The inevitable end of an era has come :(( Team Novaflow 3.0 is done with our project!!! The Rice interns are headed back to Houston while the Poly interns will stay in the studio for another 2 months working on new projects. I can’t imagine the studio without all of the teams there!! I really wish we could have more time together!!

My time in Malawi has been amazing.  I’ve learned so much about life in just two months. I will always carry with me everything that I learned from my Malawian friends. Everyone that I met in Malawi was very motivated, kind, and down to earth. I can say that because of my new friends, I will always remember Malawi and I will make it a priority to come back again in my lifetime. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone but it was a little easier knowing that I will be back again and that I can reach them on WhatsApp or Facebook.

 

Day 45

Monday July 23, 2018

Done

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Finished Novaflow Project

 

Today we finished our project. We were so hard at work that we forgot to go to lunch! Demobrey and I looked up and everyone was gone haha. We finished the presentation, worked on our final report, and finished up our final prototype. The day went by really quickly and it was over just like that.

 

After work we went to pick up some shirts that we got made by Blantyre street tailors.  We also went to Veg delight for dinner for the last time.

 

Day 46

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Poly Library

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Final Presentations

 

This morning we all dressed up nicer than usual. We all wore business casual to formal clothes for our final presentations. At 10 AM we presented in the board room to the dean of engineering at the Poly, several lecturers and other guests. Each presentation was about 30 minutes long. Everyone’s presentations went really well and I’m so proud of all of the teams for our awesome work.

After presentations we all got to have free time for the rest of the day. My team and I had lunch at Nandos and we went around Blantyre again. When we got back to the Poly my team gave us a tour of the Poly library. It was really nice. It was pretty empty since most students have already finished their final exams and they are on holiday.

Day 47

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Don’t be sad

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Cleaned our table
2. Organized project documentation

Today we spent the day cleaning up our table and organizing the design studio. We also compiled all of our project documents to leave with our mentors at the Poly Design Studio. It was a really emotional day. My team and I went to the MCA cafeteria for the last time. The food was extra good today. We all had beef and nsima/rice. I said goodbye to the manager of the cafeteria and she said she had gotten used to seeing me and that they would miss me.  After lunch The Poly interns and the Rice interns exchanged gifts and said our final words. Tears were inevitable :’(.

 

We were let out early so Franklin, Alfred, Tebogo, Nafe, Taonga, Gloria, Kristofer, Prince, Demobrey and I went to play pool. It was a great way to spend our last afternoon together. Afterwards we all headed to Kabula and hung out for a bit. Alfred told us some scary stories, and we all chilled until eventually we had to say our final goodbyes. I wish we had had more time to hang out like we did today. I’m really going to miss everyone, especially my teammates (Taonga and Demobrey). There’s still so much that I want to see and do in Malawi, but time has run out for now.

Day 48

Thursday July 26, 2018

Chileka International Airport

 

This morning we woke up at 6 AM, had our last breakfast (peanut butter toast with tea) at Kabula and headed to the airport. We left at 7 AM and our flight was at 9:30 AM. The ride to the airport was sad. I took a last look at Blantyre: the beautiful scenery, the minibuses, people bustling on the streets, the Blantyre market, the vendors, and the beautiful, kind, caring, optimistic Malawian people. Until next time Malawi!

Day 49

Friday July 27, 2018

Home

Its really crazy being home again. We have so much here that many people take for granted. I knew I was blessed before going to Malawi, but now I believe that there isn’t anything that I can’t do given the resources in the USA. Thanks Malawi for everything. I’ll be back soon! https://youtu.be/HqCuMafDSBU

This week is our last full week in Malawi. Time really went by too quickly! I really tried to make the most out of this last week with my teammates and with our project. Taonga, Demobrey and I worked really hard to finish our final prototype this week. It’s been a very fulfilling journey! We learned a lot about electronics, suction machines and about ourselves. The obstacles we faced made our friendship stronger. I’m really proud of us! I love spending time with Taonga and Demobrey because I learn something new from them everyday. They’ve made my time in Malawi amazing!

 

Day 40

Monday July 16, 2018

Transistors

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Created working shutoff circuit without electrolysis

 

Today wifi was installed in the design studio! We now have 100 MB of data per day provided by Skyband when we sign in using our Facebook accounts. Using the wifi we did some research on water sensors. We found a resistance “sensor” circuit that used MOSFET transistors and we implemented this circuit into our existing relay circuit. We created a proof of concept and it worked!!! This circuit will eliminate the corrosion and the salt problem. Now we need to add a buzzer and fix up the soldering. We tried several ways of adding the buzzer and they all failed. We believe that we need to add another transistor in order for our circuit to work however we have to wait until tomorrow so that we can check the datasheets for the transistor online.

