The first prototype of the rain catchment validator seems fairly successful. We have yet to attach a strain gauge to it, though some testing is being done to see how the evaporation rate compares to water in a 1 L beaker, started by Dr. Selker before he left.

The design was changed to fit to the strain gauges we purchased, though it seemed flimsy and I had concerns about the strain gauge connection bending or breaking under stress, as well as the layers delaminating or the overall form of the device changing over time. I added some structural supports to most aspects of the design (picture 2) and am running a print now. This version should be able to be tested with the strain gauges.