance system should have been able to prevent this accident. Adonis disputes this argument, asserting that its software functioned properly, and that the driver was at fault for not observing the guidelines and specifications outlined in the driver’s manual.
Your Role: Technical Expert
You have been hired as a technical expert by one of these two companies to determine the real cause or causes of the accident described above. Your job is to write a short technical report explaining your findings. You get to choose which company hired you. The audience for this report is the judge who will be hearing the case, so your report should be written for a non-technical audience. At the same time, your argument must be technically rigorous and be supported by evidence. For example, you might describe what you observed during an inspection of the wrecked vehicle, cite the results of tests you conducted, or refer to specifications and other documentation you studied. But remember, you’ve been hired for your technical knowledge and background, and are not expected to have any legal training. (You’re an engineer, not a lawyer.)
Assignment Details
You are an engineer who has been hired for your technical expertise in self-driving car technology. (Lucky you!) Write a short technical report in memo format that takes either Gecko or Adonis’s side in the above-mentioned dispute.
Report Structure (with Memo Heading)
Your report should include, but does not have to be limited to, the following sections.
• Introduction
• Background
• Observations, data, findings, and results
• Conclusion
• Information Sources (used as evidence in your report. Some of these will, of necessity, be made-up.)
• References (any sources you borrowed in the research you did)
You may rewrite the headings to tailor them to your report as you see fit, so they are more specific and informational. You may also add subheadings.
Assignment Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your ability to do the following:
• write a short technical report based on a realistic scenario;
• apply the principles of writing for a non-technical audience;
• demonstrate clear, concise, coherent, and audience-appropriate writing;
• make a convincing argument that is supported with evidence;
• apply the principles of “noise-free” writing;
• use graphics effectively to illustrate or support your argument.
Important Considerations
• You need to choose whether you have been hired by Adonis or by Gecko.
• You may need to do a bit of research on self-driving cars to make sure you use the proper terminology, but your understanding of the topic can be superficial.
• Your report will be graded primarily on the clarity of your writing and the strength of your argument, not on your technical understanding of autonomous cars.
• Don’t fall into the trap of focusing on the legal aspects; you are an engineer, not a lawyer.
• Use specific details.
• This is a fictionalized account of events. You will need to use your imagination to fill in the details. Creativity is definitely encouraged, but the scenario should still be plausible.
• Specific details you might consider including:
o Weather conditions on the day (time of year, season)
o Time of the accident (day or night?)
o Condition and/or location of the road
o Number of passengers
o Other factors that could have played a role in the accident
Refer to the textbook and lectures for guidance
For guidance on writing a short technical report, review lecture presentations and relevant chapters in Technical Communication, 11th edition, by Mike Markel, including the following:
• Chapter 17: Writing Informational Reports
• Chapter 12: Creating Graphics
• Chapter 10: Writing Effective Sentences
Assignment and Formatting Instructions:
• Word document or LaTeX-formatted PDF: You may use LaTeX if you choose. If you do, you will receive 5 bonus points. If you use LaTeX, you must submit both the LaTeX files and the PDF;
• Length: 4-5 pages, not including references
• Line Spacing: 1.5;
• Memo formatting: Follow memo heading guidelines for layout and formatting outlined in textbook (except when otherwise indicated);
• Margins: one-inch margins;
• Memo Heading: Create a specific, informative heading that describes the report;
• Body text: 12-point, Times New Roman;
• Headings: 12-point, Times New Roman, Bold;
• Subheadings: Times New Roman, Italics, font size: your choice (not too small);
• No indentation: Do not indent first lines of paragraph. Do add a line of white space between paragraphs;
• Justification: Left-justified (Do not “justify” text.);
• Page numbers: bottom right corner; begin pagination on page two (no number on first page);
• Graphics: Create at least two original graphics (graphs, tables, etc.) to support your argument. In addition, you may use borrowed graphics (including photos) to support any aspect of your report. Be sure to reference any borrowed graphics in report and in reference section;
• Fonts for graphics: Your choice of font and font size. But make sure text on your graphics is big enough to be easily read.
• Labelling and placement of graphics: Label graphics following IEEE guidelines. Use captions as appropriate and make them legible. Place graphics for optimal integration of text and graphics. Follow guidelines outlined in textbook and discussed in lecture.
• Layout and appearance: You will receive points for the attractive layout of your report, the placement of graphics, and the use of white space around headings and graphics to enhance readability.
• References: Reference all sources used, including graphics, using IEEE referencing system; Put references on separate page.
• Complete a Self-Evaluation rubric for the Final draft.
Sample Solution