Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
1 GreenCan
Ifesi Onubogu
Matthew Wildenradt
Michael Obunike
 Sainath Barbhai design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
other1.docx
presentation1.pptx
proposal1.pdf
video1.pdf
video
# Project Title: Project Green Can

Team Members:
- Ifesi Onubogu (onubogu2)
- Michael Obunike (obunike2)
- Matthew Wildenradt (miw3)

# Problem

Crushing cans before recycling saves space, providing more recyclable material per container and making transportation more efficient. However, the average person does not have a safe and effective means of crushing cans before recycling. Our project offers a prototype of a safe communal method of crushing cans.


# Solution

We intend to make an Aluminum can recycling machine prevents recycling of non-empty Aluminum cans and keeps track of how many cans have been recycled for documentation purposes at larger organizations.

The machine will use an IR sensor to tell when an aluminum can has been inserted into the machine. When the IR sensor detects a can, a PCB will send a signal to the motor which will crush the can. Once the can is crushed (this is detected by another IR sensor which detects when the crushing platform is leveled with the bottom of the can), a sliding platform-- driven by the motor-- pushes away the can so it slides into a crushed-can collector. then recycled can count is internally incremented.

To ensure only empty cans are crushed, our system will monitor two values: the weight of cans placed into the crushing cubicle and the current drawn fro the motor. If it weight exceeds the weight of an empty can or the current crosses an experimentally determined threshold, a red button will glow (indicating to the user that the machine will not crush the can placed inside, sending the machine into a do not accept state).

There will be a collection bin for the crushed cans. Its weight will be monitored such that when the bin is full, no more cans will be crushed. The total weight of recycled cans recycled is internally tracked using an Arduino/PCB register.

To ensure the can is actually crushed, we will keep the space where the can is placed small enough that the only way to place the can for crushing is upright. That way, there is nowhere for it to move. Additionally, the platform that sweeps crushed cans away doubles as a divider between the space where the can is crushed and where the second ID sensor is placed to sense the crushing platform.


At any point in time, the system is one of four states: not accepting cans (either the coins need to be topped up or the collecting bin is full), ready to accept new cans, waiting to start crushing inserted cans. These will be indicated by LED colors.

# Parts needed (we will be providing the funds for purchasing these)

-IR sensor (part number: IR; Ean: 0682228946447)

-PCB

-Arduino Uno

-Access to a 3d printer for printing the crushing platform, piston and enclosures

-Weight Sensor (Module - SKU-SEN0160)

-geared motor (SKU 114090046)

-15V battery (NEDA 220)

-temperature- insensitive resistor (AP1011RJ-ND)

# Solution Components

## Can-Counting Subsystem

We use one of the Arduino uno registers to keep track of how many cans have been crushed or the total weight of all cans crushed in between servicing sessions (when the collection bin is emptied and the coin dispenser topped up). The input to these trackers are the IR and/or weight sensor. However, the tracker is reset in between service sessions. This data is kept in case an organization wants to keep track of how many Aluminum cans it recycles.


## Can-Crushing System with built-in protection from recycling full cans

Once in the can-crushing state, the opening through which one places the can is shut and a platform comes down to crush the can (if the weight sensor beneath the can does not sense that the can is above 15g (the weight of an average empty can). To the left of the can is a mobile platform that sweeps crushed cans into a slit which opens into the collector bin. This sweeper doubles as a partition between the can-crushing space and there another IR sensor is located to know when the can-crushing platform reaches the base of the enclosure.

While crushing the can, if the current drawn by the motor is beyond an experimentally determined threshold, the machine goes into the do not accept state. The current is obtained indirectly by monitoring the voltage across a current-sensitive amplifier and dividing it by the resistance of a temperature-inssentive resistor.

## Collector-bin subsystem

The collector bin monitors the weight of the collected crushed cans. Once a threshold is reached that indicates the bin is full, the machine stops accepting cans.



# Criterion For Success

The machine can successfully crush 12 oz. empty cans each time a can is inserted.

The machine counts the mass or number of aluminum cans recycled since service sessions.

The machine will reject non-empty cans.

The motor will not crush cans unless the can-insertion opening is closed and the crush button is pressed.

System stops accepting cans after the collector bin capacity is reached.

# link to web board

https://courses.engr.illinois.edu/ece445/pace/view-topic.asp?id=71830

Healthy Chair

Ryan Chen, Alan Tokarsky, Tod Wang

Healthy Chair

Featured Project

Team Members:

- Wang Qiuyu (qiuyuw2)

- Ryan Chen (ryanc6)

- Alan Torkarsky(alanmt2)

## Problem

The majority of the population sits for most of the day, whether it’s students doing homework or

employees working at a desk. In particular, during the Covid era where many people are either

working at home or quarantining for long periods of time, they tend to work out less and sit

longer, making it more likely for people to result in obesity, hemorrhoids, and even heart

diseases. In addition, sitting too long is detrimental to one’s bottom and urinary tract, and can

result in urinary urgency, and poor sitting posture can lead to reduced blood circulation, joint

and muscle pain, and other health-related issues.

