silicon valley startup idea

Inspiration

In 2017, a startup named Juicer raised $120 million in startup funding for essentially a machine that squeezes. In 2022, we aim to recreate it's success by scamming a hackathon prize.

What it does

It squeezes juice out of a packet.

How it works

The Arduino Uno is connected to a server which will stab a hole into the packet and a dc motor connected to a string which will squeeze the juice packet.
The Arduino waits for a signal from the esp32 board before it turns the machine on.
The signals are connected to a webserver created by the esp32 board which listens for POST requests
First the servo motor pierces the packet drink with a needle.
Then, the 12V motor reels the string in from behind the packet, tightening it to squeeze the juice out.
(Optional) Using an Ngrok tunneler, we can expose the localip of the esp32 to the internet, so that calls can be made anywhere
On the frontend web application, we make an API POST request to the esp32 bot (via local ip)
Once received, the esp32 board turns the motor on and off.

How we built it

Software Components

React App written in ReactJS
Hardware code written in C

Libraries Used

Material UI
Axios
Create-React-App

Hardware Components

Esp32
Arduino Uno

Challenges we ran into

We had a couple of ideas for the physical mechanisms which did not pan out (a giant claw squeezing the packet -- grip strength was too long), and had to rethink how it was going to work. After brainstorming, we decided to take inspiration from the brilliant invention of the noose.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Getting the motor to reliably squeeze juice out of a packet drink
Getting a esp32 to respond to API calls
Getting the esp32 to communicate with the Arduino Uno
Getting a actual working prototype within the time constraints
Being able to flexibly adapt the designs based on the limited materials available