Project
# | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
37 | Smart Electric Toothpaste Dispenser |
Jianqiao Xiao Yusheng Wei Zhaoying Du |
David Hanley | appendix1.ino design_document1.pdf final_paper1.pdf presentation1.pdf proposal1.pdf video |
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation |
# Problem The majority of the toothpaste dispensers in the market are manual. Those electrical ones generally dispense a same amount toothpaste which cannot be easily adjusted. Also, the dispenser does not have any interaction with the users for them to know the time and the amount dispensed. Besides, the existing devices may not be powered by batteries or display battery level. # Solution Overview The toothpaste we design will be powered by a battery and be fully automatic. It has two modes of operation: the user can dispense a preset quantity using user interface or simply push a button and dispense as much as the user wants. Also, the device uses a screen to interact with the user: showing time, telling the weather, and showing the settings of the dispenser. An app will also be created for the device so that everything can be controlled in a smart terminal. ## Dispensing Mechanism and Drive A small peristaltic pump will be used to get the toothpaste out of the package and the amount can be accurately traced by counting the number of rotations of the pump. Such pump can achieve the relatively high precision we need and high pressure to dispense the toothpaste. Because most of the toothpaste tubes have a similar size thread on their neck, a 3D-printed base will be design to fit most of the packagings. ## Data Collection and Analysis We will collect data in two areas. One is related to the battery usage such as the battery level and the amount of time that the battery can support, and the other is related to the toothpaste usage such as the time since the the tube was first used and the amount of toothpaste dispensed so far. ## User Interface We will design an android app which has a control page and an analysis page. The control page is for users to define the amount of toothpaste to be dispensed or simply press the start button and stop button on the app to control the dispensing process. The analysis page is for users to view the data related to battery and toothpaste usage. # Criterion for Success Our final product should be able to Dispense toothpaste with push button Record the amount dispensed and automatically dispense a preset amount Display all the settings in the screen and battery condition Have all the setting parameters adjusted with the user interface Record the amount, the time of the toothpaste usage and store the data. The data should be manageable anytime using the smart terminal. Record video upon request by the user and store the video in an SD card or USB drive. |