Real-time Display for Machine Status

2015 President's Cup - Final Report

Real-time Display for Machine Status

Team members

LIU, Xinzhu (EEGBM) DUAN, Yangyang (BCB)

LIU, Yuchen (ECE) CHEN, Zhiyu (QFIN) KAO, I-hsuan (PHYS) CUI, Yunpeng (ECOF) LI, Mengyuan (CIVIL)

Supervisor

Table of Contents

1. Abstract 1

2. Introduction 1

2.1 Overview 1

2.2 Objective 2

2.3 The need for such a project 2

3. Methodology and related information 4

3.1 Project data flow overview 4

3.2 Hardware and software employed 5

3.3 Determine engine status 6

3.2.1 Vibration sensor 6

3.4 Data transformation 8

3.4.1 Raspbeny Pi 8

3 .4.2 Python 8

3.4.3 Intemet related Program 10

3.4.3.1 PHP 11

4. Demonstration 12

5. Possible future implementation 13

5.1 Online booking function 13

5.2 Potential markets 13

6. Conclusion 14

8. References 9. Appendix

15

1. Abstract

Many students have been complaining there is no available laundry machine at peak time and it is difficult to check the availability of machines unless go to the laundry room. Thus our team initiated this project, aiming to provide hall residents a convenient way of checking laundry status and improve the efficiency of washing machines. We use vibration sensors to collect data and upload it onto our real-time display website through the local computer. Residents can check the website though their laptops or mobile phones, plan early and save time.

2. Introduction

2.1 Overview

Our project was initiated in 2014 summer with 7 people in total. All 7 team members are HKUST year 2 students without little programming and engineering skills before hand. And this is an interesting and diverse team because all members are from different majors: EEGBM, BCB, ECE, QFIN, PHYS, ECOF and CIVIL.

Quite a number of HK UST hall residents have complained that there are not enough washing machines on campus. During the busy hours, they may carry heavy laundry baskets up and down stairs while find all the machines occupied. It may even take them several journeys to finally find an empty

one. We believe the root cause is the inefficient allocation and use of the washing machines rather than the quantity. So we initiated this project, inspired by the concept ofIOT "Internet of Things", hoping to create a free information disclosing and accessing platform to increase the efficiency of public facilities.

2. 2 Objectives

Because this is a common need in UST and washing machines are relatively convenient to reach for us we decided to develop our checking system based on washing machines, then adjust and apply it to more fields in the future. Here are the objectives of our project.

• Improve the efficiency of usage of washing facilities

• Help students find available machines and manage their washing schedule

• Improve the Hall living satisfaction level

• Develop a pilot project for potential future business

2. 3 The need for such a project

To investigate the need for this system, we made a draft version of website and researched the students' needs. We found that this function is highly appreciated by respondents (Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2), with very optimistic results and zero pessimistic response. And this is also a common

need for residents of each hall (Figure 1.3 ).

Would you like to use this function?

Not

sure---3%

Figure 1.1

Do you think this website is useful?

Not useful _ _

0%

Others UGHall9 UGHall8 UGHall7 UGHall6 UGHallS UGHa114 UGHall3 UGHall2 UGHalll 0 5 .l __ _______ ... _ ... . 10 15 Figure 1.3

3. Methodology and related information

3.1 Project data flow overview

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_I I I i ···-··· ····-··· ... .. J 20 • Yes Not sure

Figure 2 Data flow from washing machine to website

3.2 Hardware and software employed

As a prototype for the real time display, our project provides the real time availability status of the laundry machines in residential halls through online platfom1. Two main parts, electronics and website building, are considered in this project. The basic mechanism of the electronics part is the signal transition and forwarding. Vibration sensors, whose inputs are stick to the laundry machines, are used to collect the electronic signals when the machines are under working. Subsequently, the signals are forwarded from the outputs of the sensors to the single-board computer, Raspberry Pi. A database is programmed in Raspberry Pi with Python language to collect and record the electronic signals and translate them in the form of text file, which is more suitable for website programming. After that, the data in Raspberry Pi are transmitted to the ihome server through on-campus Wi-Fi where the website is built. We use html, CSS and JavaScript to design, skeleton and frame the body of the website. PHP animates the website and acts as the medium between the database and the display site to transit the change from the signal to the website. For residents, they just need to check the website to get the availability status for the particular machine and then decide whether to go to wash their clothing or not. Similar sensor system may be applied to other public areas like parking lots and communal bathrooms etc.

