Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
2 Seeing Ⓘ Hat
 Matthew Esses
Mitchell Gilmer
Shreya Venkat
 Sanjana Pingali design_document1.pdf
design_document2.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
presentation1.pptx
proposal1.pdf
# Seeing Ⓘ Hat
Team Members
Shreya Venkat (shreyav3)

Mitchell Kalogridis Elekzandros Varik Gilmer (gilmer2)

Matthew Esses (messes2)

# PROBLEM
Individuals with visual impairments encounter difficulties in independent navigation of their surroundings, causing lowered spatial awareness and concern with their personal safety.While there are solutions such as canes or seeing eye dogs, there is an issue with detecting range for objects further than a meter out. Seeing eye dogs only take the owner into a certain direction and are used to make sure the user stays in a straight line from their directions. Dogs can unfortunately become distracted by things like food or children petting the, even with training. Also, there are likely people allergic to dogs or with traumatic experiences that wouldn't want one, while the dog requires being taken care of constantly as a pet.


# SOLUTION
We want to make a hat designed to empower blind individuals by offering a 360-degree field of view. It will use advanced LiDAR sensors for wayfinding and dead reckoning, and Doppler RADARs for collision detection. This technology translates the surrounding environment into real-time spatial data, allowing users to navigate their surroundings with newfound independence. The hat also includes vibration motors strategically placed to indicate the direction of the nearest objects, aiding users in easily navigating their environment.
# SOLUTION COMPONENTS

# Subsystem 0: Microcontroller processing unit
- **STM32F401:** Microcontroller with 11 PWM outputs, massive processing power
## SUBSYSTEM 1: IMAGING AND SENSING SYSTEM
This subsystem focuses on capturing real-time spatial data
- **LIDAR SENSOR USING I2C:** Primary imaging sensor for user dead reckoning
- **Accelerometer and magnetometer** Tracking and adjusting user movement for data calculations
- **HB100 Doppler RADAR:** Secondary emergency collision detection sensor
- **Small LCD screen:** Diagnostic tool (not for user, this is for debugging)
## SUBSYSTEM 2: SCANNING MECHANISM
This subsystem focuses on the rotation of the scanner and the associated motor control.
- **Motor Driver:** Controlling rotational speed of the scanner using PWM input from the microcontroller
- **DC Brushless Motor** Main mechanical power source
- **Hall Effect Sensor Circuit:** For determining the direct angular positioning of a motor
- **3D printed parts and slip ring:** Mechanical backbone of project for properly transferring rotation to the LiDAR
## SUBSYSTEM 3: HAPTIC FEEDBACK SYSTEM
This subsystem includes vibration motors for providing haptic feedback to the user.
- **Demultiplexers/Decoders:** These receive output from the STM32 and outputs a PWM signal from the microcontroller to the vibration motors.
- **16 Vibration Motors:** Place vibration motors at various angles within the hat to indicate the direction of the nearest objects. In a power of 2 to mesh with the demultiplexers..
# SUBSYSTEM 4: Battery Power Supply Subsystem:
Create boost/buck converter circuits for power supplies to ensure uniform voltage supply.
- **LiPO batteries** - May be 3.7V in series - lightest reasonable weight, small form factor power source
- **Battery holder:** Holding the battery
- **eFuse current limiter, undercurrent included:** Safety sensor for microcontroller and components for rapid shut off
- **Over/Undervoltage lockout:** Safety sensor for components for rapid shut off
- **Buck converter:** Stepping down voltage for microcontroller and sensors
### A buck converter may or may not be required depending on the final motors and microprocessors. The microprocessor is rated for 3.75 - 5.2V. Our preferred method of accomplishing this voltage step down would be a buck converter. The in-line non-switching solutions appear to not be viable with the current draw requirements.
### The microprocessors range is close to the battery pack range. Depending on the final system requirement, the system may be viable to operate on a singular IC provided by Texas Instruments.
### If the buck converter is not an IC, then we would need to build a buck converter using a buck controller.
# CRITERION FOR SUCCESS
1) The Hall Effect sensor, magnetometer, and accelerometer are able to provide accurate heading and sensor data for the haptic feedback within 45 degrees accuracy when displaced.
2) Able to image a room, such as ECEB 2072, from the center at resolution of at least 0.2 meters using haptic feedback and with a monitor for others’ viewing as a diagnostic tool with a 360 degree range with an angular resolution and accuracy of 15 degrees.
3) Able to detect objects approaching the user from front, back, below, and both sides within 2 seconds using both the Doppler proximity sensor and the LIDAR.
4) Navigational Success: The Hat successfully aids a blindfolded user in navigating the second and third floors of ECEB without difficulties.
5) Power Supply Stability: Power system safely shuts down during extreme conditions such as battery failure and short circuit conditions without damaging the hardware.

