HKDSE DAT case studies

HKDSE DAT · Put your knowledge to work in context.

Design and Applied Technology (DAT) is a Category A senior secondary elective in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE), administered by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). Category A subjects comprise four core subjects - Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Citizenship and Social Development - plus various elective subjects, and DAT sits within that elective group alongside subjects such as Visual Arts, Information and Communication Technology, and Technology and Living. The HKDSE DAT case studies are 5 cases and about 4,792 words.

Reusable bottle for a school hiking club: when the brief, not the material, is the problem

A school hiking club needs a 600 mL reusable bottle: 800 units, unit cost ≤ HK 45 including cap and logo printing. The club's stated requirements are: survive a 1.5 m drop onto concrete when full; be dishwasher-safe at 70 °C; accept freshly boiled water (about 95 °C) so members can make tea on the trail; weigh ≤ 180 g; show the water level; and not retain odours from sports drinks.

951 words, about 5 min 2

Hand-sanitiser dispenser at a school entrance: supply droop, sunlight and a dry-running pump

At a Hong Kong secondary school, 1,200 students pass the main entrance between 07:40 and 08:10, and the school installs a no-touch automatic hand-sanitiser dispenser to reduce queuing. The prototype uses a reflective infrared proximity sensor aimed across a 120 mm gap, a 5 V gear pump rated 900 mA, a 5 V microcontroller board, and a 12 V 1 A switching adapter feeding a 5 V linear regulator (LM7805).

962 words, about 5 min 3

Injection-moulded tablet stand: sink, warp and draft before the tool is cut

A Hong Kong consumer-goods manufacturer is tooling a 90 mm × 60 mm ABS desk stand for a tablet, at 60,000 per month on a 90-tonne machine. The nominal wall is 3.0 mm.

991 words, about 5 min 4

Library self-checkout kiosk: designing for the 5th and 95th percentile at once

A public library in Sha Tin is replacing its staffed counter with a self-checkout kiosk used by about 900 borrowers a day, including elderly residents, children and wheelchair users. The design team proposes: a fixed counter 1,050 mm high and 700 mm deep; a 15-inch screen set at 20° from horizontal, 400 mm back from the front edge; a recessed keypad with 30 mm keys; a barcode scanner window at 1,150 mm; and a bagging shelf at 1,000 mm.

955 words, about 5 min 5

Canteen lunch boxes after the EPS ban: compostable, recyclable or reusable?

The canteen of a Hong Kong secondary school serves 1,200 hot lunch boxes a day, 190 school days a year. Since the local ban on expanded polystyrene food containers, the caterer must choose a replacement.

933 words, about 5 min