This week we need to answer a list of questions regarding our final project to help us define it and develop a project plan for it.

To Do

  1. Answer the given list of questions

The "Doing"

Questions

  1. What will it do?

    2. My product is the "What should I wear today?" thermometer. The aim of it is to offer a tangible interface for temperature values. That is, it shows the temperature with a combination of numeric scale (usual thermometer) and a scale of clothes. THe scale of clothes will show what are the appropriate clothes for the day. In both types of scale, the temperature value will be displayed by illuminating the corresponding LEDs. I plan to get the temperature values from the Internet using a Raspberry Pi. The underlying idea is to help small children or people with disabilities or in general, anyone that could benefit from a tangible interface, to understand the meaning of a temperature value.

  2. Who has done what beforehand?

    3. I started doing some research about previous work when I had the idea at the beginning of FabAcademy. I found plenty of examples of DIY handicrafts for kids, most of them tangible, some of them using also clothes, and even some are for sale like the Monkey Weather Chart. These examples are not linked to any real value, but relay on one checking the weather. Also, I found also webpages adapted for kids as Kids Weather Report that shows the temperature, a visual representation of the weather and two kids dresses up. In the same line, I found some mobile apps showing what to wear like iDress for Weather. But I did not find any tangible interface combining clothes and electronics, that get real temperature data.

  3. What will you design?

    4. My plan is to design everything by myself, but the board for Internet communication, that I plan to use a Raspberry Pi, as mentioned before. I would design and build the main structure (a kind of wardrobe) and the structure for the thermometer. I plan to design and build all the boards. I plan to design and make the clothes and attach them the LEDS. I have done already some parts during the different assignments of the Fab Academy. For example, I have designed the main structure, a frame that resembles a wardrobe. I have designed and build a board for a hall-effect sensor that would trigger the switch on/off everything.

  4. What materials and components will be used? Where will they come from?

    5. I plan to use mainly materials available in the Fab Inventory. I will mostly use standard electronic components available in the Fab Lab as resistors and capacitors, different pins and pin headers. I am using Hall-effect sensors for single axis (one or 2) A1302KLHLT-T and magnets I got from the Fab Lab. Although I plan to use mainly ATtyni44A as microcontroller, I may need to use ATtyni84 for the neopixels I plan to use (with driver WS2812B) because of memory requirements. The neopixels and the ATtyni84 I bought myself, while the ATtiny44A is available in our FabLab.
    The main structure is made with OBS. I will also use MDF and acrylic. MDF is for the Main board supporting the thermometer scale, the clothes scale and everything. The acrylic would be for the door in the back and for the thermometer structure. For this, I may need a thinner plate of acrylic than the available in the Fab Lab. In such case, I will buy myself. I will use conductive thread I have already bought. I need to get some fabric I will get myself mainly by recycling from old clothes. I plan to use also a raspberry to get temperature data from the Internet. This one I already have myself.

    NOTE An updated version of the BoM can be found at analysis of the concept>BOM of the final project



  5. How much will it cost?

    6. At this point I can do a rough estimation of the costs. The most expensive part would be the rasberry pi (around 30€). The average cost of each basic board is around 4€ and I am planning toneed around 4 of those (16€). Then, around 50 neopixles (8€). The thread bobbin was . Obs is around 17€ per board, and I have used two (34€). I would use MDF and acrylic. I do not know the quantity now, but I can approach to around 20€ for both. Summing that up, and adding some more euros for fabrics, and threads, the total estimation at this point is of around 130€.

    NOTE An updated version of the BoM can be found at analysis of the concept>BOM of the final project



  6. What parts and systems will be made?

    7. All the different parts of the system will be made, but the interface with Internet:
    • Temperature Scale: Build the structure and make the boards
    • Clothes scale: Create the clothes and add electronics
    • Main structure: Build with OBS, it is already made, but needs to be finalized
    • Main Board that holds the different temperature scales: cut with MDF, with holes to hold everything and probably engravings
    • Number display built with neopixels
    • Clothes hangers


  7. what tasks need to be completed?

    • Build and design all the boards for the neopixels
    • Program the board for the neopixels
    • Design and build the thermometer structure
    • Design and build the on/off structure
    • Design and build main board (electronics)
    • Design and build main board (Tangible User Interface)
    • Design and 3d print Numbers
    • Design and 3d print hinges
    • Design and cut the figure and clothes
    • Attach electronics to clothes
    • Design and make hangers


  8. What processes will be used?

    • Electronics design and production
    • Embedded programming (mostly C)
    • Output devices: neopixels
    • Input devices: Hall-Effect sensor
    • Network: Different parts will communicate with Asynchronous Serial Communication
    • 2D Design:
      • digital embroidery machine
      • vinyl cutter for copper fold
      • Laser cut main mdf board
      • laser cut holders for thermometer
      • laser cut figure and base for pattern for clothes
    • 3D design
    • CNC router of main structure
    • 3D print hinges for back door
    • 3D print numbers for thermometer


  9. What questions need to be answered?

    • How should I define the protocol for the networking connection?
    • What is the best material to make the thermometer? Candidates are paper, fabric and acrylic (or other plastic)
    • How is the best way to get the data from the Internet?
    • Can I use the neopixels with ATtyni44A?
    • Can I make the interruption work for attiny44 (I had some problems in assignment 13?


  10. what is the schedule?

    11. I have around three weeks to finish the project. The work would be distributed as follows:
    • Friday 25: design the board for neopixels
    • Saturday 26-Sunday 27: design pattern for figure and thus clothes
    • Monday 28-Wed 30: rest of neopixel boards. Make it work!
    • Thursday 1-Friday 2: Make it work together with hall effect
    • Saturday 3-Sunday 4: Main board, thermometer structure design. Back door hinges
    • Monday 5- Wednesday 7: Integrate different parts, complete the structure.
    • Thursday 8 - Sunday 11: getting data from raspberry pi from Internet and into the system
    • Monday 12: Numbers for thermometer.
    • From Tuesday 13: integration and finalization; preparing video


  11. How will it be evaluated?

    12. This project would be successful if I can show temperature values in thermometer scale and clothes scale when activated by the hall-effect sensor. It will be extra successful if I manage to also get real data from the internet