Inspiration
As students, we spend a lot of time working at desks grinding away at our laptops. However, while slouching in your chair seems harmless, it can lead to long term issues with back pain. Practicing good posture can improve comfort, focus, and long-term spinal health. We wanted to solve a problem that is especially relevant to our peers.
What it does
PosturePerfect utilizes two ultrasonic distance sensors which are placed on a chair aimed at two different areas of the back. If the difference in the distance between the sensors to your back is greater than zero, it means you are slouching. The device will alert you by sounding a buzzer that will continue going off until you fix your posture.
How we built it
We built #PosturePerfect using an Arduino Uno R3 Microcontroller, 2 HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensors, a passive buzzer, a breadboard, and jumper wires to connect the components together. We programmed the device using Arduino IDE, which utilizes C++. After uploading the code to the Arduino, we plugged the device into a battery to ensure it works remotely without being plugged into a PC.
Challenges we ran into
We ran into some challenges deciding where on the back the sensors should be aimed, as well as how to place the device on the chair. Ultimately, we decided to position the sensors at the shoulder and neck areas, as the distance between the areas would be the greatest while slouching.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
As beginners to Arduino, we had never made a full-length, functioning project before. This hackathon allowed us to brainstorm problems, find a way to solve them using hardware, and materialize our idea using engineering. We gained hands-on experience debugging, iterating on designs, and turning a concept into a working prototype.
What we learned
We learned how to integrate hardware and software to solve a real-world problem. We learned more about embedded systems, sensor integration, and microcontroller programming. We also learned about problem-solving, debugging, and developed teamwork and communication skills.
What's next for #PosturePerfect
Our next steps are to add adjustable mounts so the device can be adapted to different individuals and chairs. Additionally, we can ad WiFi and Bluetooth Features so the device can be controlled by the user from an app or website.
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