Biomedical Innovations

This was one of my first ever big robotics project. It was in conjunction with the Biomed program. We were tasked with making a life size version of the childhood board game, operation. After several weeks of coding, wiring, building, and troubleshooting we produced a final product. This game is now being used to educate the younger kids at the elementary school and even the students in the Biomed program.

I went into this project completely blind. I had never dealt with a Snapmaker 3D printer before. This meant I had to learn everything about the printer before I would even be able to start trying to troubleshoot it. I spent a few days reading through forums and researching the problem. I eventually concluded that a firmware update was required.  This process took me a little longer than it probably should have. I was definitely a good learning experience though and I will defiantly be using this printer now.

    Over the course of the semester, I have worked on 3D printing prosthetics hands that are to be given to people in places where it is difficult for people to find affordable prosthetics. These hands are great for growing kids because they are crude and inexpensive to make, so growing out of them is not a problem. These hands give people the opportunity to fit in and add convenience to their everyday life.

    As I have been printing these hands non-stop for weeks on end, I have learned how to print them as efficiently as possible with little to no flaws. I have combined files and developed a schedule, so the printers can be up and running most of the time. As of now I have printed 10 full hands with full intentions to keep on printing.

    These hands are not all for me to assemble. I have made complete kits that contain all the pieces necessary to make the hands. The Biomedical Innovations class will put them and get them ready to be shipped off for inspection, then off to make a person’s life a whole lot better.