College of Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Fall 2019

Senior Design Project Report

Design of a Low-Cost Smart Digital

Microscope

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Team Members

Student Name Student ID

Mohammad S. Aldawas 201401652
Salem O. Bagaafar* 201400243
Nasser Alammari 201301787
Ibrahim Alsamhan 201303769
Mamdouh Albati 201300309

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 Acknowledgement

We have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have in this appearance
without the kind support and help of many individuals in the university, of both students and
instructors. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of them. We are highly indebted to
our Dean and chair of Mechanical Engineering department for their guidance and supervision on
the college, as well as to Dr. Bouchaib for providing necessary information regarding the project
& also for his guidance and supervision in completing the project. We would like to express our
gratitude towards our parents & members of our university faculty for their co-operation and
encouragement which help us in completion of this project.

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 Abstract

Microscopic examination is currently being considered as the best and the most efficient
method as a process for diagnosing several equatorial diseases. In addition, as a further factor of
consideration, it is important in the process of examination of these diseases to use proper
instruments for the microscopic examination of parasites. Because of the rapid growth of
technology smart mobile devices, mobile health monitoring begun to play a main role in various
engineering applications. In the light of that fact, we in this project are going to design a 3D printed
microscope structure that is attachable to a wide range of electronic devices for the quick and
efficient examination. Microscopes play an important role in the inspection of a very small objects
which is unexaminable with just eyes. The main issues of the conventional microscopes are as
following, it is not money-saving cheap and cannot be handled easily because of their weight.
Therefore, in this project we are aiming to design such a microscope that is practical, easy to use,
can able to magnify 500X, with the low production cost and with low price.

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 List of Tables

Table # 1.3: Project specifications ……………………………………………………………09

Table # 3.2: ASTM Standards….. …………………………………………………………….15

Table # 5.1: Project plan ……….. ……………………………………………………………24

Table # 5.1(a): Assigned members for tasks….. ………………………………………………26

Table # 5.2: Contributions of member…………………………………………………………27

Table # 5.3: Dates of Activities and events…………………………………………………….29

Table # 5.5: Project bill of material……………………………………………………………31

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 List of Figures

Figure # 2.1 Image of resolution target ………………………………………………….…….12

Figure # 3.1: Danielle Collins…………………….…………………………………………...17

Figure # 3.4: Screw Knob….………………………………………………..............................19

Figure #3.4 (a): Stand ……………………………………………………………………….....19

Figure # 3.4 (b): Pinion …….…………………………………………………………………..20

Figure # 3.4 (c): Optical tube...……………….………………………………………………..20

Figure # 3.4 (d): Phone stand 1….…………………………………………..............................20

Figure # 3.4 (e): Phone stand 2….…………………………………………..............................20

Figure # 3.4 (f): Head Block…………………………………………………………………….21

Figure # 3.4 (g): Mobile stand……………….……………………………………………….....21

Figure # 3.4 (h): Assembly…………………………………………….....................................21

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 Table of Contents

Abstract 1
Acknowledgment 2
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Project Definition 8
1.2 Project Objectives 8
1.3 Project Specification 9
1.4 Project Application 9
Chapter 2: Literature Review 10
2.1 Project Background 10
2.2 Previous Work 10
2.3 Comparative Work 11
Chapter 3: System Design 13
3.1 Design Constraints and Design Methodology 13
3.1.1: geometrical Constraints 13
3.1.2: Sustainability 13
3.1.3: Environmental concern 13
3.1.4: Social Impact 14
3.1.5: Economic 14
3.1.6: Safety 14
3.1.7 Ethics 15
3.2 Engineering Design Standards 15
3.3 Product Subsystems and selection of Components 16
3.3.1: Rack and Pinion Calculations: 16
3.3.2 Lens and Magnification Equations: 18
3.3.3 Product Subsystems and selection of Components 18
3.4 Theory and Theoretical Calculations 19
3.4 Manufacturing and Assembling 18

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Chapter 4: System Testing and Analysis 22
4.1 Experimental Setup, Sensors and Data Acquisition System 22
4.1.1: Smart Phone 22
4.1.2: Comparative Study
4.2 Results, Analysis and Discussion 22
Chapter 5: Project Management 24
5.1 Project Plan 24
5.2 Contribution of Team Members 27
5.3 Project Execution Monitoring 29
5.4 Challenges and Decision Making 29
5.4.1: Equipment and Device problem 30
5.4.2: Testing and Safety Issues 30
5.5 Project Bill of Materials and Budget 31
Chapter 6: Project Analysis 32
6.1 Life Long Learning 32
6.1.1: Software Skills 32
6.1.2: Hardware Skills 32
6.1.3: Time Management 32
6.1.4: Project Management 33
6.2 Impact of Engineering Solutions 33
6.2.1: Society 33
6.2.2: Economy 33
6.2.3: Environment 34
6.3 Contemporary Issues Addressed 34
Chapter 7: Conclusions and Future Recommendations 35
7.1 Conclusion 35
7.2 Future Recommendations 35

