FAB LAB Khairpur Sukkur IBA Sukkur IBA University
Merit, Quality, Excellence

WEEK-18

Applications and Implications

Lecture & Recitaton of a Week:

Lecture on 23rd of May, 2018: Applications and Implications by Neil Gershenfeld

Recitation on 28th of May, 2018: assistive technologies

Tasks for a Week

What will it do?

For my final project I want to make a smart inventory system for FABLAB which is used to find the required component in lab and manage the quantity of items.

The idea was come from the experience of makerspace, where doing inventory is a difficult part of my previous job as Space Manager in "Tajurbagah". To place small electronic components we have cabinets with boxes, which are categorized and updated on excel sheets also. But whenever someone need any component from those boxes it takes time to find the desired component.

inventory boxes from Tajurbagah

Electronic components placement at MAKERSPACE Tajurbagah Karachi

I want to solve that problem by making a smart inventory system which indicates the shelves in which desired components are present and then change the quantity of components after taking data from user

Who's done what beforehand?

The problem is not new as many labs and management companies design the inventory system as per their requirement beforehand, I found some previous projects on inventory system of FABLAB graduated students, and as part of FAB Community I love to mention their work in my documentation:

First Project: Inventory Bot

burn complete

Inventroy Bot Front and Back View


Here is the link of this project page. This project is made by Kohei Morimoto from FABLAB Kitakagaya Japan in 2017. The mechanism is based on core XY sytem which is made and attached on back of the cabinet a shaft with servo motor is attached on the head which pushes out the desired drawer, when a person need any component he/she has to give two inputs to machine a name of component and no. of quantity after that if the component is available the core XZ system move toward that box and push it out. The arduino is used to control the core XZ system which gets instruction from PC and act according to it.

Second Project: Wally

burn complete

A look to Wally


Here is the link of this project page. This project is made by Kenzo Prada Abiko from AS220 FabAcademy in 2015. This project also designed to maintain the inventory for the specific projects. To interface with machine, LCD is placed alongside buttons which are also fabricated, a person needs to input a number of project and the boxes which have component of those project light up to mention. After taking desired component a person need to enter the number of component he/she tooks. and inventory updated with respect to it.

What will you design?

I planned to design Inventory management system using skills which I learned while doing fablab course. While considering above mentioned project, my project working will be differnet from their work. I design a system in which an inventory is managed on webserver and items are present in honeycomb shaped shelves, a person excess inventory by using his mobile or laptop, able to modilfy number of quantity of items after entering ar taking items from shelves.

What materials and components will be used?

Where will come from?

most of the components and material are from FABLAB Khairpur, these are some components which I bought, the list is mentioned below:

How much will they cost?

Components Number of components * Price of
components(USD)
Total price (USD) link
8x4-ft 16mm MDF Board
1 * 10.5
bought locally
2x1-ft 3mm Transparent Acrylic Sheet
2 * 2.08
4.16
bought locally
.5x.5-ft 6mm Transparent Acrylic Sheet
1 * 2
1.45
Elfy glue
3 * 0.08
0.26
bought locally
Hinges
12 * 0.043
0.52
bought locally
Screws 3mm
24 * 0.042
1
WS2812B 60 RGB LEDs-WS2812-1m Length (36 used)
36 * 0.16
5.76
click here for link
Male/Male Jumper Wire (150mm)
36 * 0.098
3.52
click here for link
Female/Female Jumper Wire (150mm)
36 * 0.098
1
click here for link
ESP-12E
1 * 6.99
1
click here for link
ATMega328p
1 * 0.1
2
click here for link
5V 2Amp Adapter
1 * 1
1
bought locally
Supporting circuitry for both circuits
1 * 1
1
www.digikey.es
PLA 3D printed pieces
$36.59/0.75kg required 100g.
4.878
www.digikey.es
Total Cost
--
38.048
--

What parts and systems will be made?

What processes will be used?

What questions need to be answered?

How will it be evaluated?

upon successful completion of the project the webserver is used to trace the required components within shelf and updates the inventory (no. of components) after removing or adding components from shelf.


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