We didn’t do much after work because the weather was really cold and rainy. Everyone went straight home and bundled up. For some reason cold winter days in Malawi seem to last forever. Hopefully the weather will get better soon!

 

Day 41

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Polywood

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Got footage for a Rice-Poly internship video

 

Today we were trying to figure out how to add a second MOSFET transistor into the circuit so that we could include the buzzer. However, there was no internet so we couldn’t really figure it out without the datasheets. We then switched to working on a video of the internship. I took videos of Taonga, Nafe, and Demobrey walking on the street leading up to the Poly, walking into the Poly and then walking into the design studio. The interns looked like celebrities! They are really photogenic!! I also took some shots of the campus and the different departments. I’m really excited to make this video!!! I will post it to YouTube when its finished!!!

 

 

Day 42

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Try Again

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Understood how to use transistors

 

Again we were trying to add the buzzer all morning but to no success. Again we used up all of our data and worked on our video until tomorrow. We are definitely close since we figured out 1) which transistor is best to use since we have been trying different ones and 2) how to connect two transistors in series.

Since I’m not going to see my team for a while after I leave, we are going out to eat lunch at the mall. Today we went to Kipps, a very popular local fast food restaurant. Fast food restaurants are very fancy in Malawi. The food is also pretty good. It’s much better than fast food in the U.S. in my opinion.

Today was another really rainy and cold day. We all wore several layers to work and still felt cold! After work we went to dinner at a Chinese restraint called China Da. It was very authentic according to Angela. There’s actually a good amount of expats (foreigners) living in Malawi. Blantyre has a lot of Indian restaurants and a couple of Chinese restaurants. I have yet to see a Mexican restaurant, but apparently there is a Hispanic restaurant called Casa Latina.

 

Day 43

Thursday July 19, 2018

Success 2

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Created working buzzer and power interrupting circuit!

 

This morning before work Akshaya and I headed to the Rice 360 office to use the wifi. It really helped us to get on with our projects. After about an hour and a half I headed back to the Poly alone since Akshaya needed more time. When I got back we finally built a working circuit!! The buzzer and the relay work together now using three contact points just like we wanted.

 

For lunch we went to Kipps again to celebrate.. We sat outside because it was full inside, and it was really cold (remember its winter in Malawi right now). It has been really chilly in the design studio this entire week since the weather has gotten really bad. It has been raining on and off since Monday and its about 40-50 F everyday. Everyone has told us that this is the coldest week of the winter.

After lunch, our team was busy for the rest of the day. Demobrey and Taonga worked on our higher fidelity prototype. They made our circuit cleaner and a little more compact. In the meantime, I was making a bigger casing for our circuit on SolidWorks.

 

After work we (Rice interns) went to 21 grill. I got a sirloin steak that was really good. Sajel, Franklin and I shared a pretty good sorbet (guava and raspberry flavored).

 

Day 44

Friday July 20, 2018

PAM 2

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Received useful feedback on our final prototype at PAM

 

Today we took our device to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s PAM (Physical Assets Management) to 1) get feedback on our final prototype and 2) to get pictures and video footage for our final video and billboard.

We got a lot of helpful advice from the PAM managers and a lot of great pictures!

 

Day 45-46

Saturday-Sunday July 21-22, 2018

Last Weekend

 

Our last weekend in Malawi was well spent. On Saturday we all went to the Blantrye market for the last time and had lunch at KFC for the last time. It was a lot of fun to have the interns with us. After lunch I walked around Blantyre till sunset with my teammates Taonga and Demobrey. We ate at crossroads mall for the last time. On Sunday I went to church with Demobrey at Chilobwe Catholic church. There were a few differences in the service compared to the one I go to at home but overall it was very similar. After church I spent the day with Demobrey and his neighbor Limbani in his hostel in Chilobwe. Again everyone was very kind, funny and welcoming. I’m going to miss Malawian people.

This week truly revolved around our team adding a buzzer to our prototype. This took us on a rollercoaster of options and emotions. This was definitely one of the more challenging weeks in the internship for our team, but we figured it out in the end! I’ve also been appreciating my Malawian colleagues a lot this week. Visiting their homes/rooms has been a truly amazing experience. I really appreciate their motivation, dedication, kindness, patience, optimism and so much more. I’m truly lucky to be working with my teammates (Taonga and Demobrey) and the other interns.

