Development of a rotor blade with optimized aerodynamics to propel a quadcopter
Sustainable mobility concepts are playing an increasingly important part in today's social developments. As a promising mode of future transportation, quadcopters play a special role, and their further development and optimization is being advanced along many disciplines. Even in my hometown of Zurich this trend has not passed by without leaving its marks. Since 2019, the Swiss National Postal Service has been testing autonomous means of transport together with the Zurich University Hospital as part of a pilot project. However, quadcopters are not exclusively used for transportation purposes. Geologists use them for landscape modeling and the insurance industry utilizes them for damage assessment. Quadcopters have also become an integral part of photography and agriculture, where they are used for pest control, for example [2]. I first became intensively involved with quadcopters in 2017, when I received a hobby model for my birthday in the form of the Mavic Pro from the Chinese company Da-Jiang Innovations Science and Technology Co., Ltd (DJI). In October of the same year, I completed an internship in the biofluid mechanics department of the Institute for ImplantTechnology and Biomaterials e.V., where I studied the aerodynamics of airfoils. With my Mavic Pro in my backpack, I had the idea to develop and prototype my own functional rotor for my quadcopter as part of my upcoming Swiss Matura thesis paper. The rotor would be considered functional if it generates enough lift to keep the quadcopter hovering. The focus of this project was the investigation of aerodynamic properties. The influence of other factors, such as the material used, was not the primary focus of the work and therefore not investigated in detail.
Design and Prototyping of a Low-Cost Ventilator for Rural Hospitals
This report includes the design and prototyping of a portable automatic bag-valve mask (BVM), or commonly known as the Ambu bag. This development is for use in emergency transport, resource-poor environments, and mass casualty cases like the COVID-19 pandemic. This device replaces the need for human operators whose job is to squeeze the BVMs for extended periods of time. The prototype is made from a stainless-steel skeleton, measuring 470 x 240 x 230 mm, with the addition of acrylic coverings. A repurposed motor from a car is used to drive the squeezing arm. The speed of the arm for inspiration and expiration along with the pausing time between each breath can be adjusted with this prototype. It also features an LCD screen to display the arm speed, along with real-time pressure graph displayed on both phones and computer monitors. For future versions, an app is to be developed to enable the control of the automatic bag-valve mask from phones and tablets, further creating ease for users and increasing portability. Additionally, important requirements will be added: alarm system for over pressurization, control for inspiration to expiration ratio, number of breaths per minute, control for tidal volume, pressure relief valve, and assist-control mode. The cost of this prototype is approximately $430. With this design of an automatic BVM, it allows for the production of a ventilator-like technology that will be able to perform main functions of basic ventilators at a fraction of the current cost.
AUTONOMIC HEATING GLOVES
In today's world, medicine is very advanced, thanks to which many diseases that were previously considered incurable, are now treated almost all over the world. But, unfortunately, some diseases are still incurable and can only facilitate their course. One such disease is Raynaud's disease or Raynaud's syndrome. Statistics show that worldwide the percentage of patients with this disease is 3-4%. Raynaud's disease is a paroxysmal spasm of the arteries of the fingers of the hand, rarely the feet when cooling the extremities. As mentioned earlier, this disease is incurable. That is why the creation of a device that can help people overcome many inconveniences due to the inability to stay in the cold without gloves or the problem of discomfort in heated gloves is relevant. And one of the solutions to this problem is to create special heated gloves. This work is also relevant, because even existing treatments, such as medication and conservative, do not completely solve the problem of reducing the sensitivity of the hands when cooled or even the slightest moisture on the palms. Also, these methods are very expensive, so our device will be cheaper and more affordable than existing ones. When using our gloves together with the two already mentioned methods, the treatment will be more effective. Unfortunately, medical and conservative treatments will lead to complications over time, so we not only maintain sensitivity in the hands, but also prevent further amputation of the upper extremities and the emergence of human health problems associated with the effects of drugs on the whole body. Nowadays, people work hard to be able to live well, but it is difficult for people with Raynaud's phenomenon to do so, as the sensitivity of the upper extremities decreases during the exacerbation of the disease. It is important for us to maintain the sensitivity of the hands by normalizing the thermal balance of the hands, which leads to the elimination of spasms of the atria of the hand. The aim of the work is to create a simple and effective means to normalize and maintain the thermal balance of the upper extremities, in order to reduce the loss of sensitivity of the hands in patients, as well as reduce the likelihood of spasms of the arteries of the fingers. The subject of the study is the course of Raynaud's disease and the current treatments for it. The aim of the study is the creation of special gloves that can stop spasms of arteries and maintain blood flow in them by balancing the heat balance in the hand, and depriving patients of the disease during their wearing During the work the following tasks were set: - to theoretically investigate the peculiarities of Raynaud's disease; - to analyze the existing clothes on the market with heating; - to develop and improve its own design of heated gloves, which will be affordable and easy to use. - calculate the cost of gloves taking into account all factors
Using EEG Neuro-Feedback technology to control a prosthetic hand
Unaffordable healthcare and excessive plastic waste are both alarming issues that are plaguing modern society. Recent studies conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) report that about 15% of the world's population suffer from a form of disability, of which 50% of the demographic cannot afford adequate health care. Furthermore, 8 million metric tons of plastic annually enter our oceans (apart from the 150 metric tons that currently circulate our oceans!). In conjunction to the global plastic pollution crisis, unnecessary invasive surgery is currently being done on amputees. Many of these desperate patients are forced to pay exorbitant prices in order to live a normal life with bionic prosthetics. The solution… Project Limbs - an EEG, 3D printed prosthetic printed from recycled plastic. Signal processors will be implemented to build an affordable and easy-to-use ‘mind controlled prosthetic hand’, that requires no invasive surgery.