User:Akirchhof13/project3cat

Project Preference
Bioengineering: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Medelen8/ENES100/Bioengineering_Project_Conception (This link leads to the previous groups page)

Smart Shoe: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Medelen8/ENES100/Smart_Shoe_Design

Wind Turbine: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wind_Turbine

Problem Statement
Now entering the design phase, the goal for this project cycle is to design a device using the requirements form the previous group. Also, if possible to begin prototyping and experiment with possible codes.

Project Plan
Primarily an E-health sensor shield must be obtained. This is not as crucial to this project cycle, but for the future it will be required. The group will spend the first week designing separate systems. The second week will be spent combining these systems into three possible ideals. The third week will focus on discerning exact specifications of the final device. If possible the final week will feature prototypes. Regardless of week, work will be done on the CDIO report.

Week 1 Finding a Possible Solution and Basic Design
My goal for this week was to find if there was any way to obtain an E-health shield. After conducting some research the group and I found that the manufacturer is based in Spain, yet they provide "tutorial" classes on programing the units here in the states. These classes not only have the units, but may be able to purchase one for us. I will attempt to call this weekend and see if any sort of arrangement is possible. The class is called TechShop ---> http://www.techshop.ws/contact.html

Also as the group and I had discovered, this device now has the ability to communicate with any Apple device! There is an actual app available for download from the app store. Which can simply be found by searching e health in the search box. This solves the dilemma of designing a separate communications system which will reduce both the cost and weigh of our new device. (''I will add images of the app, yet at this time I am unsure if they are legally permitted and will not get taken down.")

Alongside my research goal, I aimed to create a simplistic design for the pulse sensor and how it would attach to the wearer. The sensor in question is rather small already and consists of only a wire to connect to the shield and the sensor. My initial design is to have the wire sewn into the fabric of the device this way there won't be any loose wires. Second at the sensor end, I plan to cover it with a skin tone patch. Basically something like a bandaid or even possibly velcro that can easily be attached and removed. While not as pressing, I have decided to design a small pocket in which the sensor can be placed while not in use. This way other demographics alongside the elderly can use it, and have the ability to easily remove it. Kind of similar to a watch. These designs assume that the wrist will be used as the primary location for recording pulse. Here are a few of my design ideas (These are hand drawn, and will be made in Solid Edge next week):




 * Link to CDIO report here: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Medelen8/ENES100/BioVest_Design

Week 2 Polyester and Apps
The main focus of this week was to research materials that could be candidates for our "vest". Out of all the materials researched, one stood out among the rest. That material is polyester, a common material found in many different types of clothing ranging from shirts to jackets and vests. It is most commonly combined with cotton to make it more comfortable and easier to wash. The basic properties of polyester are as follows:


 * Inexpensive
 * Durable
 * Light weight
 * Stain resistant
 * Resists stretching and shrinking
 * Retains heat
 * Quick to dry
 * Easy to launder
 * Wrinkle resistant

These features stood out to me as being perfect for the vest, as it would be worn over a shirt. Since most shirts contain some polyester, it would also feel similar and therefore feel normal and comfortable during use. During research there were only a few problems found with this material:


 * Static cling
 * "Fuzz" balls
 * Difficult to remove stains

It must be noted that the first two are problems that occur with basically every type of material used for clothing. Therefore these issues are unavoidable, but will have a minimal impact, if any at all of the vest. The last issue is important for two reasons. One, it is difficult to stain polyester to begin with, so any stains made are going to be more difficult to remove. This sparked two separate ideas. The first was the original vest, just made of darker material. The second was a dark under vest with washable coverings so the wearer could not only remove stains, but also change the look of the vest. While more complex, it will add an easier cleaning solution and allow the wearer to add a level of individuality to the device.



On a separate note the app mentioned in the previous weeks update is only available on mobile devices and as such I must direct to the mobile app store, search under e-health. This is frustrating because not everyone has an iPhone. It may be required to create our own system after all.

This week I discovered a possible competitor who is also in the design process. A link can be found here (Scroll down to Kernel) --> http://www.wired.com/design/2013/11/four-world-changing-products-dreamed-up-by-todays-best-product-designers/ Or on the CDIO report.
 * Link to CDIO report here: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Medelen8/ENES100/BioVest_Design.

