156B Week 7
Overview of Status of Analysis, Design, Fabrication, Tests, etc.
Design: The following updates have been made to the hardware design for final device
Changing aluminum radius dimensions to 1.5"
Adding clamping mechanism to keep petri dish in place during stretching and rotation.
Fabrication
The new platform with rotation gears has been cut out and installed on the 4-axis stretching device.
Rotational/stepper motor and final controller box have been ordered (5/14).
Working with reps from All-motion to get (free?) pre-programmed controller that will interact properly with MATLAB and current controller.
Software
Work on a MATLAB-based GUI, verified ability of MATLAB to output command strings controlling motor velocities.
Basic operation of a MATLAB program able to take user input and output motion strings to linear motors.
Testing
Team-designed Petri dishes delivered to sponsor for bio-compatibility and neuron-growth testing.
Accomplishments from Previous Week
Proved MATLAB was suitable for teams needs
Have first iteration of GUI and image processing codes
Made movements of stretching motors based on MATLAB output strings
Image analysis
Proved ability of image analysis programs to determine differences in
Petri dishes, neuron growth
Delivered petri dishes to sponsor, neurons being grown on them for our testing.
Assembled control box for device, houses power supply, motor controllers, and ports for device connection.
Contacted all-motion about rotation controller and possibility of MATLAB control.
They are considering writing a script and providing us with a controller, given some advertising.
Prototyped rotation gear train out of acrylic.
Goals for Next Week (list names after each item). Use specific and measurable objectives.
Determine clarity of neuron image, and applicability for image feedback.
Fabrication of rotational components
Finalize rotation stepper motor and control, including MATLAB integration (with ALL-motion).
Begin fabrication of final device with updated dimensions
First operating GUI for device control.
Want it to be able to compare images and send rudimentary commands to motors based on images.
Sponsor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
Sponsor has been out of town since 5/8, we are trying to determine the earliest possible time we can receive neurons grown on a membrane from him.
Sponsor pleased when we showed him the combination of our control box and 4-axis prototype.
Sponsor notified us 5/14 that he will find out when the tissue will be grown.
Will also inform us of requirements for camera choosing.
Instructor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
All comments from presentation were related to presentation rather than project objectives.
Comments from Other Students in the Class (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
Annotate CAD for presentations.
Risks and Areas of Concern
Neurons ability to grow on petri dishes - currently being determined
Ability to get suitable images for image analysis from current hardware - we will test
Resources or Information Required but not Available
Possibility of computer vision toolbox to track paticles between video frames.
Schedule
Upcoming major milestones:
Fully fleshed GUI that takes in 2-axis % stretch and output angle, feedback incorporated.
Software that responds to changes in live-video of neurons under microscope
Rotational platform to adjust stretching angle
Fabrication of final device with updated dimensions
Budget (list amount spent and amount remaining)
Updated gantt chart showed at presentation last week.
Progress on Report and Webpage
$734 remaining minus out-of-pocket expenditures.