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First step of using the website (wallet address)
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Adding an email to the account for communication purposes
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OTP has to be filled in order to complete the regsitration
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Post writing the correct OTP, the account will be created
It is a technical project because it is a hardware-dominated project & aids disabled persons in a unique and enthralling way (never imagined before). Made by keeping the end-users in mind, the least UI to interact and the best hardware assistance to get things sorted for everyone. A great example of one should get those things for which one is entitled 😊
Inspiration
From the day I started using public transport for commutation purposes, I have witnessed countless incidents in which a disabled person has to either argue for a reserved seat or just have to stand up for the entire duration. At those times, I always offered my seat to the disabled person such that he/she doesn't face any problems during the journey. But the problem is that I only had one seat & there was always more than one helpless-disabled person waiting to just rest so that the journey can be a bit soothing. Back in those days, I didn't have the power of programming, but now as I have a good amount of programming knowledge & experience, I made the project DHAT*
What it does
It is a culmination of a software & hardware project such that the sole gainers are the disabled persons only. This is not a website/application on which users (disabled) have to spend their time & energy, whereas the point of interaction will be a single-page website (that is also needed at the time of registration) & most of the time, the users will be having a thumb-sized NFC tag that can be carried anywhere such that the demon of commutation can be removed/erased once and for all. No more hassles/fights for getting the right thing (which is within the rights).
As shown in the video, it does the following things: 1️⃣ Screenshots of the single-page webpage is mentioned in which the user has to enter the XRPL Wallet Address (a new one with 1000 XRPL tokens will be created initially for a new user) after which the email has to be entered so that the further notifications can be dropped there. For accessing the website, apart from these 2 parameters, an OTP will be shared via email and that has to be provided to get things done. After doing that, the user's NFC will be activated and thus the user can use it to live a better life.
2️⃣ In the video, I have focused on the hardware part only, because anyone can make websites/applications but very few can make a physical product that can actually be consumed for the betterment. The hardware setup consists of the following parts: Nodemcu (internet-enabled microcontroller), NFC tag (RFID tag), motor, LCD & connecting wires. In each public transport, the seats that are reserved for disabled persons will be having this hardware setup attached to themselves & will be having a dropped seat so that no one can actually sit on them. If an NFC-tag person uses the tag, then the seat will be shifted up by moving the motor and the time of boarding the vehicle will be noted in the database.
3️⃣The charges will be very minimal (10 XRP tokens per hour). At the time of deboarding the seta, the NFC tag has to be held again into the sensor so that the journey termination time can be noted in the database and thus the stipulated payment can be deducted from the XRPL wallet.
4️⃣ I have covered almost every edge case: If a user deboards the transport, then the pressure sensor (not included in the video as there was not an actual seat) will trigger an event such that automatically the deboarding time will be recorded & the payment will be charged and then the seat will drop again such that the next disable person can take the seat & this enjoy his/her ride.
How I built it
The website is made by React and the backend is supported by Php (MySQL). For controlling the sensors (hardware part), I used C++ language so that the processing can be quick and effective. The file covering the hardware part can be found here: https://versatilevats.tech/elcSketch.txt
I spent a total of 68 hours on this project and tried many combinations for the hardware & software section because a lot of things went into connecting the sensors & integrating them with the front end (backend also). Burnt a lot of things, but at last achieved what I wanted
Challenges we ran into
I faced a ton of them, but I really want to just celebrate & mention the positive points of this project because this is a very special one and is made for a special cause.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
Making a website/application nowadays has become a lot simpler as there are many tutorials out there which can be followed, but there are almost zero resources out there that tell you what to do to make a hardware project and what things/sensors to pick up from the plethora of hardware things present out there. I am glad that I did the following things:
a. XRPl is one of the oldest ledgers in the cryptocurrency market and to use it for the payments functionality was a great thing as it not only covered user's security but also ensured that there is a need for any third-party service providers for transferring the money. As soon as your punch the NFC tag back into the reader, the amount is auto-calculated and deducted from the wallet without any tension. No card/currency is required
b. I am a thousand percent sure that no one would have submitted a hardware solution. One of the major reasons for submitting the same is because a hardware entity will change every disabled life out there. Despite being a complex project, the end user just needs a tag to use the project because the backend is structured in such a way that the user doesn't have to remember tons of complex features or have to use a mobile phone to do things.
c. Making a hardware project that can change the scenario of how disabled persons are living their lives as of now and thus can ease their commutation problem in the most elegant manner possible.
What I learned
From integrating Twilio messages to interfacing an RFID tag with Nodemcu, I enjoyed very bit of it and I am sure this is a project of real importance and will surely make a difference in society.