Healthy Chair

Ryan Chen, Alan Tokarsky, Tod Wang

Healthy Chair

Featured Project

Team Members:

- Wang Qiuyu (qiuyuw2)

- Ryan Chen (ryanc6)

- Alan Torkarsky(alanmt2)

## Problem

The majority of the population sits for most of the day, whether it’s students doing homework or

employees working at a desk. In particular, during the Covid era where many people are either

working at home or quarantining for long periods of time, they tend to work out less and sit

longer, making it more likely for people to result in obesity, hemorrhoids, and even heart

diseases. In addition, sitting too long is detrimental to one’s bottom and urinary tract, and can

result in urinary urgency, and poor sitting posture can lead to reduced blood circulation, joint

and muscle pain, and other health-related issues.

## Solution

Our team is proposing a project to develop a healthy chair that aims at addressing the problems

mentioned above by reminding people if they have been sitting for too long, using a fan to cool

off the chair, and making people aware of their unhealthy leaning posture.

1. It uses thin film pressure sensors under the chair’s seat to detect the presence of a user,

and pressure sensors on the chair’s back to detect the leaning posture of the user.

2. It uses a temperature sensor under the chair’s seat, and if the seat’s temperature goes

beyond a set temperature threshold, a fan below will be turned on by the microcontroller.

3. It utilizes an LCD display with programmable user interface. The user is able to input the

duration of time the chair will alert the user.

4. It uses a voice module to remind the user if he or she has been sitting for too long. The

sitting time is inputted by the user and tracked by the microcontroller.

5. Utilize only a voice chip instead of the existing speech module to construct our own

voice module.

6. The "smart" chair is able to analyze the situation that the chair surface temperature

exceeds a certain temperature within 24 hours and warns the user about it.

## Solution Components

## Signal Acquisition Subsystem

The signal acquisition subsystem is composed of multiple pressure sensors and a temperature

sensor. This subsystem provides all the input signals (pressure exerted on the bottom and the

back of the chair, as well as the chair’s temperature) that go into the microcontroller. We will be

using RP-C18.3-ST thin film pressure sensors and MLX90614-DCC non-contact IR temperature

sensor.

## Microcontroller Subsystem

In order to achieve seamless data transfer and have enough IO for all the sensors we will use

two ATMEGA88A-PU microcontrollers. One microcontroller is used to take the inputs and

serves as the master, and the second one controls the outputs and acts as the slave. We will

use I2C communication to let the two microcontrollers talk to each other. The microcontrollers

will also be programmed with the ch340g usb to ttl converter. They will be programmed outside

the board and placed into it to avoid over cluttering the PCB with extra circuits.

The microcontroller will be in charge of processing the data that it receives from all input

sensors: pressure and temperature. Once it determines that there is a person sitting on it we

can use the internal clock to begin tracking how long they have been sitting. The clock will also

be used to determine if the person has stood up for a break. The microcontroller will also use

the readings from the temperature sensor to determine if the chair has been overheating to turn

on the fans if necessary. A speaker will tell the user to get up and stretch for a while when they

have been sitting for too long. We will use the speech module to create speech through the

speaker to inform the user of their lengthy sitting duration.

The microcontroller will also be able to relay data about the posture to the led screen for the

user. When it’s detected that the user is leaning against the chair improperly for too long from

the thin film pressure sensors on the chair back, we will flash the corresponding LEDs to notify

the user of their unhealthy sitting posture.

## Implementation Subsystem

The implementation subsystem can be further broken down into three modules: the fan module,

the speech module, and the LCD module. This subsystem includes all the outputs controlled by

the microcontroller. We will be using a MF40100V2-1000U-A99 fan for the fan module,

ISD4002-240PY voice record chip for the speech module, and Adafruit 1.54" 240x240 Wide

Angle TFT LCD Display with MicroSD - ST7789 LCD display for the OLED.

## Power Subsystem

The power subsystem converts 120V AC voltage to a lower DC voltage. Since most of the input

and output sensors, as well as the ATMEGA88A-PU microcontroller operate under a DC voltage

of around or less than 5V, we will be implementing the power subsystem that can switch

between a battery and normal power from the wall.

## Criteria for Success

-The thin film pressure sensors on the bottom of the chair are able to detect the pressure of a

human sitting on the chair

-The temperature sensor is able to detect an increase in temperature and turns the fan as

temperature goes beyond our set threshold temperature. After the temperature decreases

below the threshold, the fan is able to be turned off by the microcontroller

-The thin film pressure sensors on the back of the chair are able to detect unhealthy sitting

posture

-The outputs of the implementation subsystem including the speech, fan, and LCD modules are

able to function as described above and inform the user correctly

## Envision of Final Demo

Our final demo of the healthy chair project is an office chair with grids. The office chair’s back

holds several other pressure sensors to detect the person’s leaning posture. The pressure and

temperature sensors are located under the office chair. After receiving input time from the user,

the healthy chair is able to warn the user if he has been sitting for too long by alerting him from

the speech module. The fan below the chair’s seat is able to turn on after the chair seat’s

temperature goes beyond a set threshold temperature. The LCD displays which sensors are

activated and it also receives the user’s time input.

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