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Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Project Definition

In this project, with the guidance of the advisor, our group is going to design a lightweight
microscope that is attachable to smart cell phones and tablets to use its camera as a microscope.
Since we want to construct a cost-effective design so we have decided to use 3D printing
technology. First, it satisfied our goal, the second point is that the parts made by 3D printing are
easily replaceable and reproducible. Moreover, in this project, we are using a power LED and two
convex lenses whose focal lengths are different, i.e. objective (which is near to the object and less
focal length) and the eyepiece (From where the subject is going to be seen and have a larger focal
length). The optical center of both of these lenses lie on the same line and joined through an
adjustable tube. The output result is greatly magnified and inverted. Since the microscope is used
to see very small objects like bacteria so it has nothing to do with the inverted image. This project
can play a significant role in health applications specially in the third world and poor countries
which need urgent medical instruments but cannot afford for it.

1.2 Project Objectives

Our project is based on the following objectives:

 Design and construct a cost-effective microscope.

 Domesticate the capabilities of 3D printing in daily applications.

 Portable, lightweight and user-friendly device capable of getting magnified images.

 A device that can be attachable to electronic devices and gives 500X precision images.

 Mobile health monitoring by the diagnosis of diseases in remote areas.

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1.3 Project Specifications

The project specifications of our experiment are listed in the given table below.

Table # 1.3 Project specification

Item Measurements
Convex Lenses 12-30 mm
Stand Base 5 cm long
Nut & Bolts 5 mm
LED Light 3.7 volts
Battery 9 volts
Recyclable Material 500 grams

1.4 Project Applications

The are several interesting applications of our project which are listed below

 It can be used in laboratory for the diagnosis of vital diseases.

 It provides rural health facilities due to its portability and ease of use.
 It can be used in the identification of Malaria and lymphatic filariasis.
 Use of diagnostic imaging and telemedicine.
 Use in taking micrographs of blood smears.
 Secondary educational applications to perform practical.
 It can be used to examine rocks, minerals and materials.
 It has the forensic applications in the detection of an evidence.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Project background

The microscope is a device that uses normal visible light to convert intensively small
objects into a magnified image which can be seen through the naked eye. We are living in a modern
era where technology has brought revolutionized change. It has completely changed the human
life from the field of economics to medical and now targeting the human body and emotions.
Ultimately, it gave birth to many physical applications. The diagnosis of medical diseases with the
help of using smart technologies like smart mobile devices is spreading like a virus. This is due to
the fact that mobile technology has become very easy to use and it doesn’t have the portability
issues. Moreover, the availability of medical staff in remote areas is also a great problem. So, by
considering this fact we aimed to design such a device that can easily address all those listed
problems.

2.2 Previous Work

There is a lot of research has been done in the past few years to convert the smartphone
into an economical microscope and have gained significant results. The idea that we are going to
propose is unique and outsmarts all that previous work that has been done. Due to the technological
advancements, it has been found that smart microscope allows mobile devices to detect and study
malaria (Pirnstill and Coté 2015) and sperms analysis (Su et al. 2010). A simpler low-cost mobile
device microscopy with a reversed camera was designed in a way that can facilitate to image blood
cells (Switz, D’Ambrosio, and Fletcher 2014). Recently, (Ame et al. 2013) a mobile microscope
was used for the diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminth infection by using a ball lens but it limits
the effectiveness of their device. 3D printed smart mobile devices microscope with the ability to
get 1000x magnification with the suitable resolution is recommended by (Rosado et al. 2017) but
had some issues in their 3D printed parts and networking problems.

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 Instead of using a fixed lens, (Tseng et al. 2010) used holographic lens-free microscopy on
a mobile phone for telemedicine application to address health problems. Images of blood cells and
platelets taken by them were not clear and properly magnified. (Arpa et al. 2012) uses single-lens
off-chip microscopy which is cost-effective and easily detachable which allows any camera to be
used for microscopy. But unfortunately, cannot be succeeded in making more sophisticated
structured background illumination. The majority of the issues in microscopy can be solved by the
attachment-based devices which means coupling of the additional hardware component with the
smart mobile devices. This approach is quite useful in getting a much-magnified image of
approximately 1000X (Smith et al. 2011), but the system will not remain cost-effective this way.

A comparative work has been done at UC Berkeley where they have created the complex
attachment that can transform simple mobile phone into a mobile microscopy and successfully
gets the results of tuberculosis (Breslauer et al. 2009). And the concept of using telemedicine was
used a few decades before but now it has been shifted towards the wireless communication
networks (Braun et al. 2005).

