Being able to complete a project with professionals in the biomedical field allowed me to learn a lot of the things about myself, the field in general, and the project process. When I began this project, I knew that I would be working with the team at Olathe Medical Center, but I was not sure at the time what this would entail. Working with someone that was like a client that had a vision of what they wanted and only having sketches of what they wanted me to make was very difficult. The first few meetings and designs consisted of trying to understand what they were looking for and what they were needing in order to use it. After understanding exactly what they were looking for and needing to make the tool the easiest to use the project was much easier and then I just had to worry about the actual function of the the tool and the fit of all of the parts. 

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When I began this project, one of my concerns was finishing the project too early and having over half of the semester to do something with. While each design took a relatively short amount of time, the project took more time than I had expected. I was unaware of the time it would take to refine my design, the amount of research I would need to do, and all the time the unexpected problems would take up. Since I have only worked on larger scale projects for long periods of time, I did not think that such a small design would take so long to perfect. After spending so much time working on a small scale project, I have more awareness and appreciation for things that are made with great detail and are made in the same type of process with several changes and redesigns. Before I even began sketching my ideas, I did a significant amount of research on the laser itself as well as the process of making and prototyping tools and equipment for the medical field. I knew that I would need basic knowledge of the machine before starting but did not know to what extent I would research and learn about the laser and the medical processes as well as the engineering ones as the project progressed. I also learned along the way how to problem solve and work around issues that came up. One of the major issues I ran into in the beginning of the project process was that our 3-D printer broke. After finding ways to test my designs in the computer without having a physical copy while the printer was being fixed was a challenge. 

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I learned so much about the project process from being able to make this project. I was able to see the project start to finish and be able to make something that was actually going to be used and not just a design. Being able to start with an idea that someone gave me and then turn it into a functional final product was much harder and detail oriented than I had imagined it would be. After researching and sketching my ideas for the project, I began working on my actual drawings for the tool. It took me a couple of days to get the drawings all on the computer to begin testing and evaluating. After this came the hardest and longest part: refining. I would have ideas for things to change about the design that would make it more functional and easier to use. I would draw these new ideas up and sometimes they would work and sometimes they would be a complete disaster. This trial and error process was very long, but it led to lots of new ideas and more functional design. I learned that the longest part of the project process is making small changes design to make it the best it can be. After being able to experience this process I can see why it takes so long to design equipment. It was definitely hard to scrap my ideas and start over with a complete new set of drawings and design, but it was worth it in the end to have an better finished product.  

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When I was deciding what to do for my senior project, I had no idea what I wanted to do but I knew that I wanted to do something that directly connected to biomedical engineering. I wanted to be able to get exposure in the field to see what it was like before going to college. After completing this project I have been able to solidify my decision to go to school for engineering. I was very unsure about what type of engineering I wanted to go into but after being able to complete this project I have been seriously considering majoring in biomedical engineering. I am still unsure of what type of engineering I want to major in, but I know now for sure that I want to go to school for engineering and pursue a career in the field. I have been able to gain a new perspective from this project by being able to see the amount of research, time, and refining that goes into the project process. I have also been able to make connections in the engineering world which I know will be extremely beneficial in my future. The biggest thing that I have gained from completing this project is the experience. I am able to say that I have experienced a true engineering project, start to finish, that is now being used by professionals in their field. This experience is unlike any other. It gives me a sense of confidence going into college next year knowing that engineering is something I truly want to pursue and have a career in after this project.