đź’« Autodesk Inventor
đź’« Prusaslicer
đź’« Python
đź’« Wiring
đź’« Craftsmanship
⚡ Difficulty dimensioning prototype
⚡ 3D printing errors
The third major project I worked on was the creation of a wearable sensing device that could be used around the home. We had to address the following conditions:
My team and I decided to create a device that prevents visually impaired people from running into household objects at eye level, such as cupboards. We decided to create a peripheral to attach to any standard pair of reading glasses that contained A. a distance sensor and B. a vibration motor. The device detects the distance from objects at eye height using the distance sensor on the front, which then gets computed to determine if a collision will occur. If a collision is inbound, the vibration motor will activate, alerting the user to avoid the obstacle. This device is known as the BGT, or “Blind Glasses Technology”.
Above are images of the preliminary physical design and preliminary coding flow chart to the BGT. The physical model stayed mostly the same aside from some dimensioning differences later down the line and the removal of certain features. The coding process was much of the same, starting with several large, branching ideas and gradually becoming more and more concentrated as time went on.
The clamped box design was decided upon due to it being the smallest shape that could encapsulate each of the required computer components- the raspberry pi, breadboard, battery, and wiring. The box was given straps so that it could be worn on the user's back to prevent them from having to hold the box themselves. Making the design openable was a choice that was done to increase quality of life when iterating upon the code and wiring, as many small adjustments had to be made throughout the duration of the project's creation. Embedded hinges were removed from the box and replaced with a more convenient physical hinge addon, as 3D printing of the hinges was proving to be impractical. The overall thickness of the boxes walls was reduced from 1cm to 0.2cm, as we quickly realized that 1cm walls were far too thick for our design studio’s 3D printers. In addition, glasses clips were chosen so that our device could attach to any pair of pre-existing glasses- a choice that would lower costs for consumers and give us a competitive advantage on the market. Vibration motors were chosen as the primary means of user feedback as they are less invasive than sound and can be intuitively understood by the user.
This was the first project that involved taking an idea and transforming it into a physical, useful tool with immediate application. This project helped increase my ability to model complex 3D components, raise my general craftsmanship, and expose me to a project where physical and computing parts are interconnected. Most of all, however, this project made me aware of the many things that can go wrong when trying to translate an idea into a real device. There were several errors we got while attempting to 3D print our housing that required us to make changes to our original model and forced us to compromise on what features we would have to keep and remove- such as our original hinges. If anything- I’ve learnt this: iteration, iteration, iteration. There’s nothing more important than getting your design real and in your hands early so you can iron out any bumps while you still have the chance.