List of items used in this project: a. Raspberry Pi B+

b. Vibration sensor: SW 1801P

c. Display Screen (TFT color monitor l 7.4crn* l l .4crn*3.3crn) d. Breadboard

e. DuPont Wire

f. Multimeter (UT33D)

3.3 Determine engine status

3.3.1 Vibration sensor

GNO: Power Supply •

VCC: Power Supply +

AO. Not Used, Function is lnvalld DO: Digital Signal Output

Figure 3.1 Vibration sensor: SW 1801P

We choose vibration sensors based on three concerns. (Figure 3.1) Firstly~

vibration sensors are relatively cheap. Because the status of each washing

machine needs to be collected independently, it is very important to control the cost of sensors, which will be of large quantity, so that the total price will be acceptable and attractive to be widely used. Secondly, vibration sensors are mechanically easy to understand so they are users friendly. Users can adjust it and repair vibration sensors on their own and little technical knowledge will be needed. Last but not least, vibration sensors

can perfectly avoid one significant concern of users: privacy. Because no video or photos are collected, other users caimot view the clothes nor know the users through this website and the information of each user will be perfectly protected.

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Raspberry Pi GPIO port i

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L----- ... ·--· -- ... ---... ---... ---t Figure 3 .2 Data flow through the vibration sensor

3. 4 Data transformation 3. 4.1 Raspberry Pi

We chose Raspberry Pi (Figure 3.3) because it's both functional satisfying

and efficient. Raspberry Pi contains a reasonable CPU and both Ethernet

and USB ports. Raspberry Pi is also relatively cheap, around 250 HKD, so

it will be cost-efficient, with each hall laundry room share a same computer.

Figure 3 .3 Raspberry Pi

3.4.2 Python

The output of the vibration sensor is either 1 when still or O when vibration. However, when implementing in real life, for the occasional cases that someone may accidentally kick the machine or the adjacent machine is vibrating fiercely, the output of the vibration sensor may not be what we

desired it to be. Therefore, a Python program, which is called program A (Figure 4.1) is written to take the summation S(t) of the most recent 100 sample n which is taken every 0.3 seconds.

t

S(t)

=

L

nc

i=t-99

A threshold T is set beforehand according to real situation. The Python program will record "Yes" to a txt file when the sample summation is less than the threshold (S(t) <= T 7Vibrating) and record "No" when the sample summation is larger than the threshold (S(t) > T 7Still).

This txt file will be uploaded to Internet by text format by another Python program, program B (Figure 4.1).

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Digital data: 0 I 1 Python Program A:

Take the summation of most recent 100 sample

And generate a TXT file of "Yes" and "No"

TXT file

Python Program B: Extract the data of the txt file And upload it to the Internet

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Figure 4.1 Python programs

3. 4. 3 Internet related program

We used different languages for different parts in this project. For data

collection and uploading, we used python and run it on Raspberry Pi. And

we used html, CSS and JavaScript to build the website. Besides these, we

also used PHP to construct the database on the website.

3.4.3.1

J>f!J>

As Python program B upload the data from the TXT file that Python A has generated. One PHP file what we called Program C (Figure 4.2) receive the data and generate a TXT file on the Internet, serving as a server. Another PHP file, program D (Figure 4.2) read the TXT file that's on the Internet and display it on the browser.

