DLab Prosthesis: Summer UROP begins

I (Annie) got approved for a summer UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) so I'll keep the blog updated even though the D-Lab Health class finished in May. D-Lab got a whole new lab space on Mass Ave, and it's very nice to have more space.

So progress...
for our final class presentation, Megan and I made a prototype and were able to evaluate its weak points. The major point that we want to fix is getting the vacuum to be strong enough. The first steps to fixing that involves maybe a new vacuum but more importantly getting better seals on the shells and making shells that are shaped so the vacuum doesn't have to hold them stretched out as far (the more stretch the more force required)
Another point that we had trouble with was the interior shell that held the coffee. The vacuum bags we bought were too big so we cut them and glued them back together. The only problem was glue failed, and so did guerrilla glue, hot glue, epoxy, giant clip, staples and anything else we tried to hold it closed. In the new lab to day I found a plastic sealer which i tested on a scrape bag that I had cut the bottom off. The sealer made a very strong seal(nobody could pull it apart) and I am very excited that something might work. Pictures are shown below of the wonderful seal