{"528861":{"#nid":"528861","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Building A Better Instrument","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EMarty Jacobson picks the strings of an instrument that he designed and made. Rich, new sounds resonate in his office, evoking the outdoors \u2013 an Appalachian valley or green, rolling Irish hills.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cSounds just like a mandolin,\u201d says a satisfied Jacobson, design instructor and machine shop manager for the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, and a sought-after luthier in his spare time \u2013 two roles that are not very different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI tell my students that what I\u2019m doing making instruments is exactly the same thing they\u2019re doing in designing a medical device,\u201d Jacobson says. \u201cThe recipe for good design is the same: It\u2019s about understanding the problem, understanding the users and their needs, then taking the time to go through each step. It\u2019s an iterative, cyclical process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s something that was pounded into him every day when he was a student at Georgia Tech studying industrial design, this step-by-step concept. And it\u2019s something he drives home with his students in the Coulter Department, many of whom will be putting their design skills on display in the spring semester version of the Capstone Design Expo, Tuesday night in McCamish Pavilion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe Expo is a showcase of Georgia Tech\u2019s graduating seniors as they present innovations created during the Capstone Design Course. Students work in teams to design, build, and test prototypes with real world applications, which makes Jacobson particularly popular.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cAlmost every day I get questions from Capstone teams and I tell them, \u2018you know what, you should go ask Marty.\u2019 It\u2019s because the guy knows everything. He\u2019s got so much experience,\u201d says James Rains, professor of practice and director of BME Capstone. \u201cHe\u2019s skilled in so many areas. Marty is an eclectic guy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIn the weeks leading up to the Expo, Jacobson and fellow design instructor Raja Schaar are typically busy helping student teams reach the finish line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cRaja and I are in the unique position of having offices right near the machine shop, so when students have a question, they come on in,\u201d Jacobson says. \u201cIt could be anything from how to make something easier for the user to understand, or how to design a poster, or how to estimate the production cost, and a ton of other considerations, big and small.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAs Jacobson often says, they\u2019re similar to his considerations when working on an instrument for a client.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cYou can do all of the calculations you want and have a pretty good sense of what to expect in the final mechanism,\u201d he says. \u201cEspecially if we\u2019re talking about a medical device, until you prototype it, until it comes in contact with the human body, there are almost an infinite number of things that you don\u2019t know about. And the only way you\u2019ll know is to actually build it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EBut whether you\u2019re building a screening tool for malnutrition (like BME Capstone team NutriMeasure has done) or a high-end, custom-designed mandolin (Jacobson Acoustic Instruments start at $3,000), it begins with smart planning, something Jacobson has learned the hard way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cYou can waste a hundred bucks in wood very quickly by not planning,\u201d says Jacobson, who relies on suppliers he has known since childhood. The wood \u2013 he uses maple, spruce, walnut, rosewood, redwood \u2013 arrives in chunks, or billets. Even in its rough form, sometimes covered with mud and bugs, the wood is beautiful to Jacobson.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI start getting excited when it arrives, trying to figure out what kind of sound each piece of wood is going to give me, then match that with a customer\u2019s needs,\u201d Jacobson says. \u201cThese are musical tools, right? So then my design process \u2013 the part I enjoy the most \u2013 starts. I want to know what style of music the customer plays, what kinds of rooms they play in, the kind of tone they like in a recording. We have to figure out how to get this personality into the instrument, and that helps me understand the engineering parameters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EJacobson has sold about 35 of his mandolins over the past six years, every one of them different. He built his own CNC (computerized numerical control) machine from scratch, to quickly produce parts, based on CAD (computer-aided design) software that he devised. He\u2019s also designed a modular guitar platform that he plans to prototype soon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EFor each of his thoroughly unique mandolins, he puts significant creative thought into structural design and aesthetic elements. The completed instruments look like works of art, and having also been a professional photographer, Jacobson gets the importance of how something looks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cA fellow luthier told me, \u2018people hear with their eyes first,\u2019\u201d Jacobson says. \u201cWhat he means is, instruments grab people visually. It\u2019s the way our brains work. If something looks attractive, you think it sounds good.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ENonetheless, Jacobson places much more importance on tone and function than aesthetics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cEvery piece of the instrument, every shape and line and dimension, has a manufacturing purpose behind it,\u201d he says. \u201cAll of my instruments have some element of ergonomics instilled in them. It\u2019s from my industrial design background. I\u2019m always thinking of how to make them feel better or work better, how to make them more comfortable or sit better in the player\u2019s hands.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIt always comes back to the end-user, whether it\u2019s a musician who wants a better mandolin, or a clinician who needs a better tool for detecting respiratory infections in children (such as the device BME Team Pneu is showcasing at the Expo).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cWhat we teach students is really human centered,\u201d Jacobson says. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to make things for people.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/expo.gatech.edu\/projects\/?major=BME\u0022\u003EBME Capstone Design Expo Teams\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/martinjacobson.com\/id\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJacobson Acoustic Instruments\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p3\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/martinjacobson.com\/id\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Design instructor Marty Jacobson stresses the human component, whether it\u2019s mandolins or medical devices"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EDesign instructor Marty Jacobson stresses the human component, whether it\u2019s mandolins or medical devices\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Design instructor Marty Jacobson stresses the human component, whether it\u2019s mandolins or medical devices"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2016-04-25 12:01:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:28","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-04-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-04-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"528801":{"id":"528801","type":"image","title":"Marty Jacobson","body":null,"created":"1461870000","gmt_created":"2016-04-28 19:00:00","changed":"1475895305","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:05","alt":"Marty Jacobson","file":{"fid":"206176","name":"marty_playing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/marty_playing_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/marty_playing_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3885720,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/marty_playing_0.jpg?itok=w-bpAesf"}},"528831":{"id":"528831","type":"image","title":"Jacobson machine","body":null,"created":"1461895200","gmt_created":"2016-04-29 02:00:00","changed":"1475895305","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:05","alt":"Jacobson machine","file":{"fid":"206179","name":"machinery.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/machinery.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/machinery.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":625007,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/machinery.jpg?itok=T2ck8Vql"}},"528821":{"id":"528821","type":"image","title":"headstocks","body":null,"created":"1461895200","gmt_created":"2016-04-29 02:00:00","changed":"1475895305","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:05","alt":"headstocks","file":{"fid":"206178","name":"headstocks.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/headstocks.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/headstocks.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1166507,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/headstocks.jpg?itok=3hylknkx"}},"528811":{"id":"528811","type":"image","title":"Jacobson\u0027s work","body":null,"created":"1461870000","gmt_created":"2016-04-28 19:00:00","changed":"1475895305","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:05","alt":"Jacobson\u0027s work","file":{"fid":"206177","name":"progress.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/progress_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/progress_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":892343,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/progress_0.jpg?itok=jyTVTEM_"}}},"media_ids":["528801","528831","528821","528811"],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"10497","name":"luthier"},{"id":"171950","name":"mandolins"},{"id":"171951","name":"marty jacobson"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}