Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | RONArmor |
Aditya Gupta Moriah Gau Shana Milby |
Andrew Chen | appendix1.pdf design_document1.pdf design_document2.pdf design_document3.pdf final_paper1.pdf final_paper2.pdf other1.pdf presentation1.pdf proposal1.pdf |
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| Project Description: A safer and enhanced face shield that enables you to follow social distancing accurately, while not restricting your voice. Its capabilities override the typical face shield with its form fitting, recyclable, anti-moisture, and audio augmentation qualities. In comparison to Project Hazel by RAZER, which also implements an audio amplifier, our project includes audio modulation features. Team members: Shana Milby (smilby2, in-person), Moriah Gau (mgau2, online), Aditya Gupta (avgupta3, in-person) Problem: Everyday during this global pandemic we’re told three things: mask up, stand six feet apart, and wash your hands. Wearing disposable surgical face masks daily does not only generate an enormous amount of plastic waste, but it’s also exhausting, difficult to communicate, and sometimes even painful after an extended duration of time. When you’re passing through the grocery store or simply sitting in your laboratory class, not only does your mask sometimes keep slipping off your nose, but it’s also tiresome to constantly remain vigilant about whether you’re truly six feet apart from others. Solution Overview: In order to combat these issues, we have a form-fitting, protective facial shield constructed with recyclable plastic that notifies the user whether the social distancing guidelines are being met and ensures improved and entertaining communication through audio amplification and modulation. The design consists of three main subsystems: electrical hardware, software, and additional components. The electrical hardware subsystem is made up of LEDs, PIR sensors, voice amplification/modulation, power management/storage, and a control unit. The software subsystem then retrieves the feedback from the hardware subsystem and analyzes the data which is then delivered to outputs such as LEDs. Additional components are spunbond non-woven polypropylene (NWPP) fabric filters, conformal coating, and clear, recyclable plastic which allow users to display their facial expressions while being properly protected by its breathable, water-resistant, and washable nature. Furthermore, multiple precautionary measures will be implemented to guarantee user safety. Subsystems: Subsystem #1 - Power Management & Storage Since our project will need to be portable we will use lithium ion batteries as our voltage source. We also want to incorporate a lithium ion battery charging circuit for recharging our batteries so that users could simply plug in their device opposed to constantly replacing its batteries. Lastly, we will have a voltage regulator to ensure that each unit in our design is supplied with appropriate voltage levels. Introducing rechargeable batteries so close to the users’ head will require our group to have a great focus on safety precautions. The paragraph below highlights some of the steps we will take to ensure the protection of our users. Subsystem #2 - Embedded Safety Features First of all we plan to have our PCB located away from the mask/shield so that in the chances of a worst case scenario, the user will not sustain harm to his or her face, head or neck. The majority of our components will be contained within a thermal protective metal box that clips onto the users’ clothing. The thermal protection will prevent the user from getting burned if any components overheat. The metal of the box would protect the user from any EM radiation emitting from the device, prevent any large overshoots or undershoots on our data lines, and will also function to protect the user from EM waves that may escape the box. Furthermore in regards to battery recharging we will disable the powering on of our mask/shield while the batteries are charging and likewise disable the charging of batteries while our mask/shield is on. Overall, throughout our design process, we will keep a close eye on each component's specs to ensure that we do not drive any component above its voltage, current, or power ratings. For example, one step that we have already taken is the decision to utilize PIR sensors over IR sensors due to their passive characteristic and requirement for less power consumption. Finally, we plan to utilize a number of the following components to avoid unintentional shorts or component malfunctions: ground path capacitors, protection/ESD diodes , and fuses. Subsystem #3 - Social Distancing Indicator One of the main functionalities of our project will be its ability to warn its user if there are people within a 6ft radius. To do this, we will utilize passive infrared sensors to detect people. We will send this data to our software to establish whether the person detected is too close per the CDC social distancing guidelines. Subsystem #4 - Voice Functions The other main characteristic of our project will be its voice amplification and/or modulation features. This subsystem will utilize a microphone inside the mask/shield to receive the user’s voice signal, an A/D converter to allow for digital processing, a DSP chip to denoise the input, some software for optional voice modulation, a D/A converter for communication to the speaker, an amplifier to make the voice more audible, and finally a speaker on the outside of the mask/shield to project sound. Subsystem #5 - User Interface We plan to incorporate a range of LEDs from red to green that indicate to the user when social distancing guidelines have been breached and to what extent. We will also include buttons to allow the user to determine which voice modulation function they wish to use: none, high pitch, low pitch, etc. Subsystem #6 - Control Unit Our project will have a control unit to process the data from our sensors and determine which LEDs to display to the user. The microcontroller will also aid in the signal processing performed from our microphone input to our speaker output. Finally, we will also have an ON/OFF button to allow the unit to power up and down as a whole. Subsystem #7 - Mask/Shield As for the nonelectrical components of our project, we will use clear, recyclable plastic for the shield itself and spunbond non-woven polypropylene (NWPP) fabric filters around the edges for filtration. Lastly, we will coat the inside of the clear plastic with water/humidity resistant paint/spray, which is safe for inhalation. Criterion for Success: The key components that we need for our project to be effective are: the social distancing subsystem and the voice modulation sub-system. These two will be constructed as separate subsystems and their integration together will be a pivotal point. Within each subsystem, having effective microcontrollers and control logic is also a crucial checkpoint. While developing each of these subsystems in a modular manner, we will gather appropriate information (such as signal graphs and circuit outputs) to design safe and functioning subsystems. If all goes well, our final deliverable will be a face shield with the entirety of its mentioned features. |
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