Introduction

Statement of Purpose

The college dorm has very little technology in a university filled with cutting edge technology. This can be easily remedied using basic technologies that can make the overall dorm experience better for the average student. We propose to use radio-frequency identification sensors to automate some basic processes in the dorm room in order to save energy and increase efficiency. 

Background Research

Energy consumption in US colleges and universities is extremely high. On average they consume 18.9kWh of electricity annually. Lighting, cooling and ventilation are the most significant contributors to this consumption. According to data provided by the US Energy Information department, lighting, cooling and ventilation account for 17%, 10% and 22% of the energy consumption in US universities. 

Thus, these areas are primary targets to reduce electricity consumption. Our focus is to reduce the energy consumption in college dorms by automating existing dorms by using easily accessible and readily available equipment. This would be cut down wastage of electricity when a student leaves the dorm. 

Design Details

Block Diagram / Flow Chart

System Overview

We use an arduino connected to a MFRC522 RFID shield to detect the person's tag. This triggers the motor connected to the blinds to either open or close depending on if the person is leaving or entering. As of now, we will use a spool connected to a DC motor to roll the blinds up or down.

Parts

• MFRC522 RFID Reader
• RFID Key chain tag
• Arduino Uno
• Servo motor

Possible Challenges

• Ensuring sensor doesnt go off while person is in the room.
• Designing the mechanism of pulling blinds up and down. 
• Increasing the range of the reader to a workable value

References