Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
14 Household Smart Scheduler
 Amanda Schmitt
Maddy Sullivan
Shailee Patel
 Tianda Huang
# Household Departure Board

Team Members:
- Amanda Schmitt (amanda51)
- Maddy Sullivan (maddys2)
- Shailee Patel (shailee2)

# Problem

People often know when an event starts but still leave late because they do not keep track of when they actually need to leave. They may also forget important items, such as their keys, when rushing out of the house.

Phone calendars can provide reminders, but they do not provide a shared physical display for a household or interact with the items people need before leaving.

Our goal is to build a wall-mounted departure board that shows each household member's next event, how long they have before they should leave, and whether their keys are still on the hook.

# Solution

The Household Departure Board will contain a physical section for each household member.

Each person's section will display:

- Name
- Next event
- Time until they should leave
- Key status

The system will retrieve each user's next calendar event and calculate a departure time using a preset travel time and time buffer.

For example:

**Departure Time = Event Time - Preset Travel Time - Time Buffer**

As the departure time approaches, LEDs will change color and an audible alert will notify the user when it is time to leave.

Each person will also have a key hook containing a sensor. The board will detect whether their keys are still hanging on the hook. If departure time is approaching and the keys have not been removed, the board will display a warning.

A microcontroller and custom PCB will control the displays, key sensors, LEDs, buzzer, and calendar communication.

# Solution Components

## Central Control Subsystem

A Wi-Fi-capable microcontroller will control the board.

It will:

- Retrieve each user's next calendar event
- Calculate departure countdowns
- Read the key-hook sensors
- Update the displays
- Control LEDs and audible alerts

A custom PCB will contain the microcontroller, power circuitry, sensor connections, display connections, and output-driver circuitry.

Components will include:

- Wi-Fi-capable microcontroller
- Voltage regulation and power circuitry
- Sensor and display connections
- LED and buzzer driver circuitry
- Supporting resistors and capacitors

## User Display and Alert Subsystem

Each household member will have a dedicated section of the board displaying:

- User name
- Next event
- Departure countdown
- Key status

Each section will also contain a status light.

For example:

- Green: plenty of time remaining
- Yellow: departure time approaching
- Red: time to leave

A buzzer will provide an additional alert when the user reaches their departure time.

Components will include:

- Small digital displays
- Status LEDs
- Piezo buzzer
- Supporting driver circuitry

## Key Hook Sensing Subsystem

Each user will have a designated key hook containing a mechanical sensor.

When keys are placed on the hook, their weight will activate the sensor. When the keys are removed, the sensor will change state.

The microcontroller will use this signal to determine whether the user's keys are still present.

If departure time is approaching while the keys remain on the hook, the board will display a warning. Removing the keys will automatically clear the warning.

Components will include:

- Key hooks
- Mechanical switches or pressure sensors
- Basic input filtering circuitry

## Scheduling Subsystem

The system will retrieve the next upcoming event from each user's digital calendar.

Each user will have a preset travel time and additional departure buffer.

The system will calculate:

**Departure Time = Event Time - Preset Travel Time - Time Buffer**

The countdown will automatically update until the user needs to leave.

This subsystem will intentionally avoid more complicated route, weather, and transit calculations to keep the project focused on the physical scheduling board.

# Criterion For Success

1. The board must support at least three household members.

2. Each user's section must display their next event, departure countdown, and key status.

3. The system must successfully retrieve upcoming events from a digital calendar.

4. The system must correctly calculate departure times using a preset travel time and time buffer.

5. Departure countdowns must update automatically.

6. Each key hook must correctly detect whether keys are present in at least 90% of controlled tests.

7. Removing or replacing the keys must automatically update the corresponding user's key status.

8. If departure time is approaching while the user's keys remain on the hook, the board must provide a visible warning.

9. The LEDs must indicate normal, leave-soon, and leave-now conditions.

10. The system must generate an audible alert when a user's departure time is reached.

11. The completed prototype must successfully demonstrate:
- Three independent users
- Calendar synchronization
- Automatic departure countdowns
- Key presence detection
- Key reminders
- Visual departure alerts
- Audible departure alerts

Modularized Electronic Locker

Jack Davis, Joshua Nolan, Jake Pu

Modularized Electronic Locker

Featured Project

Group Member: Jianhao (Jake) Pu [jpu3], Joshua Nolan [jtnolan2], John (Jack) Davis [johnhd4]

Problem:

Students living off campus without a packaging station are affected by stolen packages all the time. As a result of privacy concerns and inconsistent deployment, public cameras in Champaign and around the world cannot always be relied upon. Therefore, it can be very difficult for victims to gather evidence for a police report. Most of the time, the value of stolen items is small and they are usually compensated by the sellers (Amazon and Apple are very understanding). However, not all deliveries are insured and many people are suffering from stolen food deliveries during the COVID-19 crisis. We need a low-cost solution that can protect deliveries from all vendors.

Solution Overview:

Our solution is similar to Amazon Hub Apartment Locker and Luxer One. Like these services, our product will securely enclose the package until the owners claim the contents inside. The owner of the contents can claim it using a phone number or a unique user identification code generated and managed by a cloud service.

The first difference we want to make from these competitors is cost. According to an article, the cost of a single locker is from $6000 - $20000. We want to minimize such costs so that we can replace the traditional mailbox. We talked to a Chinese manufacturer and got a hardware quote of $3000. We can squeeze this cost if we just design our own control module on ESP32 microcontrollers.

The second difference we want to make is modularity. We will have a sensor module, a control module, a power module and any number of storage units for hardware. We want to make standardized storage units that can be stacked into any configuration, and these storage units can be connected to a control module through a communication bus. The control module houses the hardware to open or close all of the individual lockers. A household can purchase a single locker and a control module just for one family while apartment buildings can stack them into the lockers we see at Amazon Hub. I think the hardware connection will be a challenge but it will be very effective at lowering the cost once we can massively manufacture these unit lockers.

Solution Components:

Storage Unit

Basic units that provide a locker feature. Each storage unit will have a cheap microcontroller to work as a slave on the communication bus and control its electronic lock (12V 36W). It has four connectors on top, bottom, left, and right sides for stackable configuration.

Control Unit

Should have the same dimension as one of the storage units so that it could be stacked with them. Houses ESP32 microcontroller to run control logics on all storage units and uses the built-in WiFi to upload data to a cloud server. If sensor units are detected, it should activate more security features accordingly.

Power Unit

Power from the wall or from a backup battery power supply and the associated controls to deliver power to the system. Able to sustain high current in a short time (36W for each electronic lock). It should also have protection against overvoltage and overcurrent.

Sensor Modules

Sensors such as cameras, motion sensors, and gyroscopes will parlay any scandalous activities to the control unit and will be able to capture a photo to report to authorities. Sensors will also have modularity for increased security capabilities.

Cloud Support

Runs a database that keeps user identification information and the security images. Pushes notification to end-users.

Criterion for Success:

Deliverers (Fedex, Amazon, Uber Eats, etc.) are able to open the locker using a touchscreen and a use- provided code to place their package inside. Once the package is inside of the locker, a message will be sent to the locker owner that their delivery has arrived. Locker owners are able to open the locker using a touchscreen interface. Owners are also able to change the passcode at any time for security reasons. The locker must be difficult to break into and offer theft protection after multiple incorrect password attempts.

Project Videos