Thursday

Today's the last day of work. Well tomorrow is but that doesn't really count since it's presentation day. I haven't updated my blog in days because Katie & I have been working on our presentation. It's all finished all we have to do is practice it and go over a couple of things.

"52 cards and I can't catch a single one..."

Today Katie and I went to the pc lab to work on our presentations. Also, we haven't gotten recorded yet and Beth left early. Sean and Jake came with us to the printer to record us. It was longer then I thought but I'm sure Beth can cut out some stuff. We thought there would be a lecture but there wasn't. No more free pizza.

Tuesday

Dr. Swartzlander was here today. Well actually it's his last day here because he is going to Arizona for a month and won't be there for our presentations. Katie, Ryan and I will be doing a one big presentation. We talked to Dr. S about everything we will be working on for the past 2 weeks of work. He said we won't be able to finish our project which was making a lens with the same characteristics of a polarizer. He told us we still needed to print 4 different gray scales on the PVA and the undergraduates will finish the project.

Monday

We tried the printer again with a new piece of PVA. It still won't stick. We don't know why it is not working. It might be too stiff.

Friday

Went over to the circular building next to crossroads for the poster presentations. We ate breakfast and walked around to see some of the posters. All of the students were dressed formal. Later, all of the interns got together and took a break at Javas.

Thursday

Finally got the amount of volts on the printer. We started off printing 10 volts on to the PVA. Today when we went back to the printer, we couldn't get the PVA to stay for some reason. We tried for an hour and a half but failed to get it to stick.

"I know you wanna hold my hand,but this isn't the right time!"

Today during our staff meeting Roger Easton made a presentation about some of the things he has done and will be doing at his trip to Egypt next month. It took about half an hour and then he showed us a clip of National Treasure 2 when they talk about the process they used from Easton's ideas. When the presentation was over, I went back to the lab. Katie and I took the cartridge we used to print on yesterday and went over to the printer. It took an hour literally for the PVA to stay on the printer. It wouldn't stick even when the vacuum was on. Finally, we got it to stay. By reading the manual, we found out how to control the volume. It kept on asking us for a pan that we didn't have so we switched to the spacing. It looked better then before so we printed a couple of corners. There was a picnic for the School of Science that we attended for lunch. After lunch we went back to the printer. Apparently, we had to find a way to change the voltage. It took us about two hours and some printing until we called Dr. Swartzlander to help us out. He found out how to change the voltage and we took over from there.

Tuesday

In the morning, Katie and I made thicker ink and filled the new cartridge. After that we headed to the printer. For the first time, we accomplished printing without any help from the undergraduate. It took us 20 minutes to get the PVA to stay on the printer. We kept raising the temperature and it still wouldn't stick. Eventually, I figured out why it wouldn't stay. The vacuum was off. After we turned it on it stuck to the printer immediately. We printed 4 squares in each corner. They all ranged in different layers from 1 to 4. After lunch we showed it to Dr. Swartzlander. Apparently, the ink was too dark. We had to make one tenth of the dye with black rest with water. After we filled the new ink in the cartridge, we went back to the printer. We dyed the new ink under the squares we did earlier arranging the same way from 1 to 4. We went back to the lab and showed Dr. Swartzlander. The ink was not sticking on the PVA correctly. After we rinsed it under the water and then put it under a polarizer, it was working properly. We have been trying to get it to print like this in weeks. The only problem is the amount of ink that is being printed on the PVA. Tomorrow, we need to find a way to change the amount it is printing by reading the printers manual.

Monday!

Today we went out to lunch to Pellegrinos. Their subs were really good. After that we went on our second field trip to the University of Rochester to visit their laser lab. The tour was pretty cool but the presentation was terrible. The tour guide really didn't know what he was talking about. Whenever people asked questions, he just replied with "I don't know". We celebrated Emma's birthday with cookie cake that she brought in when we got back to RIT. After that, I went down to my lab. We got new PVA that actually works! Very excited because I finally know how to use the printer. I brought my lab equipment from the optics lab i was working in downstairs to our lab. Tomorrow I will try to set it up. We had to make black dye for the cartridge. We went down to get the cartridge from where the printer is located. When we came back, we mixed the black dye with water and then filled it in the cartridge. I cut a part of the PVA and brought it with us as well as the cartridge. Katie and I were disappointed with our results. The dye was too thin and kept leaking out of the cartridge. We couldn't print the PVA today but tomorrow we will after we make the dye thicker so it doesn't leak.