2.3 Comparative Work

Instead of using a fixed lens approach, the researcher at the University of California
decided to conduct their experiment by using lens-free holographic microscopy. This technique
was very useful due to its cost-effectiveness and its ease to use due to its low weight
(approximately 38 grams), (Tseng et al. 2010), but this method is having a major drawback which
is it does not provide a clear and magnified image. Researchers at the UOCL used two attachments
with the mobile phones which simply turned it into a microscope and spectrometer (Smith et al.
2011). This digital microscope can qualify to get the same quality image as the commercial
microscope and its spectrometer can able to demonstrate white light transmission through diffused
tissues. But this system will no more be cost-effective, and the main drawback is that the resolution
does not extend through the whole field of view. The edges of the picture are not completely
focused which can be seen in the given image.

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 Figure 1 Image of resolution target taken with the iPhone 2G microscope,
with slight distortions at the edge of the field (Smith et al. 2011)

One more attempt was made by (Ame et al. 2013) to diagnose soil-transmitted helminth
infection. They use ball lenses with the help of double-sided tape attached to the smart devices for
the better stability of the lens. This technique is not very advanced and hence give only modest
diagnostic yield with the maximum sensitivity of 81%. That’s why it limits its use to the moderate
level studies only.

In this project, we are aiming to produce cost-effective microscope which can ease the
process to provide a better magnified resolute image having much greater accuracies. Also, we
aim to produce such a device that outsmarts the previous work that has been done in this field.

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Chapter 3: System Design

3.1 Design Constraints and Design Methodology

Here come a lot of hurdles and design considerations while completing our project which
we make by consulting our faculty and experts, and referencing to books and online research
papers and studies. A few of them are listed below.

3.1.1: Geometrical Constraints:

We managed to finalize such a design that can be implemented to a large variety of

applications and devices' dimensions. We ended up on the manufacturing of the subsystems of
our design with 3D printing so that it can remain cost-effective. We have designed such a device
which is easy to use and handle so that a student from a lab to a scientist can operate this
product. Moreover, the length of the system is designed to cooperate with the sizes of smart
phones and tablets up to 10.1 inches.

3.1.2: Sustainability

The sustainability of the project lies in the fact that how it is going to solve the global
problems for the longer spans. The design that we are going to propose were made to consider the
world’s energy crisis. Everyone knows that the fossil fuels and the energy is ruling out of the world
and it have been considered that by 2050 there will be no sign of fossil fuels present on the Earth.
Therefore, we have decided in our future work that we can be able to charge our batteries of the
bulb light with renewable sources such as mini-solar panel. We are using 3D printed parts in our
major assembly, since these parts are easy to manufacture and replace. We are aiming to use
renewable energy source which is clean, free and green energy having no environmental effects at
all. Hence, our project satisfies all sustainability’s fundamentals of cost, environment, ease of
fabrication, quality and social impact.

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3.1.3: Environmental Concern

Environmental concerns are those in which you carry out the study of renewable resources
use, pollution creation and the diminishing of the non- renewable sources. The pollution generated
from the projects should not exceed the low limits in comparison with current methods. So, we
have decided in this project that it contains the advantage of charging batteries via solar energy.
We are aiming to use renewable energy source which is clean, low-cost and green energy that does
not negatively affect our environment. By doing this we can accomplish pollution limitation, waste
reduction, resource conservation and carbon emission free environment.

3.1.4: Social

Social impact is another big target of the project, since we are seeking to get our project to
affect the communities of the third world and the growing countries. So, as far as this project is
concerned, we have decided to associate our project as much as we can so to social effect. Since
most of the individuals are spending their lives under the poverty, we tried to maintain the low
cost so that it can positively impact a lot of people's lives. It should improve the level of education
as well as people’s livelihood by creating an opportunity for jobs and medical development.

3.1.5: Economic

To make a project economically suitable, a person should wisely estimate, allocate and
control the cost of the project. In every project, the economic constraint is the biggest problem that
can influence the success of a project. This problem can also come up in our project as well but
we have chosen unique approach to reduce the price of the components used. As the title of our
project tells, we are going to design a low-cost 3D printed microscope, so the first thing that should
come to our minds is to keep the price as low as possible so that it can impact a lot of communities.
One of the intents to keep the price low is, to market it for the 3rd world countries and its use in
practical laboratories by students. This may generate jobs, and therefore decrease crime rates.

