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Internship at Sonion, 2024

ECS
TESTS

ECS
TESTS

An ear canal simulator built around an ABB YuMi robot: 3D-printed test modules, a repeatable wear protocol and the software to run it, engineered to recreate how ear wax reaches a hearing-aid receiver.

An ear canal simulator built around an ABB YuMi robot: 3D-printed test modules, a repeatable wear protocol and the software to run it, engineered to recreate how ear wax reaches a hearing-aid receiver.

Role

Engineering intern: CAD, test modules, robot & software

Duration

5 months

Year

2024

Software

SolidWorks, custom code, MS Office

Fig. 01 / Test robot

ABB YuMi IRB 14050

7 axes, single arm

ABB YuMi IRB 14050 single-arm collaborative robot

Context

An artificial ear canal for testing hearing aids

An artificial ear canal for testing hearing aids

Since 1974, Sonion has been a leader in manufacturing components for hearing aids, helping over 40 million people annually, from children to the elderly, improve their quality of life.

Since 1974, Sonion has been a leader in manufacturing components for hearing aids, helping over 40 million people annually, from children to the elderly, improve their quality of life.

For this internship, Sonion wanted an Ear Canal Simulator: a test cell that replicates the phenomena caused by ear wax ingress on a receiver-in-canal (RIC) and its dome. The brief: program the ABB robot arm and design the test modules that act as the ear canal.

For this internship, Sonion wanted an Ear Canal Simulator: a test cell that replicates the phenomena caused by ear wax ingress on a receiver-in-canal (RIC) and its dome. The brief: program the ABB robot arm and design the test modules that act as the ear canal.

Person fitting a receiver-in-canal hearing aid

Design brief

Program the ABB robot arm and design the test modules that function as an ear canal, so a day of insertions, fit adjustments and wax exposure can be repeated automatically.

Program the ABB robot arm and design the test modules that function as an ear canal, so a day of insertions, fit adjustments and wax exposure can be repeated automatically.

1974

1974

Sonion founded

40M+

40M+

people helped by Sonion components every year

8

8

steps in one simulated wear cycle

10×

10×

fit adjustments repeated per cycle

Test protocol

Eight robot moves that simulate a day of wear

Eight robot moves that simulate a day of wear

I translated how a RIC hearing aid is worn, adjusted and serviced into a repeatable sequence the robot can run, and drew it as a scheme the team could validate before testing.

I translated how a RIC hearing aid is worn, adjusted and serviced into a repeatable sequence the robot can run, and drew it as a scheme the team could validate before testing.

Eight-step ear canal test scenario diagram

01

RIC placed

Holding the cable close to the body

02

Inserted

The RIC is placed inside the ear canal

03

Rotated 45°

The RIC is rotated 45 degrees in the canal

04

Wax dispensed

Artificial ear wax is dispensed from the top

05

Moved back

Simulates the user adjusting the fit and seal

06

Moved forward

Repeated with step 05, ten times per cycle

07

Removed

RIC taken out; an inverted dome skirt is corrected if needed

08

Dome serviced

Cleaned or replaced after the set number of days

Steps 05 and 06 repeat 10×

Steps 01 to 07 = one simulated day

Step 08 after a set number of days

Hardware

The test cell around the robot

The test cell around the robot

Designing and 3D-printing the test modules, fixturing the RIC and dome, and programming the robot hand to run the protocol, with a camera watching what the wax does.

Designing and 3D-printing the test modules, fixturing the RIC and dome, and programming the robot hand to run the protocol, with a camera watching what the wax does.

Annotated photos of the robot test cell

1

Simulated ear canal

3D-printed module

2

Dino-Lite camera

Imaging inside the canal

3

ABB YuMi IRB 14050

Single-arm cobot

4

Build plate

Fixture base

5

ABB C30 controller

Robot controller

6

FlexPendant

Manual control & teaching

7

Dispenser

Artificial ear wax

8

RIC / dome fixture

3D-printed holder

Operation

How a test run works

How a test run works

Blue steps are done by the operator. The orange step runs automatically once the settings are confirmed in the test assistant.

Blue steps are done by the operator. The orange step runs automatically once the settings are confirmed in the test assistant.

01

Turn on computer and robot

02

Prepare sample, put it on the robot

03

Fill in settings, press start

04 (auto)

Robot performs the sequence

05

Operator switches the sample

06

Switch off robot and computer

Operator steps

Performed by the setup automatically

Loop: steps 03 to 05 for every new sample

Software

Software that sets up and logs every run

Software that sets up and logs every run

A Windows app I programmed to control the test environment and gather data: the operator enters the test settings, the robot runs the sequence, and the camera captures of the dome are processed per test.

A Windows app I programmed to control the test environment and gather data: the operator enters the test settings, the robot runs the sequence, and the camera captures of the dome are processed per test.

test_information.txt

1

Test Start Time: 2024-10-29 13:07:27

Test Start Time: 2024-10-29 13:07:27

2

Company initials: PHUS

Company initials: PHUS

3

Test type: Wax

Test type: Wax

4

Dome type: Delta

Dome type: Delta

5

Ric type: R-132

Ric type: R-132

6

Amount of cycles: 35

Amount of cycles: 35

7

Test log and Dino-Lite camera captures of the dome inside the canal
Test Assistant app settings form

My role

What I worked on

What I worked on

CAD & 3D-printed modules

Modelled the simulated ear canal and the RIC/dome fixture in SolidWorks, then iterated them as 3D prints until the RIC sat repeatably.

Protocol & schemes

Turned the wear-and-service routine into the 8-step test scenario and drew the setup and operation-flow schemes.

Robot programming

Programmed the YuMi hand to insert, rotate, adjust and remove the RIC with repeatable motion.

Test software

Built the Windows test assistant that collects settings, runs a test and processes the camera captures.

Let’s talk about the role

Beck is open to UX, Product, and Industrial design roles in the Netherlands.

Get in touch

View CV

LOCATION

The Hague, NL

STATUS

Available now

ELIGIBILITY

Work eligible in NL, EU, EAEU

QUICK RECRUITER SUMMARY

Selected work

Philips, JDE Peet’s, bol.com, Miro, BurgerKing

Focus

Digital tools, physical products, brand systems

Collaboration

Product, engineering, stakeholders

Email

beck@prat.design

LinkedIn

Connect with Beck

Let’s talk about the role

Beck is open to UX, Product, and Industrial design roles in the Netherlands.

Contact

View CV

LOCATION

The Hague, NL

STATUS

Available now

ELIGIBILITY

Work eligible in NL, EU, EAEU

QUICK RECRUITER SUMMARY

Selected work

Philips, JDE Peet’s, bol.com, Miro, BurgerKing

Focus

Digital tools, physical products, brand systems

Collaboration

Product, engineering, stakeholders

Email

beck@prat.design

LinkedIn

Connect with Beck