Week 3 New Designs
This week, I weighed the pros and cons of each design against a set of standards I had created. These requirements I created were based upon the requirements for the sensors and on the requirements for the clothing aspect. Some of these ideas are not clothing and as such the categories that do not apply will be marked with a N/A. The requirements are as follows:


 * Comfortable
 * Machine Washable
 * Flexible
 * Stain Resistant
 * Non-intrusive
 * Water Proof
 * Pulse Accuracy
 * Temp Accuracy
 * Resp Accuracy

At this point it is important to note that no design has a perfect score this is because each design has its own faults. Also there is no existing product to base these numbers on so they will all be judged on a 0 - 0.5 - 1 scale. If a design does not meet the requirement it receives a 0. If the device partially meets a requirement, (i.e. stain resistance is relative to the care the wearer puts into the device) it receives a 0.5. If the design fully meets a requirement, it receives a 1. The Matrix can be seen in the image below.

The first design is the basic vest that was the starting idea this project cycle. While it does meet many of the requirements, it loses points in key areas. Namely the fact that it does not provide an accurate reading for any of the sensors. Having the sensors so far away from the body means that error must be taken into consideration. This is a rather large error and may cause the data to be misinterpreted which lowers the effectiveness of the device.

The second design is to simply sew the sensors into a basic shirt. This design meets the criteria well and is by far the most balanced design. The relative closeness of the sensors to the body would minimize error and provide more accurate results. As this design is made with a light long sleeve shirt in mind, alterations may need to be made to increase the wearers comfort level. While weighing this design, I thought of having two pulse sensors and temperature sensors. In the case of temperature sensors the data would become more accurate and provide a better reading. Having a second pulse sensor would mean that the wearer could take a reading at the current time, instead of readings taken at intervals. This brings up a major point that will be discussed in this coming week, as what intervals are appropriate for checking vitals, is still undecided.

The third design follows the second. This design is closer to under armor then it is to a normal shirt, but it meets the same requirements as the previous design. As mentioned above that the wearers comfort level needs to be taken into consideration. As such, this design could be more sport oriented, an appeal to a wider market.

The fourth design is not really a piece of clothing as much as it is like a wrap. This design would be a cushioned strap that would be placed around the mid-section. This would provide an accurate respiratory rate reading. To provide pulse, the device would have to have a wire that would run to a watch-like device that goes around the wrist. Temperature accuracy must be brought into consideration, as it will only be able to record temperature in inaccurate areas (i.e. the stomach and wrist). While this design would be moderately comfortable, it may cause the clothing that goes over it to feel uncomfortable.

The fifth design is a combination of two existing devices. Both are used in athletics. --> http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Polar_Heart_Rate_Monitor.jpg This design would require modification and separate programing to enable it to record temperature. The watch aspect may be similar to this design --> http://www.techpaparazzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/pulse-monitor-glove.jpg

The sixth and final design is simply a modification into a wearable form of an existing device. The Scanadu Scout --> http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/01/10/CES2013_scanadu_scout_620x433.jpg


 * Link to CDIO report here: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Medelen8/ENES100/BioVest_Design.

Week 4 Final Design and CDIO
This week I worked on the CDIO report and combined the two best designs into one final designs. An up to date matrix can be found above. Before starting on the final design, I took some time to weigh the two decided designs against each other in a matrix:

From here it seems that the Under Armour is the clear victor, but it is important to note that both comfortability and stain resistance are relative to each individual who would wear the device. However, the Under Armour provides higher accuracy which was taken into account. I decided that the final design should feature the best of both ideas, utilizing the aspects of each when appropriate. In doing so, I created the "Under Shirt" which is a combination of both designs: In this image, the shaded areas represent where the Under Armour material will be used in order to provide a more tight fit, ensuring that the sensors will be closer to the body in order to provide more accurate readings. The unshaded area is just a regular polyester shirt which will provide a relaxed fit. The circles are possible areas for the pulse sensors as the other sensors will go in their respective places where the Under Armour material is.
 * Link to CDIO report here: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Medelen8/ENES100/BioVest_Design.