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3.1.6: Safety

We have designed our product in such a way that it can safely be used. We have covered
the lens so that no one can able to touch it. Touching the lens may cause various problems; it
may indirectly hurt a person by leading to false blood analysis or can damage the lens too. To
avoid unnecessary use of light we have put an automatic switch which turns off while not using
it for 30 seconds, to save energy and protect eyes from damage. Since most of the parts are made
of plastics and stainless steel it proves to be inflammable.

3.1.7: Ethics

We have analyzed our project ethically which means our product doesn’t badly affect any
kind of community, safety and privacy of the users, and we managed to produce such device that
are morally desirable in the world of engineering. The idea behind the manufacturing of our
product was to keep it simple and can easily be taken in to mass scale and production. Therefore,
we need a sustainable, renewable and easily manufacture-able product. By keeping all these views
in our aspect, we have decided to go for 3D printing since it has more advantages over other
manufacturing techniques.

3.2 Engineering Standards:

We have developed mostly all the components like the rack, pinion, base, supports, etc.
with the help of 3D printing so that it can sustain and easily replaceable. Moreover, these parts are
able to sustain a safe load up to 1 KG. We have used a simple rack and pinion gear mechanism
arrangement for this project since it is the most effective at that stage.

Specifications ASTM Standard

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 Standard Specification for General Requirements
for Steel Bars, Carbon and Alloy, Hot-Wrought ASTM A29/A29M

Standard Specification for Poly (Vinyl Chloride) ASTM D1785

(PVC) Plastic Pipe

standard specification for carbon and alloy steel nuts for bolts ASTM A194
Standard Specification for Additive Manufacturing ASTM52915

Table 3.1: ASTM STANDARDS

3.3 Theory and Theoretical Calculations:

3.3.1: Rack and Pinion Calculations:

The most important thing in doing the rack and pinion calculation was to determine the
drive size of the rack and pinion which basically depends on the three factors which are
tangential force, pinion teeth and rotational speed. The tangential force acting can be calculated
by the given equation (“Danielle Collins,2019,” n.d.)

𝐹 r= 𝑚. 𝑔. 𝑢 + 𝑚. 𝑎+ 𝐹 e equation (1)

𝐹 r = 𝑚. 𝑔 + 𝑚. 𝑎 + 𝐹 e equation (2)

Where:

 Fr = force on rack (N, lbf)

 m = moved mass; includes the application load, plus any system components that are
being moved, such as the pinion, gearbox, motor, etc. (kg, lbm)
 g = gravitational constant (921 ra/s2, 32.2 ft/s2)

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  u= coefficient of friction of guide mechanism (typically 0.002 to 0.003 for ball or roller
recirculating guides)
 a = maximum acceleration the system will experience (m/s2, ft/s2) Fe = pressing force
due to the application; if applicable (N)

The torque on the pinion can easily be determined by just multiplying the force with the radius.

𝑇𝑝 = 𝐹𝑟 ∗ 𝑟𝑝 equation (3)

Figure 3.1: Danielle Collins, 2019

Where:

 Tp = torque on pinion (Nm, ft-lb)

 rp = pinion radius (m, ft)

In order to calculate the maximum rotational speed just divided the linear velocity by the
circumference of the pinion.

𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥 ∗ 60∗ 1000

𝑛𝑝 = (“Danielle Collins,2019,” n.d.) - Equation (4)
𝜋.𝑑𝑝

Where:

 np = maximum rotational speed of pinion (rpm)

 vmax = maximum linear speed of application (m/s, ft/s)

3.3.2 Lens and Magnification Equations:

In the projection of the real image in practical, magnification is the ratio of the size of the
image to that of object and can be expressed as
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 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞
M = 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 equation (5)

The relationship from the lens to object and from lens to images is governed by the
famous Gaussian equation which stated as

𝟏 1 1
= +q equation (6)
𝒇 p

Earlier, Isaac newton discovered that the position of the image by respecting two
principal foci not by the position of the lens.

𝒙 𝒇
= (Lawrence 2000) - equation (7)
𝒇 𝒙‘

The maximum load acting on gears can be calculated by the gear load equations. By
simulating we came to know that our design can able to withstand more than 1Kg of load which
means we are working in a safe region zone.

3.3.3 Product Subsystems and Selection of Components:

This is the most important phase in the selection and testing of our components. We
intended to make such an output that has the minimum inputs or simply means required less
amount of effort in terms of cost, sustainability, and manufacturability. Starting from the sizing
and selection of the lens, the market is full of such products. First, we completed the calculation
that exactly fits the sizes of the lens which should be required then we start searching it on the
internet because the material available in our local markets is not that much good or hardly
available. We ordered a set of 10 lenses from online shopping website in which matches our
interest and requirements.

