Team:WHU-China/Hardware




Hardware-introduction




We have created a hardware named “silkeeper” to accomplish the restoration. It consists with five systems, adding system, scanning system, light system, monitor system and cleaning system. The hardware also provides the safety barrier in the whole process. Here are the draws of overall view and exploded view.







The following are the details.





Adding system









This system is composed of:

  1. storage cans: storing BC producer, converter CBD and functional peptides.

  2. Control valve& concentric pipes:each pipes is controlled by a valve independently, so the size of the injection area is adjustable.

  3. Injection nozzle:determine each pipe be injected or not.




Scanning system










We designed scanning system to get the surface condition of the fabric. There are a row of emitters on the roof and an array of receivers (photosensitive elements) on the back plate. The emitter row emits the white light in set intensity and rotates a circle to finish one round scanning, the light through the fabric to the receivers. The receiver outputs the intensity with its location in the array through the data interface, the software will compared the receive intensity to the emit intensity and build a true table. The hardware inputs this table and executes.





Light system








The light system is related with the light promoter in engineered bacteria. It contains three parts.


  1. Emitter: emit light of a specific wavelength. The light can induce the BC production.

  2. Baffle: with many baffle units. Each units has a fixed side and a controlled side with a magnet. When the magnetic force disappears, the baffle will fall and let the light pass through. These instructions come from the scanning system.

  3. Reset lever and track: exist for resetting the baffle. The reset lever moves along the track, pushes the baffle up, with the magnetic force restoring, the baffle reset the block state.







The interaction between scanning system and light system.



  • The scanning system outputs the data of receive light intensity related location.

  • The software calculates the light transmittance related location, analyzes if it need to be reinforced. If it is, value “0”, if not, value “1”. It builds a truth table.





  • The light system inputs this table and executes it. “1” means magnetic force keep, “0” means magnetic force disappear. Controlled by electric circuit, the light system forms the “pass shape” to promote specific area produce BC to reinforce the fabrics.





The significance of the reset parts.




The weak degree of the fabrics varies from area to area, for accurate reinforcement, we need several rounds of “scan-light promote-reinforce”. In each round, the baffles should be reset to the block state, and form the next “pass shape” according to the new scanning result.









Monitor system








To monitor the process of restoration, we set three detectors. The pH detector and temperature detector will detect the pH and temperature in the hardware to ensure the work place will not damage the fabrics. The infrared-thermal detector is out of safety consideration. When the restoration work is finished, the cleaning system will clean and dry the fabrics to remove the bacteria from the fabrics. After these works, the infrared-thermal detector tests if there are living bacteria residue. Only when there are no living bacteria, would the hardware be opened to take out the fabrics.





Cleaning system








We use soaking method to clean. Inject water through the interlet pipe, soak the fabrics, and discharge water through the drain pipe on the back plate. Then dry the fabrics through the fan. This cleaning method is gentle to avoid damage to the fabrics.


The “silkeeper” was designed to finish the restoration process, we made a video to demonstrate how “silkeeper” works.



We also selected the material and product model of the components and estimated the hardware for further application. You can click here to read the estimate report.

For better presentation, we 3D printed a model and took it to many relics restorers, they all showed great interest and put forward many valuable suggestions. The following page is the evolution about our hardware, you can read on to know more.