 

Day 33

Monday July 9, 2018

Its okay

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Tested buzzer circuit

 

After the long weekend, Francis and Andrew are back from their Rice 360 retreat. We updated them on our team’s progress and they liked the concept overall. Now we are trying to add a buzzer and a female outlet (to plug suction machine straight into our device) to our prototype for our presentation on Friday.

 

We hit a road bump when trying to add the buzzer to the circuit. We wanted to test out the buzzer circuit and in the process of soldering the buzzer into the existing circuit, the transformer circuit from the phone charger stopped working. I’m not really sure what happened, but my best guess is that we fried it by accidentally soldering together pins that weren’t supposed to be connected.

 

Our team was very down about this, but I reassured them that it was fine and that we could replace it easily. Demobrey replied to this by saying that it wasn’t fine. Which I responded to by saying “well it happened already so we have to move forward.  Its okay”. He said “yes its okay, but its not fine”. In my head both meant the same thing. This really made me think about my choice of words. It’s really important in terms of communication especially on cross-cultural teams.

 

After this blow, we took a break and went to lunch. Demobrey and Taonga (my teammates) took Franklin (Rice intern) and I to a cafeteria at the Malawi College of Accounting (MCA) which is right next to the Poly. It’s their favorite place to eat. I now love this place too! They sell a lot of fresh foods like chicken stew, fried chicken, beef stew, chips (French fries), nsima (a mashed potato like food made of maize flour), fried veggies, beans, and rice. It was really good. Again, we were given plates but no utensils. Eating nsima with my hands was fun and manageable (its like playdough!).

After lunch, Demobrey went out to find another phone charger that we could take apart for our circuit. Meanwhile, Taonga and I tested the buzzer circuit on its own (not in the actual prototype circuit) with a 9V battery (instead of a phone charger). It worked but the problem is that the contacts are corroding. This is the same problem as with the water level shut off circuit because both are working off of the principal of electrolysis. Since this is a repeating problem we are going to begin looking into a new circuit design that will eliminate the need for electrolysis.

 

When we got home for the day, the power was out again so I watched The Lion King with Sajel and Akshaya. We ate cereal for dinner and went to sleep. Today wasn’t a great day … but tomorrow is a new day.

 

Day 34

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Poly Hostels

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Fixed the original shut off circuit with new charger
2. Tested buzzer circuit
3. Designed and 3D printed a hose adapter
4. Visited Taonga’s hostel

 

When we got to the design studio we immediately began fixing our prototype by adding the new charger. We also added a second pair of contact points for the buzzer into the circuit. However when we tested the circuit, it didn’t work as we had thought. We had created a short circuit by having two contact points so  neither the relay nor the buzzer were switched when the water touched the contact points.

 

We also had some help from Kristoffer in the design of a 3D printed hose adapter for our external bottle attachment. I was also heping Matthews from Team Mathermal with the adjustment of the Mathermal circuit casing using Solidworks. Finally my team and I brainstormed possible ideas for the videos and posters for the Lemelson foundation.

After work I went over to Taonga’s and Timothy’s rooms. They live at the Poly hostels which are kind of like off campus rooms. It was like a block of rooms in rows. I met Taonga’s roommate (Gracious), Timothy’s roommate (Alfred), Taonga’s Neighbor (Sungeni), and many others who came by. They were all really cool and we talked about everything from Cuba to Jeff Bazos. I felt super welcome and the guys even cooked dinner for me. We all shared dinner from two plates. (Malawi is a very community oriented society) Visiting the Poly hostels was a really humbling experience. It really made me appreciate all of the Poly students for the effort that they put in to get an education. Even with the power outages, the mosquitos, the lack of wifi, the lack of transportation and other obstacles they are working hard to graduate as engineers. There’s a lot that we take for granted in the USA. I will always keep this in mind when I’m back in the U.S. where we have so many opportunities.

Day 35

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Apologies

 

Goals Accomplished.