In the last few decades, healthcare expenditures in the world have escalated drastically.
From a recent survey, it has been deduced that 16% of the total budget of the US has been
utilized in healthcare application and curing of diseases. So, our basic aim was to construct such
a device that costs a little and proves advantageous for mankind. That’s why we decided to make
most of the components using the method 3D printing method of manufacturing, because of the

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low cost of manufacturing as compared to other materials. The parts of the microscope made by
the zinc Alloy and steel are costly. For that reason, we preferred to use this technique. Moreover,
it has an advantage over other manufactured parts, because these parts are easily replaceable and
manufacturable. The material wasted during 3D printing can be recycled.

Figure 3.2: CAD Model Rack and Pinion

When we came upon the stage of choosing the lifting mechanism for the process of
lifting the plates, we decided to use a gear of the type rack and pinion mechanism, since; it is
much easy to use and related to engineering standards. Similarly, at the point of lifting the lenses,
we decided to move it manually rather than automatically so that it gives more control to the user
and save costs.

3.4 Manufacturing and assembly (Implementation)

Figure 3.3: CAD Model Assembly

The manufacturing and the assembly phase were a bit difficult task for us. But because of
efforts and the regular check by our faculty and advisory we managed to complete this phase. We
learnt problem solving by finding a solution for every problem. The parts like pinion stand and
focus knobs are constructed with high defined settings using Polylactic Acid (PLA). Since it is

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eco-friendly, Fire resistant and uses less energy while working on this material. Some of the
designed parts can be seen in the illustrations below:

Figure 3.4: Rack and \Pinion assembly Figure 3.4(a): Rack

Figure 3.4(b): Pinion Figure 3.4(c): Extension

After the designing and manufacturing of these parts we move towards the assembly phase.
Where we use one lens. The purpose of using this lens is to get maximum magnification.

The knobs are generated two positions of the rolling shaft and the main roller for the shaft
of pinion to fix our sample plate. Moreover, the lens selected is fixed to a level of focal length
35mm. Focus knob is used to adjust the focus manually. We have attached our lenses in the
allocated spaced created on lens plate. Then we came towards the assembly phase of plate and
entered it in supports spaces which then fixed with small parts similar to screws. We designed
device plate in such a way that it can be adjustable so we designed an extension plate and a sliding
mechanism for both of the lens and sample plate. It has the capability to extend up to 10.1 Inches,
vertically and/or horizontally.

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 Figure 3.5(a): Device Stand 1 Figure 3.5(b): Stand Supports 1+2

To make it manually adjustable we put two holes in the main head block so that we can put
focus adjusting knobs in these holes. The mobile stand is then attached to the head block. The
overall assembly of the microscope is shown below.

Figure 3.6(a): Support 3 (Rear) Figure 3.6(b): Mobile Stand

Figure 3.7(c): Assembly

Printed Parts
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Chapter 4: System Testing and Analysis
4.1 Experimental Setup, Sensors and data acquisition system

4.1.1 Experimental Set Up

In our experimental setup the smart tablet acted as data acquiring sensory device of the
experiment. The performance of the setup was tested by the use of different devices to compare
the images and results. In this study, we systematically addressed the issue of quantitative
microscopy with a smart tablet and smart phone by constructing a smart digital microscope and
evaluating the quality of images taken with a range of different devices.

Steps are as following:

1- insert base supports into spaces in rear and sides

2- Insert racks and fix their supports

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3- Fix sample slider on racks

4- Insert stand into spaces at the top of the three supports

5- Attach the lens to the lens plate and place the track located on the device and (if needed)
you can attach this extension to fit larger dimensions

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6- Insert toothed (key) shaft into holes of the two pinion gears and into the roller

7- Insert into the hole on the side of the base, and pair (fit) each pinion to a rack gear

Final Shape

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4.2 Results, Analysis and Discussion
In order to assess the performance and system functionality firstly we calculated the
external load on the stand as to see is stand can bear the load of external load. This was
determined by dividing pressure by area.

 𝜎 = Normal stress (𝑃𝑎)

 𝑃 = Resultant normal force (𝑁)
 𝐴 = Cross-sectional area (𝑚2 )

𝑃
𝜎=𝐴 equation (1)

𝑚
𝑚 ∙ 𝑔 (0.3 𝑘𝑔) ∙ (9.81 ⁄𝑠 2 )
= =
𝑎∙𝑏 0.3 𝑚 ∙ 0.4 𝑚

𝜎 = 24.525 𝑃𝑎

Now to evaluate how strong is the setup, we will calculate the force acting on the pinion
by the rack can be determined by

𝑚𝑟 = mass of rack (𝑘𝑔) , 𝑔 = gravity (𝑚⁄𝑠 2 ) , 𝐹𝑟 = force acting on rack (𝑁)