TGIF

We cut off another piece of the PVA and dyed it again on both sides just in case we had the wrong side. There were no positive results. I rinsed it out and the dye washed out. We could not get the PVA out. It felt like plastic and when we dyed it it reacted like plastic. I held it under water to see if anything different would happen but it was still the same. We are going to email and ask about the PVA that was given to us. For now, I made it myself just like last time. It will dry over the weekend. This time, I made them in bigger Petri Dishes. I had an appointment for eye tracking with Susan Farnand. It actually wasn't bad at all. Only the calibration took long. The rest was about ten minutes. I had to look at a magazine/booklet on sights in Rochester New York. They were great pictures. Then, she asked me some things about the pictures. I only answered if I remembered the certain detail. After that I looked at some pictures on the computer. Again, same questions, if I remembered the pictures were in the booklet.

After lunch, Dr. Swartzlander gave me a lab that I needed to do. We went over the procedures. The lab is on polarizers which is what I'm working on. We set up the materials and stuff. On Monday, I will be starting it.

"It Smells Like Ozone"

I had a test in class first thing in the morning. After that, Joe Pow taught the class. We started the unit about Digital Imaging and Detectors. It was really interesting. I learned about the gray scale and the structures of CCD's and CMOS in cameras.

The results of the PVA were the black dye was too dark. I dyed another part of the PVA with the brilliant crestyl blue and iodine. After several minutes for it to dry, when I came to look at it, the yellow in the iodine had disappeared. All there was left was clear solution on the PVA. At about 3:45, we went to the Laser Stock Room to get trained on the lasers.

Wednesday

There were two lectures I wanted to attend today. One was at 10 o'clock and the other one at 1. The first one lasted about an hour. Most of the people in the army attended it. The presenter did a great job showing all of his data. To be honest, there was too much information and I doze off halfway through. There were many questions asked when he was finished. They offered punch and pie at about 11:30 but I did not attend. I had an eye tracking appointment in the color science building with Ann Nunziata at 11. After the presentation, I went straight to that building. The first thing she had me do was take an "eye exam". I faced a window and had to tell her which ways the E's on the wall were facing by looking at the mirror. Second test was she flipped through a book and I had to tell her the numbers that were hidden in between bunch of designs with color. I passed the test! The experiment lasted about an hour. To be honest, it was really long and boring. I had to look at numerous pictures of bunnies and two other images and decide which one is glossier. At least I got chocolate and pretzels though!I hope she is successful with her experiment. At about 12:30 a group of us headed to the second lecture that was in another building in room 1250 just like last time. There was pizza and drinks. There were two groups presenting. Each group had two members. The first presentation was about ECM solution and the other was about hyperspectral imaging. We left after the second presentation but there might've been more after that. Most people left after the first. When I came back to the lab, Dr. Swartzlander told me to had received stretched PVA from John Cael. It is 48 microns thick. Before I left, I dabbed some brilliant crestyl blue in one corner with a Q tip. Next to it I tried some black dye too just to see what would happen. When I mixed potassium iodide with water, there was no color change. I added iodine and mixed it around. It started to turn yellow. We decided to heat the solution to see what would happen. The solution turned dark orange after it was heated and it was dissolved.

Tuesday

I started the day off with class. Roger Easton taught us. Turns out that they used his designs in the movie National Security 2. I've seen the first one but not the second. I think I want to see it now that I know who designed the documents that was used in the movie. Also, his dad is behind the whole GPS system. I thought that was pretty cool. I think he was very intelligent and you can tell he knew a lot about geometric optics and wanted to teach us all of it.

I spent second half of my day dying the PVAs. First, we stretched them. Then, we put them in potassium iodide, iodine, and water bath. This time, we only dipped the PVA instead of putting the whole thing in. Also, we made another path with just potassium iodide and water. When we dipped the PVA, there was no color change. Turns out potassium iodide only works with iodine mixed together.

Lunedi

Today, we made a bath that included potassium iodide, iodine, and water. The packet we read about polyvinyl alcohol films people stretched out and then dyed their films by making a bath and putting it in there. The best way to stretch is was by using the metal clipboard clips and placing it on a metal surface so it sticks on there and stretches by itself. After stretching it, we put it in the bath and left it there for a few minutes. When we took it out, it looked like it expanded in the bath. One side was orangeish brownish while the other side was black. We think the orangeish was from the iodine.

