This week RideOn! showcased our System Level Design Review presentation and report to our sponsors from the UF Physiology and Aging department. This event marked the culmination of all our work this semester. We detailed current prototype status, testing specifications, future work, and budget considerations and were met with positive feedback.
Team RideOn! presenting our project to our sponsors, liaison, coach, and other IPPD teams.
As this semester comes to a close, we’re purchasing essential items so that we’re ready to start building when we come back in January. We also have a few more chances to show our prototypes to patients with DMD so we can incorporate their feedback.
Thanks for joining us this semester! This blog is “testing the brakes” for the holiday season. I hope you’ll join us in January, and RideOn! until then.
This week, RideOn! presented our preliminary System Level Design Review (SLDR) presentation to coaches and peers for feedback. We learned a lot about the information stakeholders want to see and look forward to presenting everything at SLDR!
RideOn! with our liaison after presenting at SLDR peer review.
A member of the electrical team showing off the mini crank at SLDR peer review.
Meanwhile, the mechanical team made plans for next semester to get a jump start after the holidays. They analyzed the Rifton tricycle’s press-fit components to see where they could add in adaptive elements. They decided on components to order and are excited to prototype the rest of our mechanical subsystems next semester!
Members of the mechanical team analyzing the tricycle’s existing components.
Next week is Thanksgiving, so we’ll be taking a break from the blog. I hope everyone is able to spend time with loved ones, and RideOn!
I hope you all enjoyed Veteran’s Day this week. As a result of the holiday, our team enjoyed a calm week without major events. This gave us time to update documents based on feedback from Prototype Inspection Day (PID), continue researching parts, and prepare for the next steps in our prototyping process.
RideOn! at our weekly team meeting, discussing tasks for the week.
As we move toward our System Level Design Review (SLDR), we are finalizing subsystem concept generation. The electrical team received parts and was able to start building their control system. They integrated ordered parts with existing prototypes and got some amazing results that we’re excited to build off of!
A member of the electrical team testing their prototype.
We’re making good progress on our design and preparing materials for SLDR. Next week we’re excited to showcase the presentation we’ve been working on for peer review critique. Until then, I’ll leave you with an image from PID that shows our enthusiasm for this project:
RideOn! at PID with our system architecture display and handlebar prototype.
I hope you’re just as excited as we are. Have a great week, and RideOn!
After a successful Home Depot trip last week, the mechanical sub-team took their parts to the IPPD workshop to begin prototyping. The result was a preliminary handlebar complete with an electrical tape hand grip.
The mechanical sub-team making a handlebar prototype at the IPPD workshop.
Meanwhile, the electrical sub-team continued to simulate their circuit while they waited for parts to come in. Using LTSpice and a 3D-printed mini handlebar, they created a model hand crank whose resistance values changed in real time. This proof-of-concept gave us confidence that we will be able to move forward with our handlebar design.
RideOn! also demonstrated our porotypes at Prototype Inspection Day and received very positive feedback from all judges. They gave us great technical suggestions that we are excited to incorporate.
RideOn!’s setup for Prototype Inspection Day before presenting to the judges.
Finally, the team switched roles again, giving us new responsibilities:
Danilo Inestroza – Leader Cesar Brasileiro de Alencar – Meeting Facilitator Arabella Readey – Blog Editor Antoine Martinez Beau – Finance and Travel Coordinator Hanson Tang – Template and Research Library Manager David Castillo – Scribe
Thank you for joining us for this busy week! See you next time and RideOn!
This past week, the team was still riding high from the PDR presentation, and with all that good momentum, great things happened. As the team prepares for the Prototyping Showcase event, a prototype must be built, which sounds obvious and straightforward since all the concepts have already been developed. However, that couldn’t be further from reality, as concept generation and building an entire mechanism are entirely different.
After debriefing, the team decided to prototype one side of the pedaling handlebar along with the generator. We had all the concepts and constraints; now it was time to make those mechanisms.
To successfully manufacture a prototype, the team needed to split into two teams, the mechanical and electrical teams, each with three members.
Mechanical Team:
Cesar – Mechanical Engineering
Antoine – Mechanical Engineering
Arabella – Biomedical Engineering
Electrical Team
Hanson – Electrical Engineering
Danilo – Computer Engineering
David – Electrical Engineering
With the team split into two groups, it was possible to target more tasks at the same time, allowing the team to work more effectively and, with enough effort and coordination, finish the prototype by Tuesday, November 4th.
One of the many tasks of the mechanical team was getting the parts for the prototype, and to get them, they had to make a trip to Home Depot.
Antoine, Arabella, and Cesar (Mechanical Team) getting parts for the handlebar in Home Depot
With the handlebar parts, the team will be able to manufacture them and present them to all the IPPD judges on Tuesday (November 4th).
This past week was a very important one for the team, as we finally had the opportunity to present the long-awaited PDR presentation to their liaison, sponsor, and others. Last week, the team didn’t have time to work much more on the presentation since it was scheduled for Monday evening; we only had time to make the final touches. However, our work was a culmination of everything that led to that point. We worked very hard and were ready to show that.
Despite everyone being nervous, we were all prepared, and it showed! We had an excellent presentation, where all members thoroughly presented their parts, and all the talking points were covered. The presentation slides were gorgeous, filled with details and images; the room was organized and set up for a good presentation; and all team members were dressed accordingly and in a cohesive manner.
