This week, our team refined the content of our Preliminary Design Review (PDR) by finalizing our concept selection and systems architecture. As you can see in the diagram, we’ve now defined the electrical architecture for our battery pack. This has given our mechanical team a much clearer idea of the size and form factor needed for the housing.

The system’s core is the Printed Circuit Board (PCB), which includes the Battery Management System (BMS) and a microcontroller. The BMS ensures safe operation and monitors the battery’s state, while the microcontroller acts as the brain, controlling all of the other components. A Buck converter and LDO Voltage regulator provide stable power for the low-voltage electronics.

For safety and reliability, a Failure Detection subsystem with an accelerometer and temperature sensor feeds real-time data to the microcontroller. The system also includes a fuse for thermal runaway. The microcontroller manages the cooling system (fans and heat sinks) and user feedback through LEDs, a display, and an app.

While we’ve fully defined the overall design, the internal physical layout is still being refined. We’re still debating the best ways to orient the batteries, design the wiring, and create the opening and closing mechanisms. We’ll have a better understanding of what’s feasible as we order parts and begin prototyping.

Our team made exciting progress this week as we wrapped up the concept generation phase of our project. This step gave us the chance to explore many different directions and ultimately narrow in on what materials and design choices could shape the prototype and final model.

A big part of the discussion centered on comfort for the wearer. We looked at different attachment styles, weighing the pros and cons of each. While we aren’t able to interview potential end users at this stage in order to protect intellectual property, we’re finding creative ways to gather feedback by reaching out to individuals who could truly benefit from this technology.

On the technical side, we’re moving forward with decisions around materials, heat management, and battery design. We also explored possible layouts that focus on modularity, giving the design more flexibility as it develops.

To make sure our work is built on a solid foundation, we spent time digging deeper into existing patents and ASTM safety standards related to wearable batteries. This research not only informs our design but also ensures we’re aligning with the highest safety expectations for technology that will be worn close to the body.

All in all, this week brought us closer to turning early ideas into a clearer direction for the future prototype. We’re excited to keep the momentum going as we move toward detailed design and testing in the weeks ahead!

9/19/25 – This week, the Ion Clad team (pictured above) developed the first product design specifications (PDS) document for this project. There is still much left to be added, and we intend for this to become a living document as we progress in this phase of the project. This is necessary to iron out the details of what we will design and will be accomplished through in-depth research of existing and failed competitors, patents, and interviews with potential users and stakeholders. The requirements we gain narrow our process and help to shape our designs.

9/12/2025 – Since our last post, the IPPD team for Lithonics has landed on the team name Ion Clad and the logo above. This is in reference to the Lithium-Ion technology involved in the project and the nature of the wearable design. We have now met with our Coach as well as our liaisons at Lithionics to determine expectations and goals for the project and have been made acquainted with the IPPD lab space and resources. The team underwent initial brainstorming, with possible ideas floated for how to complete aspects of the project. Ion Clad is hard at work researching our product’s stakeholders, competitors, and requirements to build concrete specifications for our design.