Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | Auto-Open Drawer |
David Stone Levi Applebaum YoungJoo (Jay) Yoon |
Soumithri Bala | design_document1.pdf design_document2.pdf design_document3.pdf final_paper1.pdf presentation1.pdf proposal1.pdf |
|
| The base project is a drawer that can extend and retract on command. For this project, we will install the hardware onto an existing 3-drawer dresser though we imagine a market product would be sold as a unit, not an installation, that could be in multiple product areas such as the kitchen, desks, and entertainment centers. Our target audience for the dresser is people with limited mobility who might struggle with strength and/or range of motion to open a drawer; more specifically, this term describes people with physical handicaps, people with mental disabilities, and the elderly. Our primary ethical concern is to ensure that people with limited mobility do not feel discriminated against due to the nature of this project – to that end, we will be in communication with some members of our target audience to best tune aspects like motor speed, access method, and terminology. The first module is the mechanics, which will involve one or two motors (depending on the power output per motor) controlling extension mechanisms on the left and right sides. Our considerations for an extension mechanism that can reasonably fit around a drawer are: a pulley and belt system or a rack and pinion setup. Pneumatic linear actuators were suggested and considered, but we do not plan to use them because of cost, size, load, speed, and reversal-of-motion considerations. The PCB will control how and when the drawer moves. We expect to have at least two functioning drawers using a second module, RF-transmitting buttons (on the dresser or on a remote), to activate drawer motion. A third module will direct the power: we want this prototype to plug into a wall outlet because that seems the most convenient for a dresser setup. Finally, we plan to have some form of sensor module (heat, motion, infrared) on the inside of the drawer that can sense when the drawer is blocked and reverse the retraction so as not to trap and injure a hand. Additional potential features include: opening the drawers with Alexa; opening the drawers through RFID; opening the drawers with a different signal like a hand wave; adjustable motor speeds (probably 3 different settings) for users who are not people with limited mobility; USB power outlets on the top of the dresser; more extensive safety features, pending advice from people with limited mobility; and some kind of (LED) indicator to inform the user if there is space remaining in the drawer for further storage. David Stone davidms2 Levi Applebaum lappleb2 Jay Yoon yyoon25 |
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