1. Finalized billboard and video ideas
2. Brainstormed new buzzer circuit
3. Solved team conflict

 

This morning we settled on a storyline for our video of the internship and we came up with an idea for the Poly-Rice 360 Billboard. We also began thinking of different ways to add the buzzer into our circuit. Eventually my team and I got into a disagreement about adding the buzzer. We were all a bit upset so we just gave each other some space. We didn’t even have lunch together today. I went to SPAR with the Rice interns. I think we all thought about the situation and by the end of the day we had all apologized to each other and resumed adding the buzzer. It was a great moment for me and my team :’).  We even had a group hug at the end of the day. I love Taonga and Demobrey. I was so happy. I really appreciate them.

 

Day 36

Thursday July 12, 2018

Gloria’s Hostel

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Finished presentation for tomorrow
2. Designed laser-cut circuit casing for prototype presentation

 

Today was another slow day. We had another setback. We broke another phone charger transformer circuit. It kind of was a mini explosion. I’m really thankful that nobody was hurt. I also made sure to remind the team about the safety guidelines of working with electronics. After that we just fixed the prototype for tomorrows presentation. I used solidworks to design a casing for our circuit. We lasercut it and finished our powerpoint presentation. The presentation is an update on our work so far.

 

Today we didn’t go straight home as usual. Instead took a minibus to Gloria’s house. We met Lucy, Chimango, Waku, and others.  Demobrey was the only intern there besides Gloria because of transportation issues. Gloria was very welcoming and she cooked us a huge meal all by herself using two electric plates. Props to her for inviting all of the interns to her hostel. This was the only time we all (all the rice interns) went to anybody’s hostel. It’s definitely a lot of effort to host many people in your room because it is culturally unacceptable to invite people to your house without having food. I really appreciate Gloria’s effort from the beginning of the internship to welcome us to Malawi.

Day 37

Friday July 13, 2018

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Presentations

 

We had our presentations early in the morning. We got a lot of really good feedback for our project. As we were already thinking, our mentors (Francis and Andrew) recommended that we look into other shutoff circuits.  We plan on creating a new circuit to eliminate the corrosion issue and the need for salt in the fluids (for conductivity) because our current prototype isn’t very practical.

Day 38-39

Saturday-Sunday July 14-15, 2018

Hanging out in Blantyre

 

This weekend I hung out with friends in Blantyre. I went with Angela and Nafe (poly intern) to the Blantrye Market on Saturday. We had a great day shopping and eating at the KFC in Blantyre. KFC is surprisingly fancy here compared to the U.S. It also tastes a lot better. On Sunday I met up with my friend Chimwemwe ( a Poly graduate who I met in Houston) and I got to meet her family as well. It was a great weekend and I felt like I fit in perfectly in Malawi. I felt like I got to experience a true Malawian weekend in Blantyre for once.

The next few blog posts are from the last few weeks of the internship! I wrote a blog each week but had little time (and wifi!) to post them.

This week we made a lot of progress on our device. Francis and Andrew (Studio managers) were out of town the whole week for a retreat so we were working independently a lot of the time. We also had a short week (3 day weekend) because of Malawian independence day. On the weekend we got to travel to lake Malawi. It was really beautiful and a huge tourist attraction. The highlight of my weekend was visiting my teammate Demobrey’s home in Zomba. I feel like I’m beginning to get a lot closer with my teammates now!

 

Day 26

Monday July 2, 2018

Poly Cafeteria

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Designed the power shut off circuit for our device
2. Created a proof of concept circuit prototype

 

Francis and Andrew left this morning to their Rice 360 team retreat. They named myself and Alfred (one of the Poly interns) as the ones in charge while they were gone. We were responsible for arriving early, unlocking the design studio and the office (where all of the electrical components and other expensive tools/devices are kept). We also had to keep track of all of the components that people borrowed and make sure that everyone was making good progress. I’m very honored to have been chosen!

That same day, we were figuring out the circuit for our device. The circuit needs to shut off the suction machine when water overflows from the collection jar. We thought of a very simple circuit using an electrical component that acts as a switch and some metal contacts in water which would also act as a switch/sensor of sorts.

 

To build our circuit prototype, we used a relay (switch) and a transformer (to step down the voltage from 240 V to 5 V because the relay can only handle 9 V max, and 5V is less dangerous) from a phone charger. At first we were trying to figure out the pin configuration of the relay online, but the wifi isn’t very reliable. Thankfully, I ran into Tebogo (a Poly student who hangs out in the studio sometimes) who explained the pin out of the relay. Quickly after, we got a working proof of concept prototype using a relay, a rechargeable battery, a cup of water and a lightbulb.