𝐹𝑟 = 𝑚𝑟 ∙ 𝑔 equation (2)
= (0.05 𝑘𝑔) ∙ (9.81 𝑚⁄ 2 )
𝑠

𝐹𝑟 = 0.4905 𝑁

To calculate the torsional shear, we used the following formula:

Where

 𝑇𝑝 = torque on pinion (Nm, ft-lb)

 𝑐 = 𝑟𝑝 = Radius of pinion (𝑚)
 𝜏 = Torsional shear (𝑀𝑝𝑎)
𝑇𝑝 ∙𝑟𝑝
𝜏= equation (3)
𝐽

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 𝑇 ∙ 𝑟𝑝 73.575(10−4 ) ∙ (0.015)
=𝜋 = 𝜋
(𝑐 4) 4
2 2 (0.015)

𝜏 = 1.388 ∙ 10−3 𝑀𝑝𝑎

We also calculated the magnitude of the lens we used in our smart microscope by using a
sample of small piece of onion using following formula:

𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞

M = 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 equation (4)

Where
 Length of image = 16 cm
 Length of object = 0.3 mm

Now putting the values in the equation and will same units for both for convenience
M = 160mm/ 0.3mm
M = 533.3 x

Calculations and tests performed on our low cost smart digital microscope is proved to
effective in microscopy and shows very good sensitivity level. The magnitude of the lens used is
very impressive. Hence it is very inexpensive and highly efficient microscope which can be used
for sensitive detections. As research and study prove it be useful even in detecting cancer cells.

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Comparative Study

Commercial Microscope

Our Smart Digital Microscope

Comparative tests performed on our low cost smart digital microscope is proved to Show high
quality result similar to commercial microscope, which is impressive. Hence it is very clear
details and efficient magnification which can be used for sensitive detections.

Chapter 5: Project Management

5.1 Project Plan
Work break downs structure is a hierarchical and incremental decomposition of the project
into phases, deliverables and work packages. It is a tree structure, which shows a subdivision of
effort required to achieve an objective for example a program, project and contract. In a project or
contract, the WBS is developed by starting with the end objective and successively subdividing it
into manageable components in terms of size, duration, and responsibility which include all steps
necessary to achieve the objective.

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 Table shows the list of tasks included break down structure of our project:

Table # 5.1: Project Plan

S. No. Tasks Start End Duration

1. Chapter # 1: Introduction 09/09/19 19/09/19 10

Project
Chapter # 2: Literature Background
2. Previous work 20/09/19 30/09/19 10
Review
Comparative Study
Design Constraints
and Design
Methodology
Engineering
Design Standards
Theory &
Chapter # 3: System Theoretical
3. 02/10/19 10/10/19 09
Design Calculations
Product
Subsystems &
Selection of
Components
Manufacturing &
Assembly
Experimental
Setup, Sensors and
Chapter # 4: System
4. Data 01/11/19 12/10/19 11
Testing & Analysis
Results, Analysis
& Discussions

29
 Contribution of
team Members
Project Execution
Monitoring
Chapter # 5: Project
5. Challenges and 15/11/19 19/11/19 4
Management
Decision Making
Project Bill of
Materials and
Budget
Impact of
Engineering
Chapter # 6: Project
6. Solution 26/11/19 28/11/19 2
Analysis
Contemporary
Issues Addressed.
Conclusion
Chapter # 7: Conclusion
7. Future 28/11/19 29/11/19 1
& Recommendation
Recommendation

8. Design of Prototype 05/11/19 11/11/19 6

9. Parts Purchase 20/09/19 05/10/19 15

10. Manufacturing 05/10/19 19/10/19 14

11. Testing 20/10/19 22/10/19 2

30
 Table# 5.1 (a): Assigned Members for Tasks

S. No. Task Assigned Members

1. Chapter # 1: Introduction Mohammad S. & Mamdouh

2. Chapter # 2: Literature Review Saleem O. Bajaafar

3. Chapter # 3: System Design Everyone

4. Chapter # 4: System Testing & Analysis Everyone

5. Chapter # 5: Project Management Everyone

6. Chapter # 6: Project Analysis Mohammad S. Aldawas

Chapter
7. # 7: Conclusion & Recommendation Ibrahim

8. Design of Prototype Salem, Mamdouh & Mohammad

9. Parts Purchased Nasser & Ibrahim

10. Manufacturing Everyone

11. Testing Everyone

5.2 Contribution of the Team Members

We have divided the complete task in to sub tasks in order to get the expertise of the
individual ones in order to complete the project within the allocated time and resources.