The presentation counted with the presence of Dr Tanja (Sponsor and Liaison), Dr Stubbs (Liaison), Dr Cardenas (Coach), and Dr Lotts (Physiological Consultant), who were all very pleased and excited with what we presented. They all provided excellent feedback and asked thoughtful questions about the project we have planned.
All members of Team RideOn! with PDR slides (left) and team members with coach (right)
Overall, the PDR presentation was a massive success, and all the time and work that went into it were displayed. Now that we have set this standard of work, we will continue to work hard and remain dedicated to maintaining it.
Other than that, the team is now preparing to move into more hands-on work on the trike, as scheduled in the project roadmap. The team will start ordering off-the-shelf parts and finalizing measurements for the parts to be manufactured.
Despite the shortened week due to homecoming, the Team was jam-packed this past week. As mentioned in the previous post, the Team’s primary focus this week was improving the PDR presentation by not only polishing the slides but also making them more visual and less wordy.
To accomplish that, the Team used various resources, including interactive charts, CAD models, pictures, conceptual AI models of the parts, and internet images. This all contributed to making a more interactive and digestible presentation. The Team also had to make some tough decisions, ranging from cutting previously established slides to excluding entire topics from the presentation. The ultimate goal was to tailor this presentation to the audience we will be presenting to, including Liaison, Sponsor, and others.
Handlebar (Left) and Handgrip with Braking (Right) Concept Image
Other than practicing the presentation and improving the slides, the Team also participated in two workshops this week. The HWLEE Prototyping Lab: facilities and usage workshop with Jeff Bielling, and the Emotional Intelligence workshop with Ian Baldwin.
Danilo, Hanson and Antoine inspecting the different tools in the HWLEE Prototyping Lab
Both of these workshops will prove essential to the success of this project, as they help and instruct the Team on the procedures and tools we have for prototyping, while advising us on how to become a more cohesive Team, moving and operating as a unit.
For next week, the Team will present the long-awaited PDR presentation, which we are confident we will crush, as we are all prepared for it.
RideOn! had an exciting week as the team completed the full assembly of the Rifton X330 Adaptive Tricycle! Seeing the trike finally built was a huge milestone, marking the shift from planning to hands-on progress. With the tricycle ready, the team can now better visualize the upcoming modifications and testing process.
Unpacking PartsFully Built Tricycle
This week also centered around preparing for the Preliminary Design Review (PDR). The team finalized and refined the first draft of the presentation slides, ensuring every section was clear and cohesive. During the PDR Peer Review, the group presented to their classmates and received valuable feedback, which was later discussed in the coach and liaison meeting. With these insights, the team feels well-prepared for the official PDR presentation next week.
Additionally, the team clarified how motor feedback assistance will operate in all instances of use and reorganized the Microsoft Teams communication channels for smoother coordination.
For next week, the team will move the tricycle to Dr. Cardenas’ office and focus on polishing the PDR presentation.
During this week RideOn! reached a decisive accomplishment, the Rifton Adaptive Tricycle finally arrived! This means the team can start building the tricycle while also taking measurements and gaining a better understanding of what we can do with it; most importantly, what limitations and freedoms the tricycle offers.
Package Box for the Rifton Adaptive Tricycle
This week, as usual, the team had no shortage of paperwork to complete. The monumental Preliminary Design Architecture document was finalized, with crucial content being done and researched by the team. With this work complete, the team now has a deep and fundamental understanding of the next steps for the project and what needs to be done to achieve its primary goals.
At this week’s Wednesday meeting, the team reached a critical benchmark, as for the first time, we switched the roles of the team members, having every member of the team have a new role in the project. Here is a list of the new assigned roles,
Team Leader – Hanson Tang
Meeting Facilitator/Timekeeper – Danilo Inestroza
Scribe – Antoine Martinez Beau
Research Librarian – David F. Castillo
Blog and Web Editor – Cesar Brasileiro de Alencar
Financial and Travel Coordinator – Arabella G. Readey
For next week, the team is looking forward to building the tricycle and eventually moving it to Dr. Cardenas’ office.
RideOn! made amazing progress this week! On Monday, we got the chance to meet with a DMD patient and Dr. Lott, research professor in physical therapy, to gain their perspectives and inputs on tricycle’s design. Thanks to them, we we’re able to gain valuable information on the range of mobility someone with DMD will typically have. Furthermore, we were able gain their insights on what they like and dislike about existing designs. Needless to say but this demonstration has completely reshaped how we approach our design ideas.
Not wanting to waste time, on Wednesday, RideOn! met and divided into two groups:
a mechanical team (MEs + BME)
an electrical team (EEs + CPE)
Within these two teams we brainstormed ideas based off the insight we got from Monday. Each team created multiple main and alternative design ideas in order to explore different solutions but also to act as a backup in case one idea becomes unfeasible later down the road.
RideOn! on Wednesday’s meeting
The mechanical teamThe electrical team
On Thursday, we met with our coach and liaisons (Dr. Cardenas, Dr. Stubbs, and Dr. Taivassalo respectively) to present our new design ideas and progress. In this meeting we gain valuable feedback on our concept generation. Such as for the adjustable hand crank and removable battery to circumvent weight constrictions.
Although we made tons of progress this week, we aren’t finished yet! We hope to continue into next week to expand ideas, unite the mechanical & electrical systems, and conduct more market research in the feasibility of our design ideas.
