Modular Wind Tunnel
Problem: The client asked for a wind tunnel, but they wanted it to be able to be assembled in 2 hours and disassembled in 2 hours with a team of three people.
Action: My team designed and fabricated a wind tunnel that only used a series of push pins and latches to be fully assembled; no tools required.
Result: We were able to fully assemble and disassemble the wind tunnel with three people in under 2 hours total in front of the client, beating their expectations by two hours.
Food Sampler
Problem Statement: The food sampler device was outdated for the new version of the allergy detection device. A few modifications needed to be made including the size of the sampler, the body of the sampler was not ergonomic for the consumer to use, and the plunger would over extend and pull out of the body.
Action: I scaled the size of the sampler so it would collect the correct amount of food, I added scallops to the sides of the body for the consumer to know where to put their hand as well as increase their comfort, finally I added an internal rib which would prevent the plunger from pulling out of the body. Along with the main modifications, I added extra support under the flange to keep it from failing with an incorrect usage.
Result: A comprehensive test was run with all of my coworkers to test for the amount of food collected, the comfort of the user, and the cutting ability of the sampler.
Inside Rib
Pictured above is the internal rib that prevented the plunger from pulling out of the body.
Flange/ Thumb Holds
Pictured above shows the support under the flange that was added in order to prevent the flange from failing.
Tortuous Path Fixture
Problem: The testing that I was doing for determining a product specification was not entirely accurate because the path I was using did not accurately simulate the path that our device would be taking in the body.
Action: I created a fixture that attached to the end of the path that I was using and create a more tortuous end to the path. The fixture included features that made it easy to insert silicone to simulate different clinical situations and a height that allowed it wrap back over the path we were using.
Result: More accurate results were found when I continued to test. The new data was used to develop product specifications.
Tortuous Path
Pictured to the left shows how the fixture adds a more tortuous bend to the path.