I also finally ate lunch at the Poly cafeteria with my teammate Taonga. The Rice interns were worried that the food would make us sick, but it was fine and I will definitely be eating there from now on. It was a very different dining experience. Some groups of friends were piling all of their food into one large food for sharing. Others brought their own plates and forks. We like most others were eating off of styrofoam containers with our hands. I’m really not used to eating with my hands, but I think with time I will get more comfortable with it. It seems simple but there’s actually a technique to eating rice with your hands!

 

Day 27

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Amazing Goop

 

Goals Accomplished

 

1. Organized power shut off circuit
2. Created “water sensor” part of our device

 

After confirming that our circuit would work, we began to incorporate it into a working prototype. We did a lot of soldering and used a lot of electrical tape to contain our circuit in a small cardboard box. The small box contained the relay, the 5V phone charger transformer circuit, and the connections to the main power supply (240 V from the outlet).

We also created an airtight jar to contain our contact points (“water sensor”). This jar will then be attached to the suction tubes on the suction pump machine in between the collection jar and the motor. The idea is that when the collection jar overflows, it will overflow first into our device and when the contacts touch the liquid the suction machine will shutoff before any motor damage occurs. Our device jar was just an old peanut butter jar that we punctured holes in to attach the hoses. We used a sealant called Amazing Goop to make our jar airtight and let it dry overnight.

 

After work we (Rice interns) went rock climbing which seems to be popular among Ex-Pats (foreigners). It was a good workout and a little scary because there was no belay (ropes).

Day 28

Wednesday July 4, 2018

First Success

 

Goals Accomplished

1. Created an airtight water sensor container
2. Tested the container for airtightness using a syringe
3. Documented our working prototype on camera

 

When we got to the design studio today, the Amazing Goop sealant on the device jar was completely dry. We tested to see if the jar was actually airtight by covering one end of the tubes while sucking air out of the other tube using a syringe. The container contracted when we did that meaning it was definitely somewhat airtight. We also poured water into the container and flipped it upside down to check for any leaks. There were none.

Afterwards we combined the device jar with our circuit prototype to complete our first working prototype!! We were so excited that we made a video demonstrating how the device would work. The video captured the prototype in action by turning on and off a lightbulb when the copper wires came in contact with salt water (in real life the bulb represents the suction pump machine). Note: We have to add a lot of salt to the water for our device to successfully shut off the machine. (Major drawback of this prototype)

IMG_4109-1kob09w

After work today, we went to a café for dinner. The food was really good and there was also a poetry reading. The poetry was written by local Malawian students which was really cool. The topics ranged from school to love to politics.

Day 29

Thursday July 5, 2018

Feedback

 

Goals Accomplished:

1. Obtained feedback on our device from hospital medical device maintenance unit

 

Since we created a working prototype, we wanted to get feedback on it at the Queen Elizabeth hospital Physical Assets Management aka PAM which is the medical device maintenance unit. We wanted to know what improvements can be made to our water sensor jar (is it air tight, does it obstruct air flow at all/normal operation of the machine?). We also wanted to know how we could improve our circuit.

 

After visiting the PAM we learned that we may want to add a buzzer to our device so that the nurses will be alerted before the machine turns off. We also want to try different methods of attaching the device to the suction machine so that our device isn’t hanging in midair. Since we want the suction machine to plug straight into our device instead of to the wall, we also talked about the kinds of plugs that each suction machine has so we know what kind of female outlets to buy for future prototypes.

Day 30-32

Friday-Sunday

Republic day weekend

 

We woke up bright and early Friday morning to go to Lake Malawi in Mangochi. We hired a private minibus to take us there. The drive was 5 hours long. When we finally arrived we went straight to the lake. It was really beautiful. The nights were also really nice because we could see so many stars. We tried some of the local fish and went on a boat tour of the lake. We also got to go snorkeling and we fed an eagle. It was a nice weekend!

On our way home I stopped in Zomba, Demobrey’s hometown, to visit his family and their home. His mom’s name is Shalome and she made us Nsima with fish and veggies. I’m really thankful to Demobrey for taking me to his home. It was a very great experience. I truly got to see the real, everyday Malawi not the tourist part of it (Safaris, the Lake, etc). It was really nice and I hope to be able to do this with more of the Poly interns. I can’t visit many of the interns families since many of them aren’t from Blantyre. For example Taonga is from a city in the north (about 12 hours away). However, I plan on visiting their hostels (their temporary rooms/dorms).

