Inspiration
We are from the University of Manitoba. We built a smart bathroom to guide dementia patients through ADLs. At the University of Manitoba, we investigate how Virtual Reality Navigation games can be used to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's Disease. This means that form close relationships with many people with Alzheimer's disease. For most caregivers, the time to send their loved one to a care home is when they can no longer perform personal bathroom tasks on their own, such as using the toilet or taking a shower, or brushing their teeth. Often, these people still know that they need to use the bathroom, but they don't know what to do when they get there.
What it does
This system uses a wireless sensor network to guide a person through the various steps of brushing their teeth. LEDs and audio prompts assist the user if they do not know what to do. It is designed to be used in a normal bathroom.
How I built it
A server (based on Java) runs on a PC and delivers audio prompts to the user. It runs through a task tree that we designed after carefully enumerating all the elementary steps involved brushing one's teeth. A network of sensors (based upon the Arduino platform) reports on the user's activities and illuminates helpful guidance LEDs. The network interfaces with the PC by means of a simple COM serial port.
Challenges I ran into
We encountered some issues with the network dropping packets, as well as setting up the necessary sensor thresholds to identify user activities.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
We designed a fully functional, addressed network layer from scratch based upon the 802.15.4 Data Link Layer.
What I learned
Flowcharts greatly streamline development; thanks to our use of a detailed flowchart, we were able to finish with nearly 3 hours to spare.
What's next for CS1-University of Manitoba
We want to continue developing the system to handle more complex tasks. We would also like to develop the system to work with the user's existing task flow, rather than unceremoniously forcing one onto them. (e.g. some people rinse their toothbrush before brushing, some people don't. Sometimes people gargle mouthwash, etc.)
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