31
 Table # 5.2: Contribution of Members

S. Tasks Assigned Contribution

No. Member

1. Chapter # 1: Introduction Mohammad S. & 100 %

Mamdouh

Chapter
2. # 2: Literature Project Background Saleem O. 50 %
Review Bajaafar

Previous work Nasser Alammary 50 %

Chapter
3. # 3: System Design Constraints and Saleem 20 %
Design Design Methodology

Engineering Design Nasser 20%

Standards

Theory & Theoretical Mohammad 20 %

Calculations

Product Subsystems & Ibrahim Alsamhan 20 %

Selection of Components

Manufacturing & Mamdouh 20 %

Assembly

Chapter
4. # 4: System Experimental Setup, Ibrahim 100%
Testing & Analysis Sensors and Data

Results, Analysis & Mamdouh

Discussions

Chapter
5. # 5: Project Contribution of team Nasser 100%
Management Members

Project Execution
Monitoring

Challenges and Decision Saleem

Making

Project Bill of Materials

and Budget
32
 Chapter
6. # 6: Project Impact of Engineering Mohammad S. 100%
Analysis Solution Aldawas

Contemporary Issues
Addressed.

Chapter
7. # 7: Conclusion Conclusion Ibrahim 100%
& Recommendation
Future Recommendation

8. Design of Prototype Salem, Mamdouh 100%

& Mohammad

9. Parts Purchase Nasser & Ibrahim 100%

10. Manufacturing Everyone 100%

11. Testing Everyone 100%

5.3 Project Execution Monitoring

In order to complete the project within the allocated time and to take the project to the
advanced manufacturability scope we keep on visiting our faculty staff and advisor. Moreover, we
also conducted the feedback survey of professionals, engineers and key personnel in order to
improve our product. The meeting schedule with the advisor has been shown in the table given
below

Table # 5.3: Dates of Activities & Events

Time/Date Activities/Events
Once in week Assessment Class
Bi-Weekly Meeting with the group members
Bi-Weekly Meeting with the Advisor
12 November, 2019 Ordering parts

33
 14 November, 2019 Midterm Presentation
29 November, 2019 First Test of System
30 November , 2019 Finishing Final Prototype
1 December, 2019 Test of the System
5 December, 2019 Final Submission of Report
12 December 2019 Final Presentation

5.4 Challenges and Decision Making

In order to make our project and reach a final stage of manufacturing, we have faced some
problems which affect the progress of our project and acted as obstacle to overcome. Rack fixing
need more fixing to assure that the rack stays vertical and on the other hand sample slider did not
perfectly fit with rack positions. Finding online 3d printing sites that cost lower in difference up to
1500 riyals, however, due to a lot of hard work we in the end cater all these factors to make our
project better.

5.4.1 Equipment and Device Problems

There comes a lot of challenges in order to make this project successfully happened. One
of them is the use of 3D printing to make our small and complex parts. Lack of lazers and
specialized stores in microscope lenses and many more things ordered online but shipment was
lost. Another main issue regarding equipment was fixing the lens in to lens plate. But with the help
of seniors, supervisor and by doing some research analysis we came to find the solution of it and
we ended up on the manufacturing of the subsystems of our design with 3D printing so that it can
remain cost-effective. Moreover, in order to manufacture a device which is user friendly and easy
to use is again a challenging task.

5.4.2 Testing and Safety Issues

Our setup would have been successful only if it was tested and proved to be safe at all
conditions. We did not face and testing and safety issue as such because our project is safe and

34
secured. But only one this should be kept in mind that the prototype should be away of sunlight
and should be of room temperature and also kept away from children below 5 years old.

5.4.3: Design Problems

The manufacturing and the assembly phase were a bit difficult task for us. But with the
constant efforts and the regular check by our faculty and advisory we managed to complete this
phase. The parts like pinion stand and focus knobs are constructed with high defined settings using
Polylactic Acid (PLA). Since it is eco-friendly, recyclable, fire resistant and uses less energy while
working on this material

5.5 Project Bill of Materials & Budget

The following table illustrates the materials that we purchased and their costs in Riyal
(SAR)

Table #5.5 Project Bill of Materials

Material Cost (SAR)

3D printing 1650 (online printers estimated 450 SAR)

3D printing (including VAT tax) 1732.5

Lens extracted from Lazer 5

Sample plate 20

35
Chapter # 6: Project Analysis

6.1 Life-long learning:

We aim to complete all the targets that have been set way before the selection of that
project. So, we strictly firm our minds to keep an eye on the targets. We want to get software and
hardware skills with the hands-on experience as well. In order to achieve these tasks, we need an
assistance. So, we have appointed one of the team members as a group leader who has an additional
duty to supervise the project and to keep on supporting the other group mates during the hard
times. We have also worked on our communication and interpersonal skills to get the maximum
outcome of the project. We start this chapter by highlighting few soft skills that we have achieved
during this project.