Friday

When we came in the lab, and checked to see if the PVA had stretched since it was hanging over night. The results were nothing had changed. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to come up with ways to stretch it. The weight we attached on the bottom part of the clamp was too heavy. when we dipped it in the water, it snapped in the middle. The weight was uneven.

I spent the last hour of work going up and down an elevator. Beth needed help for her experiment/project so I decided to be a volunteer. On the way to the first floor, I ran into Katie and she decided to join in on the fun. We pretty much went up and down about twenty times till Beth had all of her measurements. Thank god we didn't get stuck and surprisingly no one had to use the elevator.

Thursday

I started off the day with my Imaging Science class. We were in class for two hours and then went to the optics rooms to do a Image Formation with Lenses lab. The object we used was a pencil. We had to measure the pencil's height which stayed constant throughout the lab which was 2.5 cm. Also, the image distance from the lens, for the given set of object distances from the lens and the orientation of the image. The pencil stayed upside down through the lab. The lab took us over and hour to do since we experienced technical difficulties:) I went to Dibella's for lunch with my friend who also works at RIT but in another building. I went back to the lab and tried to find ways to stretch the PVOH. Before I left, Ryan and I decided to clamp it and hang it with weight on the bottom.

TennisBalls

I started off the morning making more PVOH (polyvinyl alcohol) with Ryan in the chemistry lab. We made five more of the 6.1 mL which is 45 microns thick. We decided to go just a little more thin and made five of 5.6 mL which is aboiut 42-43 microns thickness. After putting them in the petri dishes, we made little tents out of paper and placed them on top just like last time to keep the dust away and also for it to dry the same time. The only thing left was to think of a way to stretch the films. I went online and read over the packets Tom Smith gave me. Ryan and I decided that the best way to stretch them is with water. When the films are dry, were going to put them in 35 degrees celsius for 15 seconds. After we take them out were going to try to stretch them and see how that goes. After that were staining them with iodine. Were still deciding on whether or not were treating it with boric acid or zinc ion.

Adding Color

The day started off with my imaging class. We focused mostly on the angle of refraction and Snell's law. Dr. Pelz showed us an example with a big lens, incandescent light bulb and a piece of paper. We could see a clear image of the "c" when he added a piece of paper with a big hole in the middle on the lens that got rid of the blurry part around it. During our break Joe Pow took us to see Guppy and teach us how to scan our work and then email it to ourselves. Of course I turned out to be the only one with hard copy of the lab and tryed it first. Unfortunately, the copier did not like my email address and spit out a piece of paper that said "FAIL". My papers did not scan. I ended up coming back after class and sending it to Dr. Pelz's email instead. I finally succeeded. After lunch, we worked on figuring a way to stretch our our films. First, Katie and I tried clamping the film and blow drying it. That didn't work. The film didn't seem like it was stretching. When we saw no progress being made, Dr. Swartzlander suggested that we should add a drop of water so it becomes a little damp and then blow dry it. It stretched a little after what seemed like a long period of time. We added a drop of black dye to test the polarization. Since we didn't see any positive results, we went back and used another film and this time added just water and stretched it. We did not blow dry it. It stretched out pretty nice. Added the black dye again. It was too dark to see any polarization. Hopefully tomorrow we will try again with another film and another way. Also maybe use another dye? Well see.

I brought my laptop in and got it registered which means I can use it at work now.yayy for that. At about one, right after lunch, I headed to the color science building. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me or for Beth. Ann told us to come back another day of the week and she will email us to let us know. At about two thirty Ryan and I went back to Tom Smith's lab. Our films dryed over the weekend! Tom showed us how to cut them with a razor and to lift them carefully out of the petri dish with tweezers. We got all four of them out and put them in between sheets of paper so dust wont get on it. Were all still deciding on how to stretch them out the best way.

Making UV Polarizers!