## Solution

Our team is proposing a project to develop a healthy chair that aims at addressing the problems

mentioned above by reminding people if they have been sitting for too long, using a fan to cool

off the chair, and making people aware of their unhealthy leaning posture.

1. It uses thin film pressure sensors under the chair’s seat to detect the presence of a user,

and pressure sensors on the chair’s back to detect the leaning posture of the user.

2. It uses a temperature sensor under the chair’s seat, and if the seat’s temperature goes

beyond a set temperature threshold, a fan below will be turned on by the microcontroller.

3. It utilizes an LCD display with programmable user interface. The user is able to input the

duration of time the chair will alert the user.

4. It uses a voice module to remind the user if he or she has been sitting for too long. The

sitting time is inputted by the user and tracked by the microcontroller.

5. Utilize only a voice chip instead of the existing speech module to construct our own

voice module.

6. The "smart" chair is able to analyze the situation that the chair surface temperature

exceeds a certain temperature within 24 hours and warns the user about it.

## Solution Components

## Signal Acquisition Subsystem

The signal acquisition subsystem is composed of multiple pressure sensors and a temperature

sensor. This subsystem provides all the input signals (pressure exerted on the bottom and the

back of the chair, as well as the chair’s temperature) that go into the microcontroller. We will be

using RP-C18.3-ST thin film pressure sensors and MLX90614-DCC non-contact IR temperature

sensor.

## Microcontroller Subsystem

In order to achieve seamless data transfer and have enough IO for all the sensors we will use

two ATMEGA88A-PU microcontrollers. One microcontroller is used to take the inputs and

serves as the master, and the second one controls the outputs and acts as the slave. We will

use I2C communication to let the two microcontrollers talk to each other. The microcontrollers

will also be programmed with the ch340g usb to ttl converter. They will be programmed outside

the board and placed into it to avoid over cluttering the PCB with extra circuits.

The microcontroller will be in charge of processing the data that it receives from all input

sensors: pressure and temperature. Once it determines that there is a person sitting on it we

can use the internal clock to begin tracking how long they have been sitting. The clock will also

be used to determine if the person has stood up for a break. The microcontroller will also use

the readings from the temperature sensor to determine if the chair has been overheating to turn

on the fans if necessary. A speaker will tell the user to get up and stretch for a while when they

have been sitting for too long. We will use the speech module to create speech through the

speaker to inform the user of their lengthy sitting duration.

The microcontroller will also be able to relay data about the posture to the led screen for the

user. When it’s detected that the user is leaning against the chair improperly for too long from

the thin film pressure sensors on the chair back, we will flash the corresponding LEDs to notify

the user of their unhealthy sitting posture.

## Implementation Subsystem

The implementation subsystem can be further broken down into three modules: the fan module,

the speech module, and the LCD module. This subsystem includes all the outputs controlled by

the microcontroller. We will be using a MF40100V2-1000U-A99 fan for the fan module,

ISD4002-240PY voice record chip for the speech module, and Adafruit 1.54" 240x240 Wide

Angle TFT LCD Display with MicroSD - ST7789 LCD display for the OLED.

## Power Subsystem

The power subsystem converts 120V AC voltage to a lower DC voltage. Since most of the input

and output sensors, as well as the ATMEGA88A-PU microcontroller operate under a DC voltage

of around or less than 5V, we will be implementing the power subsystem that can switch

between a battery and normal power from the wall.

## Criteria for Success

-The thin film pressure sensors on the bottom of the chair are able to detect the pressure of a

human sitting on the chair

-The temperature sensor is able to detect an increase in temperature and turns the fan as

temperature goes beyond our set threshold temperature. After the temperature decreases

below the threshold, the fan is able to be turned off by the microcontroller

-The thin film pressure sensors on the back of the chair are able to detect unhealthy sitting

posture

-The outputs of the implementation subsystem including the speech, fan, and LCD modules are

able to function as described above and inform the user correctly

## Envision of Final Demo

Our final demo of the healthy chair project is an office chair with grids. The office chair’s back

holds several other pressure sensors to detect the person’s leaning posture. The pressure and

temperature sensors are located under the office chair. After receiving input time from the user,

the healthy chair is able to warn the user if he has been sitting for too long by alerting him from

the speech module. The fan below the chair’s seat is able to turn on after the chair seat’s

temperature goes beyond a set threshold temperature. The LCD displays which sensors are

activated and it also receives the user’s time input.

Project Videos