156A Week 9

Past week accomplishments:

• Held Kickoff meeting with sponsor (All)

• Brainstorm meeting regarding possible early ideas (All)

  • Researched possible alternatives and parts (All)

    • Motors, compressors, materials

  • Inflatable membrane (current design), Stent based idea

• Drafted a more detailed schedule for the upcoming week (Ryan)

• Picked up current inflatable prototype and pressure sensors (Karie)

  • Accordion style design that we are exploring as an initial test

• Plan with sponsor to have weekly meeting on Monday mornings at 9:30am (Ryan)

  • This week had delays due to people traveling from thanksgiving

  • Meeting moved to Tuesday at 3:30pm this week

Sponsor Feedback:

• Need to get our own sensor for future use

  • Currently borrowing pressure sensor from a different project in the Sim Center

  • Will be used for initial risk analysis and returned later

• Start deciding what model we are going to use and purchase some parts

• Plan to discuss brainstormed designs with sponsor in upcoming meeting

Instructor Feedback from last week:

• Improve slides to be clearer to the audience

  • Include page numbers for each slide

  • Adjust fonts to make tables such as gantt chart clearer

  • Limit information and words per slide to make it easier to follow

  • Include labeled figures and visuals, maybe CAD models

• Talk more about the greater impact on patients when introducing in presentation

• Get prototypes and other materials from the sponsor to be able to start testing and directly running the risk analysis

• Focus on pressure sensor as well as membrane for risk reduction

  • Choose the part with the highest risk reduction in our product.

  • Starting with the membrane for week 9 and get to the pressure sensor week 10

Current Concerns:

• Risk analysis requirements - clarity of what is expected

  • Is our current plan enough?

  • If other brainstormed ideas arise can analysis be done next quarter?

• IP and budget form submission

• Urgency for an initial decision of our model and start purchasing some parts such as pressure sensor

Next Steps:

• Start of week - Test current accordion prototype to determine relationship between pressure input tube and lift height (All)

  • Determine relationship to work with a controller

• End of week - Work with pressure sensor (All)

  • See if it can connect and process data through arduino

  • Determine sensitivity and resolution

• Throughout week - develop CAD model of the current prototype so that we can simulate future FEA analysis (Ryan)