Javey Research Lab- Wearables
Project Partner: Samsung
The Javey Research Lab, a laboratory for materials and device innovation, focuses on sensors and actuators within the Electric Engineering and Computer Science Department at UC Berkeley.
As an undergraduate researcher at the Javey Research Lab, I worked on creating sleek, ergonomic, and easy-to-assemble wearables that help in determining a wide range of diagnostics for essential frontline workers like firefighters, paramedics, etc… Diagnostics were collected by measuring sweat flow rate using flexible electrodes. Each electrode is used to collect and measure one’s sweat flow rate, and after each use, the electrode is removed and replaced with a new one to ensure consistent measurements.
My research consisted of designing, modeling, and prototyping the housing for the electronics and electrodes, designing an optimized connection between the electrode and PCB (printed circuit board), and finally, integrating these two concepts.
At JRL, I worked through an iterative design process, where I would use SolidWorks to design low-fidelity prototypes and test them on a PLA printer. After testing, I would then use a Stereolithography (SLA) and/or an Objet multi-material printer to test high-quality prototypes. Testing generally consisted of ensuring that there was a secure connection between the PCB and the electrode (via admittance readings) in addition to ensuring a leak-free design.
