Welcome to my Week 4 update! In my previous blogs, I shared insights into our initial project setups, early challenges, and the exciting progress we’ve made. You can check out my Week 2 and Week 3 blogs to catch up on how my SEED internship has been shaping up so far.

This week brought even more growth as we moved our EARTI and Drain Saver projects closer to real solutions, acquired new technical skills, and even celebrated Independence Day in true American style!

EARTI: Bringing It All Together
After resuming on Monday, our team met with Naveed, our EARTI client, to update him on our progress since our last discussion. We discussed what’s working, the blockers we’re addressing, and how we plan to move forward this week.

Tuesday was focused on preparing for our design review with Dr. Holmes, where we showed him our latest improvements and plans. Over the week, we also found a workable solution to pan the entire system by adding a servo motor for rotation, which we successfully mounted to our wooden workpiece.

One big win this week was editing our code to enable preset movements; the user can now select which level or plant tray the camera should move to. We also designed and 3D-printed the camera mount, which holds the Raspberry Pi and camera securely on the moving plate of the belt mechanism.

Another upgrade: we switched from an Arduino to an ESP32. The ESP32 is smaller and makes it easier to communicate with the Raspberry Pi, which means our system is more compact and efficient.

This progress wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing EARTI team; everyone has shown so much energy, compassion, and determination to push this project forward. I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive group.

 

Drain Saver: Testing in the Real World
For Drain Saver, we started Monday bright and early in the autoclave room, installing our medium-fidelity prototype on the condensate pipes. This prototype was built over the weekend, so it was exciting to see it in place.

While there, we met Clint, a medical equipment technician who helps maintain Rice’s autoclaves. We explained our idea to reduce how much water the autoclaves use, and he offered us great advice and encouragement. He even shared his number so we can reach out anytime for extra guidance.

By the end of Monday, we returned to the autoclave room to measure temperatures with and without the prototype in place. We compared this new data to our previous baseline and noticed a slight temperature drop, progress, but we know there’s more work to do!

On Wednesday, we had our design review with Dr. Holmes, showing him pictures of the prototype installed and sharing our data. He noticed temperature fluctuations along different points of the pipe, something we hadn’t expected. Together, we returned to the autoclave room to take fresh measurements and figure out what was causing this. Clint helped explain why temperatures varied in certain spots.

Later in the week, Dr. Holmes assigned me to test the small radiator he gave us earlier. I passed hot water through it using a 12V DC water pump, measuring how much it cooled the water down with the help of a fan. To control the pump speed, we used an Arduino, a relay, and a potentiometer, which let us experiment at different speeds and record the temperature drop.

I’m incredibly proud of the Drain Saver team for their hard work, focus, and willingness to test every idea until we find what works best. Special thanks to them for staying locked in all week.

 

Skills Sharpened This Week
This week wasn’t just about testing; it was about learning by doing. I picked up some valuable practical skills:

• This week, I developed valuable hands-on skills. I learned to use a polishing machine to refine 3D-printed parts, smoothing rough surfaces to achieve a professional finish for components like our camera mount. The process involved carefully operating the machine, adjusting pressure, and selecting appropriate polishing compounds to enhance durability and aesthetics.

  

• Additionally, I sharpened my soldering skills by wiring connections for the radiator and water pump setup in the Drain Saver project. Using a soldering iron, I carefully joined wires to create secure, reliable connections between the pump, relay, and potentiometer, ensuring stable operation for our cooling tests.

  

These small but critical skills, from precise soldering to effective polishing, are adding up, equipping me with practical expertise for tackling complex prototyping challenges in future endeavors.

Independence Day & Community Moments
Thursday ended on a high note with a lovely team dinner, thanks to Elijah, who treated the international students to a great meal.

On Friday, we celebrated the American celebration of Independence Day on July 4th. It was my first time experiencing the holiday, fireworks everywhere, full of energy and patriotic pride. It was amazing to see how much it means to people here!

In all, Week 4 reminded me that teamwork, curiosity, and small steps forward make the biggest difference. I’m so grateful to our supervisors, sponsors, and my fellow interns for making this week productive and fulfilling.

Can’t wait to share what Week 5 holds, stay tuned for my next update! 🚀