With some of the arm sizes and necessary movements, Mitch is hard at work updating the 3D model to incorporate the updated calculations.

With the candidate bioreactor modeling underway, the group needed to figure out the mathematical measurements for achieving the range of shear stress we aim to perform. This range (tentatively 0.05-0.25, with 5-6 equal increments and one control) was extrapolated to the amount of movement the machine needs to perform. These measurements will be incorporated into the model. The next steps are to update the model to fit.

With Mitch’s initial 3D model, Pete helped the group think about the specifics of how the model will work. This process included thinking about mechanism and movement mechanics and trying to fit them within this model and current design. This exercise was completed by projecting the current model onto the SMART whiteboard and drawing additions onto it.

Mitchell has done a great job rendering our best candidate bioreactor model in 3D with Google Sketch-up. Although all the minute details and kinks are not figured out, this provides a great basis to work with and delve into specific measurements and ideal shear force generation.

With our needs/problem statement revised and having had a session on sketching, the group came together to present some candidate sketches to accomplish these goals. Here are some of Grace’s sketches/schematics

Understanding the mechanisms, specifically coding and engineering, behind Arduino.

We learned about the wonderful world of Arduino as a potential tool to facilitate our modeling process. Arduino can be interfaced with a computer and bioreactor to control output (e.g. motor) and receive input (e.g. response data). Edwin at City College taught us the basics and gave us tools to further our understanding.

In addition to this website blog, we decided on Freedcamp as a management tool to facilitate communication as well as share to-do lists, ideas, design documents and such.

With the Makers Project delineated and possible mechanisms in mind, the group started toying around with the idea of shear strain and stress as a way to upgrade and/or further explore the details of in vitro cardiac tissue engineering.

Needs finding