This project aims at designing something wearable that may be useful in the near or distant future. We need to prepare to explain the context of the project’s intended use, target audience, and also technical implementation. A physical prototype is required for this project, though it may be presented in the form of documentation or performance if this is a site-specific or interventionist project.
The 10 Biggest Problems that Women may Face During Pregnancy
Reference: Article 1 Article 2 Article 3
I interviewed several of my friends who already had babies, and here are the top 5 problems they had during pregnancy:
After research and interview, I found out that pregnant women usually cannot see the things below their belly, so that they feel very unsafe when they walk alone, especially walking upstairs. And slipping on the floor is a huge reason cause miscarriage.
So for this project, I decide to make a wearables for pregnant women to detect short range barriers. It is a small and movable sensor based detector that pregnant women can stick it in their shoes. The buzzer would make a sound when there are barriers near by. Also I would like to add LED lights on sleeve to visualize the distance between feet and barriers.
Ultrasonic Sensor
Ultrasonic sensors measure distance by using ultrasonic waves.
The sensor head emits an ultrasonic wave and receives the wave reflected back from the target. Ultrasonic Sensors measure the distance to the target by measuring the time between the emission and reception.
Infrared proximity sensor (Sharp IR sensor - short range)
The infrared proximity sensing can be illustrated simply. Figure 1 shows an example when there is no sensing object in the proximity-detection path. No reflected infrared signal can be bounced back to be captured by the proximity sensor.
Conversely, when the sensing object is within detectable distance as shown in Figure 2, the proximity sensor captures the reflected infrared signal. The proximity readout is linearly proportional to the captured infrared-light signal intensity and inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
Piezo Buzzer
Piezoceramic Element Structure
At the heart of all piezo-type buzzers is the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element is composed of a piezoelectric ceramic and a metal plate held together with adhesive. Both sides of the piezoelectric ceramic plate contain an electrode for electrical conduction. Piezo materials exhibit a specific phenomenon known as the piezoelectric effect and the reverse piezoelectric effect. Exposure to mechanical strain will cause the material to develop an electric field, and vice versa.
Working Principle of Piezo Buzzers
When an alternating voltage is applied to the piezoceramic element, the element extends and shrinks diametrically. This characteristic of piezoelectric material is utilized to make the ceramic plate vibrate rapidly to generate sound waves.
RGB LED Strip Light
RGB LED Strip Light system is a creative, customizable way to add a splash of color to your world. The flexible strips feature a series of color changing LED diodes encased in silicone for increased durability. Using compatible connectors and controllers, you can create a unique system of light and color suited for almost any application.
I tried both Ultrasonic Sensor and Infrared proximity sensor to get the distance measurement. Ultrasonic sensor works for 2cm-400cm, and short range sharp IR sensor works for 0cm-30cm. So for this project, sharp IR sensor is actually works better.