IN WONDERLAND, SURVIVAL REMAINS ACTIVE
A group meeting was held at the start of the week to go over the projects we would be working on and the priorities for the presentations the following day. The main work on this day included the IOT section of the Neonatal Monitor Project, setting up the Vein Finder infrared lights, creating the cases for the Laparoscopic Training Kit (using ABS material and the Laser Cutter), Vein Finder, and Neonatal Monitor. The problem with the Neonatal monitor's IOT component, however, was the sort of Arduino we were utilizing, which made it difficult to configure the arduino-based program developed for the Neonatal monitor project. Because the laser cutter can't produce high-quality casings,constructing the enclosures for each of our three projects was another challenge.
On Tuesday morning, we started working on the perforated board of the Neonatal monitor, however due to the sophisticated wiring we used on the perforated board, we encountered problems with the analogue signals oscillating. Additionally, we attempted to create the shell for the laparoscopic training kit, but that effort was unsuccessful due to the ABS material's complete incapability to be cut by a laser cutter. The laparoscopic training kit's autostart was later scripted to begin capturing videos when a startup button was pressed. We had a group presentation in the afternoon prior to Miss Will Moyo, Mr. Hillary Lodzanyama, and our teaching assistants.
On Wednesday, we divided up the PCB design work, and I was given the task of working on the kit's power system design. We also created a neonatal monitor and a vein finder, which we then attempted to print, but the 3D printer was not assisting us either because it kept messing up the design as it was being manufactured. Later, the vein finder design was the one that was totally produced on the 3D printer, while still having significant problems.
On Thursday, we were able to finish the PCB designs for all three projects. The Voltera needed to be used to print the boards, but no one who knew how to use it was available that day. As a result, we kept looking for information online and eventually found the official Voltera website, where we learned approximately 60% of the device's functionality. However, there were no inks available, so we were unable to start printing. The staff of the Design Studio helped to complete the Neonatal Monitor's IOT section as well as the other elements of the Laparoscopic training kit.
On Friday morning, when we attempted to contact Mtitimila, a Rice intern from the previous year, for help printing the PCB on the Voltera, he just gave us instructions on how to print after the inks are prepared. Then we attempted to assemble the casing pieces for the vein finder and the laparoscopic training kit, but we were unable to do so for the vein finder due to the radically different sizes of the casing and the components that had to fit inside. In front of Miss. Will Moyo, TAs, and additional biomedical interns from Malawi University of Science and Technology, we did a group presentation in the afternoon (MUST). The main advice was to polish up our presentation and finish the three tasks by the following Wednesday.
Next week, as survival in Wonderland continues, we hope to see you.