Welcome to my Week 3 update! If you haven’t seen my Week 2 recap, you can catch up here.
This week was all about moving from early prototypes to more refined, testable solutions. Here’s how things unfolded for EARTI and Drain Saver, plus a few moments that made the week extra memorable.
EARTI: Tackling Real-World Details
We started the week strong on Monday by meeting our client, Naveed, at 10 AM to present our first working prototype for EARTI, the hydroponic grow system with a vertically moving camera. Naveed was impressed with our progress and encouraged us to continue, but he also shared concerns about material safety, as the system must be food-safe for hydroponic farming. He suggested helpful ideas which we noted down, and websites to source suitable materials.
Later that day, we had a 2 PM design review with Dr. Holmes. He provided us with valuable feedback on our mounting design, specifically on how to fix the top and bottom mounts inside the actual EARTI structure. He advised us to create a wooden workpiece to visualize and test the mounting in a real-world scenario. Throughout Wednesday, the EARTI team focused on addressing Naveed’s concerns and refining the mounting plan. By Thursday, we mounted our prototype onto the wooden piece to get a realistic sense of how it will fit inside the hydroponic setup.
On Friday, we scheduled a follow-up meeting with Naveed for next Monday to ask further questions about his ideas and material suggestions. With each prototype and review, we’re getting closer to a practical, build-ready solution.
Drain Saver: Simulating Better Solution
Meanwhile, the Drain Saver team kept busy, too. On Monday, we brainstormed updates for our low-fidelity prototype. We’re working to replace the continuous water flow in the autoclave cooling process with a more efficient cooler or heat exchanger. On Tuesday, we finalized our improved prototype design and had a 2 PM design review with Dr. Holmes. He liked our progress and we recommended we will run simulations to test our ideas before full-scale building which he gave a go ahead. I also powered up a small radiator (a “toy” that Dr. Holmes loaned us) which we plan to use for experiment with cooling hot water, a good learning moment for future iterations.
So, on Wednesday, we kicked off MATLAB simulations, using different libraries to model how our system could reduce the steam temperature effectively. Thursday was all about testing and comparing. I ran a Fusion simulation to see how heat dissipates in standard pipes versus pipes fitted with finned clamps for extra cooling.
By Friday, we started ordering parts to build a more accurate Drain Saver prototype. Although our simulation results didn’t exactly match the real data from the autoclave pipes, Dr. Holmes advised us to build a working physical model to gather more precise readings. It’s all part of the learning process!
New Skills: SLA 3D Printing
SLA 3D printing uses a light source to cure liquid resin into three-dimensional objects by exposing a vat or tank of resin to a light source, which hardens it. On Friday, I joined an SLA 3D printing workshop led by Erin. We learned how to operate the printer, wash, and cure printed parts. It was amazing to see digital designs transform into tangible, precise parts, another tool I’m excited to use in future builds.
In conclusion, I’m so thankful to the SEED sponsors, My team members and mentors(Dr. Holmes & Prof. Michelle) for making all of this possible. Every week is full of learning, experimenting, and connecting with brilliant minds. I can’t wait to see where Week 4 takes us!
See you next week for more updates!