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You are here: ENG4000 (2013-2014) » Projects » The Next Generation Has Arrived: Designing a Tricorder A Portable Sensing Device with a User Interface
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    - Put to practical use the many concepts taught during our undergraduate studies into this project.    - Put to practical use the many concepts taught during our undergraduate studies into this project.
-   - Design software showcasing two of the tricorder’s main functions.+   - Design software showcasing two of the Tricorder’s main functions.
    - To have fun in the process.    - To have fun in the process.
  
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 **Marketability** **Marketability**
  
-To market our product, we have designed a simplistic and friendly graphical user interface with touch screen input for calibration. Our display module is enclosed in a sport case which is lightweight and portable for recreational use. Existing barometric altimeters on market offer little in terms visual impression on the user and interactivity. Our altimeter coupled with the other applications makes our tricorder a versatile tool.  +To market our product, we have designed a simplistic and friendly graphical user interface with touch screen input for calibration. Our display module is enclosed in a sport case which is lightweight and portable for recreational use. Existing barometric altimeters on market offer little in terms visual impression on the user and interactivity. Our altimeter coupled with the other applications makes our Tricorder a versatile tool.  
  
 **Engineering design process**  **Engineering design process** 
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 =====  Images (Setup/Schematics) ===== =====  Images (Setup/Schematics) =====
  
-Initial Design +Initial Design Concept of Tricorder
 {{ :projects:g10:Initial_Design.jpg }} {{ :projects:g10:Initial_Design.jpg }}
  
 Hardware Testing the Main board with Gumstix COM  Hardware Testing the Main board with Gumstix COM 
 +{{ :projects:g10:2013-12-31_10.35.32.jpg }}
  
-{{:projects:g10:2013-12-31_10.35.32.jpg|}} +3D Schematic of Final Design of Tricorder 
- +{{ :projects:g10:tricorder_3D.jpg?350 }}
-3D Schematic of Tricorder +
-{{ :projects:g10:software1.jpg?350 }}+
  
 ===== Design Choices ===== ===== Design Choices =====
 +
 +==== Processor ====
 +
 +Using the KISS design principle, we decided early on to use a Computer on a Module for our main processor.  That way the hardware architecture would already be connected to the processor, leaving us more time to deal with other design decisions.  We ultimately choose a Gumstix Overo processor, that uses the ARM-A8 architecture, is compact (58 mm x 4.2 mm), lightweight (42 g), includes 512 MB NAND ROM and a Micro SD port to store software.
 +
 +==== Input / Output Methods ====
 +
 +It was known right from the start that an LCD module would be used to display any sensor data.  But, what was not known was what input methods would be used for a user to interact with the User Interface of the Tricorder.  As the initial design shows, we considered using push buttons which would allow for tactile sensation when a user presses them.  When choosing the LCD module, we considered a non-touch screen version, a resistive touch screen version and a capacitive touch screen version.  The resistive touch version could only detect one touch gesture at a time, while a capacitive touch version could detect multiple.  Do to cost, we chose the resistive touch version, was able to get that working, so we decided to remove the push buttons, and just use touch gestures on the LCD module for user input.  We chose a 4.3" Samsung Resistive Touchscreen LCD with 480 x 272 pixel resolution.
 +
 +==== Casing ====
 +
 +In choosing the material for our case, we wanted something durable, light weight, not expensive, be easy to obtain and be malleable enough so that it could be designed by a variety of methods.  We quickly decided on acrylic plastic as our material of choice.  It met all the criteria, and we have experience with it.  To shape, cut or mold the acrylic, we considered three options, a laser cutter, a 3D printer and mill the acrylic.  A laser cutter is available from the Faculty of Arts Design Program, but there is a cost, it cannot make angle cuts for beveling, and students in that program would have priority to use it before us.  A 3D printer is available from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, it is free, there is no wastage, but research has shown that these cases tend not to be the most durable and there is some leeway between dimensions wanted to be printed and what actually is printed, resulting in sanding the printed plastic to get the desired dimensions.  With milling, the various tools in the Design Shop could be used to make the case to our specifications, it was freely available, and we could choose the plastic we wanted to use, so it could be the exact colour we wanted as well.  Ultimately, we ended up going with milling the plastic, because we could get the exact colour and shape we wanted, and we would be directly involved in every step of this design process.
  
 ==== Ports ==== ==== Ports ====
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 When deciding on what ports to choose for the Tricorder, we first decided what was needed and then we choose extra ones.  The Tricorder had to be portable, so it needed a portable power source, a battery.  A battery needs to be charged, so a charging jack was needed.  Also, we wanted to have the ability to connect with a computer for programming purposes.  This lead to a mini USB port which can establish a serial connection to a computer.  We also wanted the ability to connect peripherals such as a USB flash drive, so a USB port was decided upon.  The audio stereo in, audio stereo out and Ethernet were additional ports.  We thought about the most important ports a computer has, and implemented those on the Tricorder for future use. When deciding on what ports to choose for the Tricorder, we first decided what was needed and then we choose extra ones.  The Tricorder had to be portable, so it needed a portable power source, a battery.  A battery needs to be charged, so a charging jack was needed.  Also, we wanted to have the ability to connect with a computer for programming purposes.  This lead to a mini USB port which can establish a serial connection to a computer.  We also wanted the ability to connect peripherals such as a USB flash drive, so a USB port was decided upon.  The audio stereo in, audio stereo out and Ethernet were additional ports.  We thought about the most important ports a computer has, and implemented those on the Tricorder for future use.
 +
 +==== Printable Circuit Board ====
 +
 +We wanted to design and build from start to finish, a Printable Circuit Board (PCB) that would have all the sensor so that they could connect to the main board.  However, many of the sensors have connections which require soldering pins with a distance 0.5 mm between each other.  After much research, we determined that we would not have the facilities to that, the cost having it outsource was beyond the budget, and methods that we could try (toaster oven, skillet, etc.) could potentially damage the sensors, and we determined the risk was not worth the reward.  To solve this, we would individual breakout boards for the sensors, soldered connectors and connected them to the main board.
  
 ===== Results ===== ===== Results =====
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 ultrasonic proximity sensor to determine distances  ultrasonic proximity sensor to determine distances 
 to objects, a simple mapping system is designed.   to objects, a simple mapping system is designed.  
-The triangle in the middle represents the tricorder’s +The triangle in the middle represents the Tricorder’s 
 position, white represents areas explored and  position, white represents areas explored and 
 black represents unexplored areas. black represents unexplored areas.
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 **Atmospheric** **Atmospheric**
  
-{{ :projects:g10:software2.jpg?350 }} 
  
 Using a digital pressure sensor to calculate relative  Using a digital pressure sensor to calculate relative 
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 to measure the ambient temperature, a system for  to measure the ambient temperature, a system for 
 mountain climbing is designed.  The person  mountain climbing is designed.  The person 
-represents the tricorder’s position, brown +represents the Tricorder’s position, brown 
 represents the amount climbed, and white  represents the amount climbed, and white 
 represents the  amount remaining to climb. represents the  amount remaining to climb.
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 ** Demonstration Jan. 8th** ** Demonstration Jan. 8th**
 {{:projects:g10:movie.mpg|}} {{:projects:g10:movie.mpg|}}
 +
 +===== Video =====
 +
 +Lassonde ENG4000 Project (2013-14) - Group 10 [[http://youtu.be/gPOSzc_sno0]]
 +
  
  
projects/g10/start.1398435327.txt.gz · Last modified: 2014/04/25 14:15 by cs233151