Prizes
Awards and Nominations
Our project won the BraunPrize and was announced as the BraunPrize Public Voting Winner! Next to that, it has been nominated for the UX Design Awards 2021 in the category New Talent!
01. Project Info
Digital Microscopy for Everyone
The EduScope is a low-cost digital microscope to improve the training of medical professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa. In low-income countries, students often don’t have access to microscopes due to limited resources. The WeScope incorporates necessary functions to teach medical students basic microscopy and prepares them for their future professional practice. It is designed to be producible and repairable in local manufacturing facilities, supporting the local economy and ensuring availability.
02. The Process
Digital Microscopy for Everyone
In this project, the starting point was an idea (“Build a microscope for African Universities”) which was developed into a functional digital microscope. Various generations of prototypes were developed and tested with stakeholders from Africa. The project ended with a well-functioning prototype which could be easily built and be repaired locally.
Within this project, the mechatronic and electronic systems were my main responsibility.
Context & Exploration
The context for which the microscope would be used was explored, various stakeholders were interviewed and the basics of (digital) microscopy were researched.
Concept Development
Different configurations of components were tested, and the final concept was generated. Next to that, ideation on aesthetics and manufacturability was done.
Building & Testing
Multiple sprints were done with a working prototype as the end result of the sprint. Every time, improving the functionality, usability and/or manufacturability of the microscope.
After establishing contact with the Kenyan Red Cross, they put us in contact with various local stakeholders such as teachers, medical students and employees of manufacturing facilities. Regular meetings with all stakeholders were organized to get familiar to the context and needs. The various stakeholders were mapped, based on their involvement and power, but also their ideal position was mapped.
After many interviews and discussions with the various stakeholders were performed and the context and basic optical principles had been explored, the following design statement was generated:
“Design a locally producible, repairable and upgradeable digital microscope that is cost efficient, which can be used by medical students in Sub-Sahara African universities as a stepping stone towards high-end (digital) microscopy”
Context & Exploration
The context for which the microscope would be used was explored, various stakeholders were interviewed and the basics of (digital) microscopy were researched.
Concept Development
Different configurations of components were tested, and the final concept was generated. Next to that, ideation on aesthetics and manufacturability was done.
Building & Testing
Multiple sprints were done with a working prototype as the end result of the sprint. Every time, improving the functionality, usability and/or manufacturability of the microscope.
Different configurations were considered regarding the controll of the microscope: completely manual, completely automated or a hybrid version. Whereas manual control allows for a more authentic learning experience and is the cheapest option. On the other hand, automated control allows for additional functions such as autofocus and sample scanning, but it makes the microscope more dependent on reliable power and it add extra costs.
Eventually, it was chosen to control the X- and Y-Axes manually and the Z-axis electrical. In this was, the educational aspect is still present and autofocus functionality can be implemented, while limiting costs.
For this configuration, an aesthetic language was built and ideation on the shape and easy manufacturing and repairing was done.
Context & Exploration
The context for which the microscope would be used was explored, various stakeholders were interviewed and the basics of (digital) microscopy were researched.
Concept Development
Different configurations of components were tested, and the final concept was generated. Next to that, ideation on aesthetics and manufacturability was done.
Building & Testing
Multiple sprints were done with a working prototype as the end result of the sprint. Every time, improving the functionality, usability and/or manufacturability of the microscope.
During the project, multiple prototypes were made serving different purposes. The first (wooden) prototype functioned mainly as a test hub for different camera’s and other optical components, whereas later prototypes focused on developing the optimal structure for the microscope. Because of the heavy vibrations that occured in the microscope with the PMMA housing, it was decided to continue developing the microscope with the aluminum structure.
For this metal structure, two more iterations were done focusing on improving the ergonomics, aesthetics and functionality, as well as making sure that repairing the device would be easier. After finishing a prototype, user tests were executed to see if the changes that were made had the desired effect on the usability of the microscope.
The 3D models of parts that should be 3D-printed or laser cut were sent to local manufacturers in Kenya where they printed the various parts of our design in different materials. These parts were then shipped back to the Netherlands for us to evaluate the tolerances and quality of the local manufacturing facilities and adjust our design to fit to the manufacturing capabilities.
03. The Result
Digital Microscopy for Everyone
The result after 10 weeks of prototyping, testing and evaluating: A digital microscope that can be made for €460,- in local maker spaces in Sub-Saharan African countries. The prototype can easily be repaired since it uses off-the-shelf electronical components such as Raspberry Pi and the 3D-print files are made open-source.
EduScope
The EduScope incorporates necessary functions to teach medical students basic microscopy and to improve their study experience. It is designed to be producible and repairable in Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting the local economy and ensuring availability.
-
Date
July 2, 2021
-
Skills
Python, Rendering, Electronics, 3D Printing, Materialization
-
Client
INSPiRED, Red Cross Kenya
