Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Pocket Pal |
Alexandria Valdez Arkajit Dutta Jack Dai |
AJ Schroeder | design_document1.pdf design_document2.pdf design_document3.pdf final_paper1.pdf other1.pdf proposal1.pdf proposal2.pdf |
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| # Problem If I am in a Starbucks during rush hour, I don't want to be scrambling through my wallet looking for the correct amount of money while there are hordes of people waiting in line behind me. Pocket Pal is designed to help customers pay the exact amount required by dispensing cash/coins automatically, so they no longer have to frantically pull out coins at checkout. Even though a solution for some people would be to use credit cards, cash is still used by many in the U.S. and is still the main method of payment in countries like Germany, where 75% of its transactions are made with cash. According to an April 2020 study by the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (DCPC), the average amount of physical cash in the U.S. carried by a person increased from $69 to $81, where the former value was a pre-pandemic statistic from the DCPC’s 2019 report. This same study also found that during the pandemic, 59% of people that made in-person purchases paid with cash. Many small businesses even offer discounts for using cash, since credit card fees for merchants can be high. # Solution Overview We propose to build an innovative wallet, one that is capable of determining the exact combination of coins to match the amount input by the user. We would need a coin compartment to keep track of all the coins in the wallet using optical lenses and a controller that would calculate the right amount of coins needed to make a certain amount. Currently, we are aiming to primarily focus on coins in this project as it is easier to identify and count notes but can accommodate notes as well if needed. # Solution components Money Tracker: Increments/decrements coin count whenever the Coin Loader/Dispenser detects a change; increments/decrements cash count whenever the Cash Loader/Dispenser detects a change; calculates the correct combination of bills/coins to be dispensed after given a monetary value is inputted Reader/Interface Controller: Processor that keeps track of cash in wallet, count of all coins and cash; processes the right combination of cash/coins needed for the amount entered. CPU of the system. Coin Loader: Detects how many coins the user has put into the device; detects the value of each coin (quarter, dime, nickel, penny) that has been put into the device Coin compartment: storage for coins that will be organized by value Motion sensor or proximity sensor (two potential options) Motion sensor detects when a coin is added A proximity sensor can be used to see how much of each coin compartment is filled and use that data to calculate the number of coins Coin Dispenser: Dispenses the correct amount of coins whenever the user inputs a monetary value Servo Motor: way to rotate coins over a coin-sized hole or cover/uncover a coin slot so that the correct combination of coins can fall into user’s hand User Input: User inputs a monetary value that they need to be dispensed which will trigger the cash compartment to open (if needed) and then start the coin dispenser Input System (2 potential options) Buttons to input cash value and button to start the dispensing process Pocket PC 3.5-inch touchscreen that has buttons to input cash value and a button to start the dispensing process We would adapt our design using this video as a starting point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFOu7GnX2AQ Card Compartment: Additional room for ID, credit card, etc. # Criterion for success: The user can input a monetary value with any coin value between 0 to 99 cents, and the correct combination of coins will be dispensed from the device. The device will be able to calculate how much of each bill needs to be dispensed and update the dollar counts accordingly. |
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