 

This week we started by going on hospital visits with our new teams and projects. We also had some time to begin working on the projects. My team is working on a device to turn of suction pump machines when the collection jar is full to avoid motor damage (The Novaflow).

 

Day 19

Monday June 25, 2018

Zomba aka Texas

 

Goals

1. Get specific information from nurses on the suction pumps
2. Get feedback on existing Novaflow prototype (no overflow device)

 

My team went to Zomba District Hospital first along with the Mathermal team. I traveled with Francis, Akshaya, Matthew, Taonga, Kristofer, Timothy, and Demobrey. One of my teammates (Demobrey) is from Zomba. Zomba is apparently nicknamed Texas (still not really sure why).  On our way to the hospital we played some ice breakers to get to know each other. The interns have also been teaching us Chichewa (the local language)! They often speak Chichewa so its useful to learn. The visit was really informational and we have a better idea of what kind of device is needed.

 

 

Day 20

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Thyolo

 

Goals

1. Get specific information from nurses based on our projects
2. Get feedback on existing Novaflow prototype (no overflow device)

 

The hospital visit in Thyolo was very informational as well. We found some discrepancies in the problems reported with the suction device but overall there definitely a need for the Novaflow device. On our ride to Thyolo we learned about some local Malawian myths. For example, there is a rock that was moved when the road to Thyolo was being built and it magically moved itself back so nobody wants to touch it because they believe the rock can make you disappear. On our ride back we also stopped at a local street market and bought fresh avocados, papayas, tangerines, bananas, and sugar cane.  The ride back was really fun because the Poly interns were teaching us to eat sugar cane. They were all super fast and we could barely chew through the bark!

Summary of Hospital Visit Observations

1. Hospitals have many different models of suction devices

1. 1. Different size containers
   2. Multiple containers vs one container
   3. Foot switch vs automatic
   4. Different suction seal

2. Many suction machines originally include overflow protectors

1. 1. Containers must be washed very often
   2. The floating protectors get lost when washing

3. Varying problems with the suction machine in each hospital
4. Operating theatre (surgery) experiences overflow of suction machine most often

 

Current Novaflow Prototype

 

How it works

The Current Novaflow prototype uses an infrared phototransistor and a transceiver on the same side of a small plastic attachment. When water reaches the level of the phototransistor, the water causes the light to bend. The light is then sensed by the transceiver and activates a circuit that shuts off the suction device.

Advantages

1. No contact with infectious fluids/secretions
2. Completely shuts off the device in case of overflow

Disadvantages

1. Only works for one type of glass container
2. Has only been tested with water like fluids

Next Steps Based On Hospital Observations

1. Create a new device with inspiration from hospital observations and feedback on existing prototype
2. New Design Criteria
   1. Adaptable to work with all suction pumps
   2. Low cost
   3. Easy to use
   4. Easy to disinfect

 

Day 21

Wednesday June 27, 2018

First Team Presentation

 

Goals:

1. Present Hospital findings.

 

After the hospital visits we had to present our findings to our peers and mentors. It was the first time my team had to truly work together. We were able to smoothly present despite only having a couple of hours to prepare for the presentations!

Day 22

Thursday June 28, 2018

A fresh start

 

Goals

1. Begin the engineering design process for our project

 

After the hospital visits, we decided to create a completely new Novaflow device (instead of improving the current prototype). Today we began researching some existing devices that shut off power from machines to get inspiration for our project. For example, we looked at how a surge protector works. We also began brainstorming possible ideas for our new Novaflow design.

 

Day 23

Friday June 29, 2018

Selecting a design concept

Goals

1. Select a final design concept for the Novaflow

 

Friday was busy because we went through the entire engineering process to finalize our design ideas. We were able to finalize our design criteria, as well as assign the criteria weights (rank them in order of importance). We also created Pugh scoring matrices to select our final design idea.  We will be creating a simple external connector to the suction device that is activated when liquids touch two metal contacts (close a circuit) and activate a normally closed relay to cut power from the machine.

 

Day 24

Saturday-Sunday  June 30-31, 2018

Braii!

 

This weekend we invited the Poly interns over to our lodge for a Braii (Malawian barbecue). We had a lot of fun making chicken, beef kebabs, rice, green beans, and fruit salad. We also listened to a lot of great Malawian music. On Sunday, I went to church with Nafe (one of the Poly interns). It was a very interesting experience. It was unlike any other church I’ve ever been to. There was a lot of dancing and shouting. I’m glad I went!