Engineering Projects/SnakeHat/Howard Community College/fall2012/p-3-502-hwrm

Problem Statement
Finalize hat design and method of operation for the snake (mood sensing) hat.

Team Members
Renkenberger Waters Holcomb McGivern

Summary
This project we worked on the code for the heart beat sensor, and developed an algorithm for it so that it will read a heart rate much more easily than it previously could. We also updated the code to get the LED's to change color in response to the push of a button, and have nearly gotten it to function. We developed several designs for how to mount the LED mechanism in a hat so that it can actually be worn. We gathered information on the Uncle Milton's Force Trainer and found several possible projects that could be done with it. We Gathered information on heart rate and blood pressure, then determined how we could use them for detecting mood. Finally, we developed materials lists for the heart rate sensing straight jacket, and home made blood pressure sensor.

First Weekend
Over the week we examined previous designs, and investigated possible designs for how the arduino and L.E.D.s will be mounted on the project. We also examined possible methods for measuring change in emotion, and found that as previous groups decided, heart rate is the best method for measuring emotional change. Happiness and contentment slow down heartbeat slightly, sadness slows it significantly, and anger, stress and irritability increase it greatly. We also decided it would be best if we could establish a baseline for what the heart rate should be, as it varies from person to person. Lastly, we investigated to correlation between the heart beat sensor and the LED. We determined that the heart beat sensor can detect a increased heart rate but not a resting heart rate.

First Weekend Tasks
We will see if we can calibrate the heartbeat sensor, continue designing methods to mount the arduino to the head, and look for a different heartbeat sensor.

Second Weekend
We developed a better algorithim for detetecting heartbeats with the sensor and tested it. We found several coding tutorials for getting the multicolored LED to light up.

Tutorial 1 Tutorial 2

We tested the codes in these tutorials on the arduino, but it didn't work. We also completed the hat design, and constructed a prototype for a hat that can hold the arduino. We looked into the force helmet and found that it uses beta waves to read emotion, and found a hacking tutorial for it.

Second Week Tasks
We will gather information on beta waves, continue coding the arduino to light up LEDs, and possibly combine the two codes and finish construction on our hat design.

Third Weekend
Information about theta waves for force helmet. [| here]

This program lights the LED up according the the number of times the button was pressed.

Parts list for Heart Beat straight jacket.

Third Weekend Tasks
We worked on the team page and did the poster. We finished the coding and made sure that it works, compiled a parts list for Arduino blood pressure sensor, and completed the hat mounting mechanism.

Fourth Week Results
We made the poster, improved the code to the point where it will light up the LED to different colors, and many other things.

We found a simpler tutorial for the force helmet

We also found several possible projects that the helmet can be used for.

1.

2.

3.

Worked on materials list, it will be posted soon

Material List
Arduino Uno $35

USB Cable

Heart Beat Sensor $5

Blood Pressure Reader $15

9 Volt Power Source $9.50

LED

Star Wars Force Trainer $48

Software List
Arduino 1.0.1

Foto Flexer

control IP5

Time
As a team we spent 26 hours of work on the project

Tutorials
''All projects create new tutorials of technical details future participants are going to want to know. They are going to be separate pages that are linked to here.''

Next Steps
The next group needs to finalize the LED code, and combine it with the heart beat sensor's algorithm. They also need to find a mounting mechanism for the LED and arduino. They also should look into the force helmet, and pursue a project with that.


 * Materials:

Arduino Brain Library