Week of February 22
Some students believe essays are challenging, to others midterms, but perhaps we can all agree that working with an unfamiliar program is a laboursome experience in all aspects. That is what we are currently facing: learning Autodesk Inventor, a CAD software different from the familiar MATLAB and Mathematica.
From our previous discussion with our advisors, Dr. Byram, Emelina, and Dr. Walker III, we became aware of the resources Vanderbilt offers and some limitations, such as the particular filetype that the 3D printer associated with the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE) requires. Through our experience with Inventor, we also became aware of how challenging it was to incorporate real-life designs into the software and continually have the dimensions align and oriented to fit ergonomically.
Our first rendition of the box mechanism to allow for horizontal adjustment. Next focus is to add screw or additions to stabilize an ultrasound probe upon placement.
The first whole head design with one box mechanism (right side of head) shown in blue.
Our rudimentary designs can be seen above. As one can see, these are not the most stylish products. However, we believe they can get the job done. We have more to learn and more to innovate, but we are gradually developing our CAD skills and eager to present a functional creation on Design Day.