Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
52 Heated Bridge System + Seeking one partner
 Adriel Taparra
James Raue
Kahmil Hamzat
 Jiankun Yang design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
other1.pdf
photo1.jpg
photo2.jpeg
presentation1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
# Heated Bridge Safety System

**Team Members:**
- Kahmil Hamzat (khamza2)
- Adriel Taparra (taparra2)
- James Raue (jdraue2)

## Problem

During winter, bridges freeze faster than regular roads due to their exposure to cold air from all sides, making them hazardous for drivers. Existing solutions rely on passive warnings such as "Bridge Ices Before Road" signs, which do not actively prevent ice formation. Our goal is to create an active heating system that prevents ice and snow buildup on bridges, improving safety and reducing accidents caused by icy road conditions.


## Solution

Our project will implement a heated bridge system using an array of nichrome heating wires embedded in a simulated bridge surface. The simulated bridge will be a plywood model, with a metal sheet simulating the road surface and nichrome wires beneath the sheet for heat generation. The system will be controlled by a microcontroller that monitors real-time weather conditions via **temperature, moisture, and precipitation sensors**. If freezing conditions and moisture are detected, the system will activate the heating elements to prevent ice formation. A MOSFET-based power switching circuit will be used to regulate power delivery to the heating wires efficiently. When the microcontroller outputs HIGH, the MOSFET allows current to flow, heating the wire.


## Solution Components

### **Heating Subsystem**
- Nichrome wire heating elements embedded in a plywood bridge surface to simulate real-world conditions.
- MOSFET switching circuit to control power delivery based on microcontroller input.
- 12V/24V DC power source, either from a wall adapter or a rechargeable battery with a DC-DC converter.

### **Sensing and Control Subsystem**
- **Temperature sensor** to monitor surface temperatures.
- **Moisture sensor** to detect the presence of water on the surface.
- **Precipitation sensor** to determine if snow or rain is present.
- **Microcontroller** to process sensor data and activate the heating system accordingly.

### **Power and PCB Subsystem**
- **Custom PCB** designed to integrate the microcontroller, MOSFET power control circuit, and sensor connections.


## Criteria for Success

1. **Accurate sensing** – The system must reliably detect temperature, moisture, and precipitation to determine when heating is necessary.
2. **Effective heating** – The nichrome wire should generate enough heat to prevent ice formation on the bridge surface.
3. **Power efficiency** – The heating system should activate only when necessary to conserve power.
4. **Demonstrable functionality** – The prototype should successfully operate in a simulated environment (e.g., an ice box) and respond appropriately to changing conditions.

UV Sensor and Alert System - Skin Protection

Liz Boehning, Gavin Chan, Jimmy Huh

UV Sensor and Alert System - Skin Protection

Featured Project

Team Members:

- Elizabeth Boehning (elb5)

- Gavin Chan (gavintc2)

- Jimmy Huh (yeaho2)

# Problem

Too much sun exposure can lead to sunburn and an increased risk of skin cancer. Without active and mindful monitoring, it can be difficult to tell how much sun exposure one is getting and when one needs to seek protection from the sun, such as applying sunscreen or getting into shady areas. This is even more of an issue for those with fair skin, but also can be applicable to prevent skin damage for everyone, specifically for those who spend a lot of time outside for work (construction) or leisure activities (runners, outdoor athletes).

# Solution

Our solution is to create a wristband that tracks UV exposure and alerts the user to reapply sunscreen or seek shade to prevent skin damage. By creating a device that tracks intensity and exposure to harmful UV light from the sun, the user can limit their time in the sun (especially during periods of increased UV exposure) and apply sunscreen or seek shade when necessary, without the need of manually tracking how long the user is exposed to sunlight. By doing so, the short-term risk of sunburn and long-term risk of skin cancer is decreased.

The sensors/wristbands that we have seen only provide feedback in the sense of color changing once a certain exposure limit has been reached. For our device, we would like to also input user feedback to actively alert the user repeatedly to ensure safe extended sun exposure.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 - Sensor Interface

This subsystem contains the UV sensors. There are two types of UV wavelengths that are damaging to human skin and reach the surface of Earth: UV-A and UV-B. Therefore, this subsystem will contain two sensors to measure each of those wavelengths and output a voltage for the MCU subsystem to interpret as energy intensity. The following sensors will be used:

- GUVA-T21GH - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/genicom-co-ltd/GUVA-T21GH/10474931

- GUVB-T21GH - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/genicom-co-ltd/GUVB-T21GH/10474933

## Subsystem 2 - MCU

This subsystem will include a microcontroller for controlling the device. It will take input from the sensor interface, interpret the input as energy intensity, and track how long the sensor is exposed to UV. When applicable, the MCU will output signals to the User Interface subsystem to notify the user to take action for sun exposure and will input signals from the User Interface subsystem if the user has put on sunscreen.

## Subsystem 3 - Power

This subsystem will provide power to the system through a rechargeable, lithium-ion battery, and a switching boost converter for the rest of the system. This section will require some consultation to ensure the best choice is made for our device.

## Subsystem 4 - User Interface

This subsystem will provide feedback to the user and accept feedback from the user. Once the user has been exposed to significant UV light, this subsystem will use a vibration motor to vibrate and notify the user to put on more sunscreen or get into the shade. Once they have done so, they can press a button to notify the system that they have put on more sunscreen, which will be sent as an output to the MCU subsystem.

We are looking into using one of the following vibration motors:

- TEK002 - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/sparkfun-electronics/DEV-11008/5768371

- DEV-11008 - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/pimoroni-ltd/TEK002/7933302

# Criterion For Success

- Last at least 16 hours on battery power

- Accurately measures amount of time and intensity of harmful UV light

- Notifies user of sustained UV exposure (vibration motor) and resets exposure timer if more sunscreen is applied (button is pressed)