Final Project Week 1

For our final project, Rachel, Vivian, and I wanted to work with the Child Study Center. A few ideas we had included, creating a step for the kid's cubbies, a sensor to measure the depth of the water, and an apparatus that helps to makes it more fun for kids to wash their hands.

Step-Cubby:

For our step-cubby idea, we wanted to created a device that is fitted into a cubby and will make it much easier for the kids at the CSC to reach the higher shelves of the cubby. The step-cubby would be pulled out by the child and they would be able to step on top of it. There would be a force plate on top of the step-cubby that would be able to sense when the child stepped off. Once the child has stepped off and the force sensor senses no force for a given number of seconds, the cubby will push itself back in.


Water Level Sensor:

At the CSC the kids have this small table filled with water and sand. Because of the nature of kids playing with water, the teachers at the CSC find themselves needing to repeatedly check to see if the pool/table needs to be refilled. Our concept is a device that is able to sense the the varying levels of water that will be able to notify teachers in the CSC when the water is at a level that requires filling.


Musical/ Light-Up Sink:

Our third idea is a solution to the problem of getting kids to wash their hands. This idea was inspired by the existing music playing toothbrush. The sink would have light sensors that would allow the system to sense the presence of a hand. From there a song would begin playing and a green light would turn on. After a predetermined amount of seconds, the light will turn yellow, which will prompt the child to apply soap. After a second predetermined time, the light will turn back to green and prompt the child to rinse after. Finally, after enough time has passed the light will turn red and the song will turn off, telling the child they have now sufficiently washed their hands.

Post Initial Pitch:

After our initial pitch to the class and after a discussion with Amy, we decided to go with our step-cubby idea. We also decided that it would be safer for the feedback and control to NOT push the step-cubby back by itself, in case of malfunction. Instead, we came to the conclusion that the force plate should instead control a set of lights. When the child stepped on the cubby a green light would turn on. When the child stepped off, a red light would blink on and off to reming the child to push the step cubby back into place.