Overview of Status of Analysis, Design, Fabrication, Tests, etc.
Conduct analysis of needed motor slider now that Instructor has provided Team with helpful hints
Complete construction of Screen 1; assess fidelity of printed handles
Accomplishments from Previous Week
Completed Proof-of-Concept Presentations
Completed weekly meetings: two with sponsor and one with instructor
Designed and cut out pieces for the Attenuating Screen Case
Identified changes to be made to Screen Handle following a trip to Thornton Hospital to compare actual collimator handle with Team 3D-printed handle
Purchased and received 2mm steel ball bearing; potential changes to be made
Purchased ballistic gel to be used in Attenuating Screen
Purchased Stepper Motor for Lift Actuation
Goals for Next Week (list names after each item). Use specific and measurable objectives.
Complete construction of third and final iteration of 2D Phantom
Given instructor feedback, truly initiate efforts to attach Plotter to Lift
Take possession of motor and begin analysis on sliding mechanism
Consider other steel and plastic bearing options given setback
Analyze performance of built Screen and begin construction of 2nd Screen
Sponsor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
02MAY2017 (In-Person Meeting at EBUII 333):
Sought clarification as to point source location and was provided description on how it'd be configured
Indicated desire for changeable/variable point source lingering times: the slower, the better the results as far as solving for sensing matrix and mitigating noise
Expressed concerns regarding safety issues involving the Attenuating Screen: worried that the Screen could fall on the 3D Plotter if not properly secured and cause significant damage. Team reassured him that measures were being considered to alleviate this worry. First, the Screen is being designed such that its weight is far smaller than the heaviest collimator the camera head can support. Second, velcro straps were also being considered as added support; these would be placed on the outer edges so as not to interfere with camera imaging
Stated the possible need to either obtain a rolling cart to transport and secure the 3D Plotter or incorporate wheels into the Lift design
Displayed Monte Carlo simulation code written thus far to supplement Team project efforts
Expressed his pleasure with the CAD rendering of the proposed Attenuating Screen Design
Described vision for Attenuating Screen bearing density through a hand-drawn sketch: concluded that proximity of Screen to camera head, as suggested by Team, would ensure the highest degree of randomness. Suggested the use of plastic balls that would not attenuate radiation; adjusting the ratio of these to the steel bearings would allow to assess results for different percentages of allowed radiation
Seemed truly content with and provided positive feedback regarding Proof-of-Concept presentation the Team was to give later on
04MAY2017 (Team visit to Thornton Hospital): Team interacted briefly with Sponsor but used this opportunity mostly to make measurements on the camera head and the collimator
Instructor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
02MAY2017 (In-Person Meeting):
Following in-class presentation, reiterated the need for Team designs to be intuitive and for Team deliverables easy enough to use for the sponsor and other entities potentially involved in using it
Inquired about design ideas for Lift motor given that Lift precision screw moves as Lift is raised or lowered: Instructor was informed the Team envisioned the motor being mounted on a slider to allow for back-and-forth motion. Instructor subsequently recommended the use of couple plastic linear bearing
Instructor was made aware of Team's intent to include an O-ring for added water tightness; agreed with the premise of digging a little shoulder for the O-ring
When Instructor expressed curiosity about Attenuating Screen progress, he was made aware that orders for gel and ball bearings had been made
Upon bringing up Sponsor's additional requests for the inclusion of wheels, he recommended 8020 Structural Steel. He, however, warned against "feature creep" and suggested we focus on what is core to the project
While looking at the Plotter sitting atop the Lift, Instructor advised that the provided Plotter support not be used to fasten this to the Lift as they appear to be fairly weak. Recommended the use of 6061T6 Aluminum blocks to perform the fastening. Provided hand-drawn sketch of his vision for it
03MAY2017 (Via Email): Sent Team an email containing industrial linear bearing examples for Team to consider
Risks and Areas of Concern
Quantity and size of steel ball bearings seems too small to cover the larger area of the Screen; other alternatives are being considered with orders to be placed shortly after
Schedule
Describe upcoming milestone
Update Gantt chart.
Budget (list amount spent and amount remaining)
MakeBlock XY Plotter Robot Kit - $279.88 (Amount remaining: $3720.12)
MakeBlock Me Orion - $29.99 (Amount remaining: $3690.13)
Southworth Lift Tool + Expedited Shipping - $869.44 (Amount remaining: $2820.69)
Nylon Screws - $8.26 (Amount remaining: $2812.43)
Ballistic Gel - $321.43 (Amount remaining: $2491.00)
2-mm Steel Ball Bearings - $87.47 (Amount remaining: $2403.53)
Integrated Stepper Motor/Driver - $280.54 (Amount remaining: $2122.99)
Polycarbonate Pellets - $93.64 (Amount remaining: $2029.35)
4-mm Steel Ball Bearing - $138.45 (Amount remaining: $1890.90)
Progress on Report and Webpage
Constant updates being made to Webpages (weekly progress reports, week 2/3/4 write-ups, first draft of final report)