Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Ambient Light Detection and Auto Dimming Smart Switch |
Christine Chung Michael Chen Spencer Robieson |
Sarath Saroj | design_document3.pdf final_paper1.pdf photo1.jpeg photo2.jpeg presentation1.pptx proposal1.pdf video |
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| Team Members: - Christine Chung (jooyunc2) - Michael Chen (myc3) - Spencer Robieson (slr6) # Problem Most light switches are binary switches and do not have brightness control. There are dimmer switches that allow the user to control brightness, but they do not automatically adjust if the ambient light changes. Users may need to adjust the light if they are in the same room for a long period of time. # Solution We plan to create a smart switch that can be connected to any existing light switch (including no neutral connections) and intelligently control lights. Sensors on the switch will be able to detect the ambient light and adjust the brightness of the lights to maintain a constant room brightness. # Solution Components ## Ambient Light Detection Using sensors connected to the switch, the intensity of the ambient light/ sunlight will be detected. As sunlight decreases, the switch will use this measurement to maintain a constant brightness in the room without needing to adjust the switch. Part: TSL2561 luminosity sensor ## Desired Light Level Control The user will be able to use a dimmer to adjust the desired brightness of the room. Based on the setting of the dimmer and the existing ambient light, the microcontroller will adjust the lights to match the desired brightness level. This will also include an override switch to allow for absolute control of the lights, like with a normal dimmer switch. ## Ultrasonic Sensor One limitation of the ambient light sensing is that the reading would be affected dramatically if an object, like someone's hand, is covering the sensor. This would cause the light to increase brightness unnecessarily. To avoid this, we will include an ultrasonic sensor to check if there are any obstructions to the luminosity sensor. If so, the light will maintain it’s previous brightness setting until the obstruction is cleared and the switch can resume its normal operation. Part: HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor ## No Neutral Harvesting Circuit When wiring up a basic switch, there are two wires connected to the circuit with the hot wire connected through the switch and the neutral wire connected to the light fixture. With smart switches, it works exactly like a normal light switch except that the smart switch itself also needs power to operate. The hot wire goes through the switch and is controlled by the switch itself, but the neutral wire (typically in the switch junction box) must also go to the switch so it has power. In the case of older homes that do not have this infrastructure, upgrading to smart switches without reconstructing the wire connections would not be as viable. We want to design a smart switch that does not require the neutral wire connection to the switch. By modeling a AC thyristor/SCR circuit at the switch, we can control the power delivered to the load without the need for an external connection with the hot and neutral. # Criterion For Success - Work with any existing light fixture & switch (no neutral wire required) - Maintain constant light level for the room at desired brightness - Prevent unintended fluctuation caused by sensor obstructions - Have an override switch that allows for absolute control of the lights # Existing Solutions Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch: This smart wireless light dimmer switch exists on the market to automatically adjust the light based on the seasons and also allow wireless remote control. This switch does not require a neutral wire and it can connect to many bulbs at once. However, we are differentiating from this product by including ambient lighting control. BenQ e-Reading Desk Lamp: This desk lamp has adaptive lighting based on ambient light but has a few limitations and differences from our idea. Firstly, our idea would increase efficiency for room lighting rather than personal desk lighting, in order to save energy. Secondly, the lamp on the market is over $200 so our solution will be much more affordable. Lastly, the lamp is designed to light a desk for studying but our project will allow users to set the desired brightness for our smart switch to target. |
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