'The dog's happy dream produces no meat.'

African Proverbs

Application and Implications

Unlike other assignments, this week we also does not include a group assignment. However, the workload covers the lessons covered till date. Which means that, by now you should be able to express, even up to 70%, the lessons you have learnt till date. The remaining 30% could come from enough practice ('Practice makes Perfect'), your instructor, and knowledgeable friends on the subject matter.

One thing also worth expressign here is that most of the things done here will be copied and pasted in the section that focuses on the Final Project itself. So DO NOT accuse me of plagiarism, because there is no such thing as self-plagiarism.

Individual Assignment

Therefore for this individual assignment, we were given what seems to be a 'Magna Carta'. These are listed below:

1. Propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered, answering:

* What will it do?

* Who's done what beforehand?

* What will you design?

* What materials and components will be used?

* Where will come from?

* How much will they cost?

* What parts and systems will be made?

* What processes will be used?

* What questions need to be answered?

* How will it be evaluated?

2. Your project should incorporate 2D and 3D design, additive and subtractive fabrication processes, electronics design and production, embedded microcontroller interfacing and programming, system integration and packaging.

3. Where possible, you should make rather than buy the parts of your project.

Final Project Proposal: FabOMeter

At the beginning of the Fab Academy, I thought of working on two projects that were listed in

Week 1's Assignment. However, with the unexpected shutdown due to Corona virus, I felt I could use the knowledge gained so far to also contribute a solution to one of the problems faced. Which is in the area of testing individuals. As depicted in the heading, the name of the project is 'FabOMeter'.

What will FabOMeter do?

FabOMeter, almost just as it is pronounced is a Fab Academy inspired InfraRed (IR) Body Temperature Thermometer. So in a nutshell, what I intend for it to do is to do are as follows:

1. Measure the body temperature of an individual

2. Display the result on the embedded LCD screen

However, unlike the existing commercial IR thermometer, FabOMeter will in addition to the factors listed above, do the following:

3. Data analysis

4. Range measurement, this can also be correlated with the data analysis to show the variations between the distance and the accuracy of the measurements. Also, to study the importance of the environment (day or night measurement) on the accuracy of the readings

Who has done what beforehand?

Just like most recent innovation endeavours are based on incremental innovation, so does FabOMeter emanate from existing products, with the intent to provide additional features which radicalizes the incremental nature of the innovation process. There are tonnes of commercial versions of IR body temperature, with their cost ranging between $40 and $100. However, due to the Fab Academy approach and also adherence to the Fab Charter, the real due diligence for the project would be to identify the open source version of this projects. From my search, I found these projects Open Source Project1 and Open Source Project2 as direct antecendents to FabOMeter. Which means that, these two projects are, what 'Adam and Eve' is to the human race.

What will I Design?

for the project, I will definitely make a CAD design for the case, as well as the electronic circuit board for the electronic components that will be used for the device. A CAD model for this design is depicted in the pictures below:

More information about this can be found HERE. However, this is a progressive work, which means regular updates will be made in this directory.

What Components will be Used?

Below are the list of components that will be used for the FabOMeter project (Please be aware that some are optional, which means they may not be included in the final project):

1. 3D Printer and filament:- The ideal way to acquire the body or frame (or whatever you choose to call it) is through 3D printing. This will give you the flexibility to design a unique chasis for the project.

2. Infrared Temperature Sensor:- For this I will use MLX90614 sensor. The reason for this is because it is billiger. However, in order to be able to check the thermal composition of the body, one could use MLX90640. However, the cheapest one could get this sensor is around 90 Euro.

Note: There are other better sensors that could be used for this project. However, to afford them one might need to part ways with one of their kidneys.

3. SPI LCD Display:- I intend to use 1.44/1.8''inch TFT Full Color 128x128 128x160 SPI LCD Display Module for Arduino or SSD1306 for this project

4. Raspberry Pi Zero:- This was suggested by my Fab Guru (Daniele Ingrassia) as a good contribution to increase the importance of the project. This component will be used to aid data gathering purposes. The device acquired is embedded with a WiFi module.

5. Microcontrollers:- Definitely some Microcontrollers will be needed for the electronic board of the device. This could or should include ATMEGA328, ATTiny44 or 85. This list will be updated as the project progresses.

6. Piezo Electric Component (optional):- This will be used for sound. The reason for making this optional is due to the psychological stain or stigma it might impose on someone with a high temperature reading. It might end up creating an embarassing situation for the person, which is definitely not the intent of the device.

7. Time of Flight Component(VL53L0X):- This will be used to display the distance between the IR temperature sensor and the person being measured. Once again, this vital information also came as a contribution from the FabLab instructor. Which is the ideal reason why Fab Academy should be done in connection with FabLab Kamp Lintfort (cheap advertisement!)

8. Limit switch:- This will be used for the trigger of the 'FabOMeter'. I will use the SPDT AC Micro endstopper for this. Another option is to just use a push button.

9. Laser Diode Module Head (optional):- This as well is optional because I as a person would not deal well with the Infrared light being pointed at me. It might end up irritating the eyes of the individuals, or it might even lead to panic due to the fear of Snipers (Just for humor).

10. Pushbuttons (optional):- This can be used to switch on the Laser diode Module. Which also makes it ideal to be used for other measurements, and to avoid the issues listed above.

11. Other components:- Other electronic components such as Resistors, Capacitors, Crytals, will also be used.

Where will they Come from?

Duhhhhhhh! China of course! (pardon the jokes). I sourced the components from different online platforms (amazon.de, eBay.de, digikey.de), as well as the a local hardware or electronic store in Hamburg (Conrad). You can find the BoM for the components below.

How much will it Cost?

As it stands, the total cost of the components bought is 58.02 Euro. This also includes the fee for shipping and logistics.

You can download the bill of materials HERE .

What parts and Sysmtems will be Made?

The parts and systems to be made include the chassis or body of the device (3D printed), as well as the main circuit board that will aid communications between the electronics part such as Raspberry Pi, IR Sensor, ToF component, and others.

What processes will be used?

I will be using both the additive and subtractive fabrication processes. As well as, 3D designing (Fusion 360), Electronic designing (Eagle), Project Management (PRINCE2), and some Quality Management processes of my choosing.

What need to be answered?

To be honest, there are lots of questions that needs to be answered by me or by the device. This include:

1. Can this device be done in a more affordable manner? (This will justify the broad distribution of the device across the global space).

2. How accurate do you purport the device would be, and how can it be enhanced?

3. Does it have any chance of being commercialized?

4. Is there any market for the device?

5. What effect does the environment play on the efficiency and durability of the device?

How will it be evaluated?

It will be evaluated on the accuracy of the readings, the affordability, ease of fabrication, and its usability.

Additive or Subtractive Fabrication Processes

I guess the question here is 'Does your project include the use of a 3D printer, milling machine, or Laser cutter?'

Answer:- Without doubt, YES it does require the usage of 3D printer for the production of the chassis, as well as a Milling Machine for the fabrication of the circuit board. So in summary, I will be using both fabrication process during this project.

Make or Buy Decision

I decided to buy components such as Raspberry Pi Zero, ToF component, and the IR Temperature Sensor than make because I found it a bit challenging buying the component itself, and most times the different between the ready-made components and the stand-alone component is only a fraction of cents. Therefore, buying all these components ended up being a better decision than making them. However, acquiring the knowledge on how the components were designed and fabricated is a very useful decision. This is without doubt possible after partaking in the Fab Academy.

You can download all files HERE .

Lastly, you can follow the progress of the Final project HERE.