Group 066-01: Medical Robotics for Minimally Invasive Surgeries

During week 3 of our Freshman Design Project, we focused on finalizing the 3D models for all of the parts of the system so that we can start sending samples to be printed during week 4. We decided to make the holes in the main base of the system squares so that even if the parts are not extremely precise, all of the parts will be stable when they clip in. We designed the parts that will hold the magnet and the dish. In addition to the 3D print models, we started working with MatLab, since this is the final programming language that we decided to use for image processing and motor control. So far we are working only on a single image and trying to isolate an object based on its color or shape. Later we will try and proceed to real-time image processing based on the feed from the webcam. When it comes to the camera that we are going to use, at first the group was thinking of using an iPhone as a webcam, however, we found that in order to do that there is a high chance we will need a ...

Week 2 Progress... Throughout week 2 of our Freshman-Design Project, we finalized the design with which we would like to approach the problem. We will 3D print a base in which the motor will clip in and rotate a 3D-printed part which will hold the dish with the gel. On the other side of the base, we will have another 3D printed piece which will hold the big magnet. We will try to make our setup adjustable so that if we make mistakes with the calculations of the magnetic fields we will be able to make adjustments without having to 3D print new parts. For now, we have decided to use an iPhone as a webcam to observe the location of the small spherical magnet within the dish and we will most likely program the image processing with MATLAB. When it comes to progress on the physical development of our setup, we ordered and received the magnets that we think will work the best. We ordered two different big magnets, with different field-strengths in order to test out which one will work...

                                               WEEK 1 During the first week of our Freshman Design Project, we made sure that we completely understood our task, restrictions, and goals. We brainstormed different ideas on how our actual final setup would look like and the programming language that we will use to execute the image processing and the control of the motor. The first decision we made as a group was that we will keep the big magnet stable and rotate the dish with the gel since this was it will be easier to control the position of the small magnet inside the gel. The second decision we took was to use the rotation of the dish and the friction of the gel to keep the small magnet stable. The way this would work is that since the big magnet will attract the small magnet, the rotation of the gel and the friction of the gell will counteract the mag...