With only two weeks left to go, we’ve started to wind down and finalize our projects. We have a design review meeting with the KU team next week, so we’ve spent this week making the final touches and have begun preparing our presentations.
For the fetoscope project, we decided to scrap the idea of a handheld microphone device, since, well, most people already have one: a phone.
Now, our next challenge was to find a way to attach a phone to the Pinard horn stethoscope. For that, I designed a little cardboard cup that can be quickly cut and glued together from a template.
Then, we needed to transfer the Matlab code we had been working on to the phone. That meant either building a website or building an app. So, we did both.
We’ve been hard at work writing in HTML, JavaScript, C++, Python, and anything else that can be used in order to apply signal processing on the phone’s microphone.
For the active cast, we first needed to prove that the e-stimulation works. We finally received clinical-grade electrodes, and when we used them, the results were shocking. Applying 20 volts across my forearm gave me quite a jolt, but we learned how to tune the circuit to apply a more moderate stimulation. Now at its lowest, it just tingles, and at its highest, causes a slight muscle spasm (as intended).
All that’s left is to finalize the design. First, we soldered the e-stimulation and EMG circuits to make the circuit permanent. Then, we aim to design a case to house the circuitry.
It’s a pretty short week this week, so there aren’t many updates. Tomorrow is graduation day for KU students, meaning we’ve got the long weekend off. Ellena and I are going to visit the Masai Mara, so I’ll be sure to have updates with pics!