6.1.1 Software skills:

In the successful completion of the project, the software that plays an important role is
SolidWorks. One of our group members was proficient in it. So, we couldn’t find that much
difficulty in the development of 3D models. We keep on learning these skills from our group
mate and the online learning platforms as well. Software like Autodesk Fusion and Free CAD
takes a lot more time. We have started learning this software from Lynda. And with the passage
of time and proper practicing we get expertise in these software’s.

6.1.2 Hardware Skills:

Our project depends in many items of hardware that should be tested and fixed before the
complete manufacturing. We have learned a lot of hardware skills while doing that project. Mostly,
after the codes generated for 3D printing, there comes the phase of manufacturing and assembly
of the project which requires skills.

36
6.1.3 Time Management:

Time management is the key part in the continuation and the succession of any task,
group and project. We have set a group leader in order to keep an eye on time as well as the
progress of the project and the contribution of the team members. He always keeps on motivating
about the end goal of our project and ultimately, we all take it by heart and keep on doing our best
to make it happen. We have divided the whole task into the sub parts in order to keep focus on
each and everything and in order to allocate specified time to each portion. We, in order to cope
up with the project arrange daily team meetings. We have divided the complete task into group
according to the expertise of the individual ones. We also made project management analysis and
use those tools in order to complete the project within allocated time and the resources available.

6.1.4: Project Management

To accomplish a project successfully on time is an art, this just not happens one have to
make efforts to do so. For this purpose, we managed our project beforehand by developing a
Gantt chart, which acted as project management plan. In Gantt chart everything was specified in
advance for example all the tasks, their due dates, and who was responsible for doing particular
tasks. Each group member assigned with number of different tasks had the responsibility of their
completion on time. This effective and efficient teamwork led us to successful completion of our
project on time.

6.2 Impact of Engineering Solutions:

6.2.1 Society

Social impact is the biggest target of the project manager, since they are looking for how
their project is going to affect the surrounding community. So, as far as this project is concerned,
we decided to market our project as much as we can so that it can affect masses. Since most of the
individuals are spending their lives under the poverty So, we decided to keep the price low so that
it can impact a lot of personals. It will improve the level of education as well as people’s livelihood
by creating an opportunity.

37
6.2.2 Economy

To make a project economically suitable, a person should wise estimates, allocate and
control the cost of the project. We decided to choose a unique approach to reduce the price of the
components used. As the title of our project tells us that we are going to design a low-cost 3D
printed microscope. One of the intents to keep the price low is, to market it for the 3rd world
countries and its use in practical laboratories by students.

6.2.3 Environment

In this era, environmental effects are of great concerns. Environmental concerns are those
in which you carry out the study of renewable resources use, pollution creation and the diminishes
of the non- renewable sources. So, we decided in our future work that we can able to charge our
batteries of the power light with renewable sources such as solar and wind powered. By doing this
we can accomplish pollution prevention, waste reduction, resource conservation and carbon
emission free environment.

6.3 Contemporary Issues Addressed

In order to make our project and reach a final stage of manufacturing, we have faced some
problems which affect the progress of our project and acted as obstacle to overcome. Rack fixing
need more fixing to assure that the rack stays vertical and on the other hand sample slider did not
perfectly fit with rack positions. Finding online 3d printing sites that cost lower in difference up to
1500 riyals, however, due to a lot of hard work we in the end cater all these factors to make our
project best out of others.

38
Chapter # 7: Conclusion & Future Recommendations

7.1Conclusion

To sum up all the calculations, methods, skills and expertise that we have use in that
project, we came across with the only thing left behind that is conclusion, which is not only the
requirement of the institution but also reflects them about the understandings, knowledge, research
and the skills that we have learned through this tenure. During the interim of 04 years we had faced
many ups and downs while doing the project. There comes a lot of skills and software that we
didn’t know but now I am pleased to tell you that we have gained enough expertise and skills in
the hardware and the software section as well. While during our project, we had a portion related
to programming which takes a lot of time and efforts because it’s a totally new field for us. But
we would to commemorate our group leader and the project advisor who keep on supporting and
always telling us the ways to get through in. We have learned all those skills taking out some time
for online course learning websites. We also faced some manufacturing defects in our project but
as time passes, we finally made it happen and rectify all those mistakes and these mistakes play an
important role in the leaning step towards our project. The overall aim of the project was to design
low price microscope. The most part of the project was based on 3D printing exercise which we
have learned and done successfully.

7.2 Future Recommendations

With the help of well-organized project plan and the contribution of teammates we
managed to complete our project within time. There is no end to innovation if contemplation
continues. The price factor can further be reduced by improving the design. The aspiration is to
produce clean and useful energy from nature to use it and power our microscope. We would like
to extend our project towards mass manufacturability and productivity. Moreover, we will try to
replace our source with the renewable energy.

39
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