Objectives: Make a smarter washing machine notification and maintenance system for the Penn laundry rooms. We aim to create a mechanism that can:
- Keep the washer open to protect from mold in the washers
- Determine when clothes have been removed from the drum using a pressure sensor, and send a notification to a mobile app when they have been removed
- Determine when the washing machine has been opened, and send it to an online database/app. This could also be used to produce more accurate information on when the washing machines are most frequently used.
We will model the washing machine with a small prototype, which we will create using CAD and 3D printing. Then, we will use a motor to spin the drum, a button to detect whether or not the door is open, a pressure sensor to determine whether or not the clothes are in the laundry, and LEDs/LCDs to make a more friendly user interface. We will also use the Node MCU to communicate with a Slack application that will be responsible for sending the messages.
Software and Parts Description:
Components:
NodeMCU - - - - - $6.00
Pressure Pad - - - - $12.99
Limit Switch - - - - $0.60
Components for the Model:
Actuators - - - - - - $18.00
Display - - - - - - - - $8.00
Hinges - - - - - - - - $2.50
Buttons - - - - - - - - $1.50
Power Supply - - - - $16.90
Total Cost - - - - $66.49
Software: Our code was written in the Arduino IDE in order to detect user input and to simulate the motions of the washing machine when in action. We also used Slack WebHooks in order to send messages to the user, and Fusion 360 to CAD and 3D print. Altogether, the software was free.
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