Friday was the day I had a chance to work on the lab the whole day since I didn't have class and the IDL classes were over. Bob Callens brought in donuts for us for putting up with the classes thank you Bob!:) I went to the lab right after our staff meeting and found Tom Smith in his lab. He told Ryan and I to print and read three different types of UV Polarizers based on oriented polyvinyl alcohol. He wanted us to read the experiment part and have a feeling for what they are going to look like and what we will be making. We printed them out and read them. Lunch time arrived. Professor Swartzlander took us out to lunch! Allie suggested the Pita Pit. I was nervous to try it at first since last time I ate a gyroll (hope I spelled it right) was a bad experience. Turns out gyrolls are actually really good and was way better then last time. I definitely recommend this place for lunch:) After lunch we headed back to RIT. Ryan and I searched for Tom Smith. We finally found him. We mixed in polyvinyl alcohol with water and boiled it till the solution was clear and there were no visible crystals. We mixed 5 percent of the polyvinyl alcohol of 200 mL solution. That is 10 grams in 400 degrees F to 450 degrees. After reading the Unites States Patent, we decided that the thickness of the films should range from 38 microns to 56 microns. We ended up with four petri dishes. One had 4.94 mL of solution for 38 microns in thickness. The second had 5.85 mL of solution for 45 micons thickness. The third had 6.63 mL of solution for 51 microns in thickness. The last dish had 7.28 mL in solution for 56 microns in thickness. We covered each dish so it will stay dust free while it drys over the weekend. On Monday we will take the films out of the dishes and try out some dyes!

Thursday

I started the day off with my Imaging Science class. I thought todays lesson was pretty interesting. We learned about the Human Visual System. Dr. Pelz showed us a video on laser eye surgery...I don't think I will ever get one after seeing the process. Turns out that sometimes not everyone's vision is 20/20 after the surgery. The bad thing about class was the homework: two chapters to read, lab that's due tuesday along with the paper about an imaging system. Good thing is tomorrows friday and I get to mix chemicals with Tom in the lab! Today was the last day of IDL. We learned about 3D images. It was actually very interesting. I think Paul did a great job teaching us and helped everyone that needed help.

3rd Day

Started the day off with our staff meeting, went right down to the lab after. I was instructed to read about PVA which is what I will be working on with Tom Smith on friday. I'm excited to mix chemicals together I think it will be fun:) After that we took our lunches. At about one our IDL class started. Paul did his best to help everyone who was confused. I think I'm understanding this program little by little. I was catching up faster then yesterday when it came to copying what he typed on the board. I don't think it's his fault that most of us don't understand it since it is a hard program to teach. IDL ended at four.

IDK IDL

The day started off with a staff meeting with Bob Callens and Joe Pow. After that, I experienced my first time at a real college class. The class some of us are taking is Imaging Science. It is a small group of people and the professors teaching us is Jeff Pelz along with Bob Callens and Joe Pow. I was surprised that the time went by pretty quick and Dr. Pelz did a great job teaching us what we will be learning throughout the course. I learned why the sky is blue and why the grass is green. Sadly, we were assigned our first homework assignment to read the first chapter of the book we received and five questions to answer. Our first lab is due next week. I'm more interested in picking a type of imaging and writing about it. It is our weekly paper that we are required to do. I already have in mind what I will be writing about. After the class was over, I took my lunch and then had some spare time to do some work in the lab. At one o'clock was when the confusion began. Unfortunately, most of us were confused about the whole IDL thing. Mistakes were made along the way and we did not understand why we had to learn this program and what it was used for besides making things look "pretty". I hope I get it down or understand it even a little by the end of this week. Maybe it will get easier along the way. Oh and it was also my first time using a MAC.

First Day

The first day of work/internship was exciting! I was surprised to be faced with a challenge to find about fourty pictures all over campus. We were broken up into two teams and had two and a half hours to find them. Luckily, one of our team member's mom works in campus and provided us with useful information. Thanks to her, we found more then ten pictures. As we searched from building to building, we realized that some of the places had two pictures. Once you found one another one was located nearby. Unfortunately, we realized when we arrived in the Fish Bowl to watch our videos that the camera was on macro mode the whole time. Macro is useful for close up pictures and most of the videos were too blurry to see. The good part was the pizza was great. Team A had four more pictures then us and won the shirts. Boooo. After all the fun was over, we experienced our first fire drill at RIT which was not planned. There was a fire in one of the labs. It started raining outside. Oh and forgot to mention that our punch in cards were not working due to the misplace of the bar code. But, it was great meeting the people we are going to work with and touring the campus. I'm sure tomorrow will be as surprising and exciting as today.