Raspberry Pi

Numerical data

PHP program C

generates new TXT file and saves in sever

TXT file

PHP program D translates numerical data to

displayable sentence

Sentences

HTML program

displays laundry machine states

4. Demonstration Data flow Laundry machine

9

Signal Vibration sensor

---9~~~~~~---Raspberry Pi GPIO port Digital data: 0 / 1 Python Program A TXT file Python Program B: L - - -

.fi:

Digital

d-;t; - - -

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_{lhome sever} PHP program C TXTfile PHP Program D Sentence HTML/CSS & JavaScript

L---9---Browser

Figure 5 Data flow from washing machines to online display

5. Possible future implementation

5.1 Online booking function

We have considered to add online booking system on the website. However, this function may need to access users' personal information, such as student name or ITSC account. This may draw privacy concerns and may lead to problems. So the team decided to postpone this plan until get proper solutions regarding the issues.

5.2 Potential market

This monitoring and display system can be applied to a wider market. Only by changing the way data collected, this status display service will be suitable for various potential costumers. Taking parking lot as an example, we can use ambient light sensors to collect the parking status of each spot and upload it onto our website, which will offer drivers and managers a direct view. Restrooms will be another potential and privacy will be protected under our method since we use none-camera sensors. For all these markets, our company provides a cheap upgrade service without complex modification and reassembling and no privacy or safety concern will be included.

6. Conclusion

Many residents have been complaining the insufficiency of campus

laundry machines. So we initiated this project "Real-time display for

machine status" to solve this problem. Our team used vibration sensors,

Raspberry Pi and multiple programing languages and succeed to detect

the washing status of machines accurately and upload it online for

on-time display. This whole system is cheap in cost and is easy for

administrators' operation and fixing. No reassembling of machines will

be needed and this system offers the perfect protection of users' privacy.

This product can also be put into market and widely used in public

restroom, parking lots and other public zones.

7. Individuals' contribution

General Manager LIUXinzhu

Vibration sensor and LIU Xinzhu, LIU Yuchen

Raspberry Pi implementation

Python program CHEN Zhiyu

PHP Program KAO, I-husan, DUAN Yangyang

Website design LI Mengyuan, LIU Yuchen

Market research & Promotion CUIYunpeng

administration

Final Report CUI Yunpeng

Promotion material design DUAN Yangyang, LI Mengyuan

General public contact of LIU Xinzhu

Student Housing and Residential Life Office

General public contact of CHEN Zhiyu

ITSC Office

Main contact representative of KAO, I-husan, LIU Xinzhu

supervisor

Material Purchase LIU Xinzhu, LIU Yuchen,

LI Mengyuan

8. References:

[1] Raspberry Pi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry Pi Date

accessed: Dec. Pt, 2015

[2] Laundry view: http://www.laundrvview.com/lvs.php Date accessed:

Oct. 20th, 2015

[3] Vibration sensor: http://\.vww.1xxtech.com/electronic-modules

9. Appendix

Details of Authors # 1 Author

Full Name LIU, Xinzhu ITSC

I

Student ID Major EEG BM Year

12

Email lvfobile No

# 2 Author

Full Name DUAN, Yangyang ITSC

I

Student ID Mqjor BCB Year

I

2

Email lvfobile No

# 3 Author

,,

Full Name LIU, Yuchen ITSC

I

.

-Student ID Major ECE Year

12

Email _- Mobile No

# 4 Author

Full Name CHEN, Zhiyu ITSC

I

Student ID Major QFIN Year

12

Email Mobile No

# 5 Author

Full Name KAO, I-hsuan ITSC

I

Student ID Major PHYS Year

12

Email . - Mobile No

#

6 Author

Full Name CUI, Yunpeng ITSC

_I

Student ID Major ECOF Year

12

Email Mobile No

# 7 Author

Full Name LI, Mengyuan ITSC

I

Student ID lvfajor CIVIL _Year

12

Email Mobile No . .