Inspiration
Throughout the pandemic, my parents have been working from home. While I enjoy the extra family time, it also means there may be more disturbances throughout the day. People on the phone, in zoom meetings, working out, etc.
I decided to listen to music to tune out any distractions and focus on work/school. Well, what I didn't realize is that another (rather annoying) challenge would arise. Since I face away from the door, when my family knocked on my door or entered my room, I could never tell. As you can imagine, many jumpscares took place in this household over the last 15 months.
I knew I needed to do something about it...
What it does
The IA Device notifies the user of a potential entry into the room using a sensor installed near the door. This will most definitely prevent some of those late-night jumpscares.
How we built it
The IA Device is made up of an ultrasonic wave sensor, an Arduino Uno, and an LCD screen. The ultrasonic wave sensor points towards the door. When there is movement near the door, the sensor is triggered and sends a message to the Uno.
Based on the code that is written, the Uno then instructs 2 LED bulbs to flash to obtain the attention of the user and notifies them of the triggered sensor on the LCD screen.
Challenges we ran into
Obtaining the required wiring for the project was a hassle. Since the sensor is located approx. 6ft away from the Uno, I required approx. 24ft of cable in order to connect the 4 pins of the ultrasonic wave sensor to the Uno.
Furthermore, soldering the appropriate components (some of the wires) was difficult since it is a skill I am in the process of developing.
Finding an appropriate error range for the sensor was also difficult. It was crucial that I minimize false positives without missing the sensor being triggered. Achieving such a balance in any system is difficult, and this trend proved to be a challenge here as well.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
I'm very proud of the fact that I was able to complete this project on my own. I had some doubts before starting the hackathon since I didn't have any teammates. I doubted my abilities and determination, but I am glad to share that the device works successfully and was designed/developed completely by me.
What we learned
I learned that time constraint (such as the one given at Hackathons) easily motivates you to build some sort of prototype. Taking that leap of faith in yourself/your team is the most important step in starting any sort of project. I've realized the importance of the iterative design process and of failing quickly and learning from your mistakes. These are all lessons that I never would have experienced had it not been for the 36-hour time constraint given by this Hackathon.
What's next for Intruder Alert: COVID Edition
I'd like to purchase another Arduino board which I can completely allocate to this project. Currently, I am using my Uno, which is my main microcontroller. As a result, I'd have to disassemble the project or purchase a new microcontroller if I want to build another project.
Using other sensors such as IR is also an option. Cameras with ML technology that allows them to recognize the individual who has entered the room may also be a potential feature. I realize, that a microprocessor such as an Uno may not have the capacity to run such a program, however, it remains another way this project can be improved upon.
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