Sunlight Alarm

Window Shade Alarm Log
Presentation 1

Proposal

Overview

Our goal is to create an apparatus that opens your window shades automatically in the morning, providing a more pleasant way to wake up than a loud alarm. Our apparatus would use a stepper motor to open the shades paired with an Arduino and Dual Step Motor Shield. The stimuli to open the shades would be based on time as inputted by the user using a keypad attached to the Arduino. A Raspberry Pi would fetch the current weather and time and send it to the Arduino to be displayed on LCDs, informing the user of the time and weather.

Team Members

• Sam Chai
• Cole Fitzsimmons
• Arnob Dam
• Andrew O'Sullivan (TA)

Objectives

• Build frame and shade
• Program Raspberry Pi to send time and weather to Arduino
  • Use NTP and Wunderground API
  • Program Arduino to accept time and weather from Raspberry Pi
• Program Arduino to accept input from user
• Program Arduino to control motors
• 3D print pieces to attach blind to shade
• Attach motors to frame/shade
  • up/down pull-string

Challenges

• Learn how to use SolidWorks
  • We will use SolidWords to 3D print gears, clamps and other physical parts for the opening/closing function of our device
• Learn how to program Raspberry Pi
  • We are using Raspberry Pi instead of Arduino because we will need Raspberry Pi's capability to access the internet. Through the internet, we will have access to and display both time and weather

Gantt Chart

Budget

• Raspberry Pi (supplied)
  
• Arduino (supplied)
  
• 2 Stepper motors (supplied)
• Arduino LED Backpack (for time) $11.95
• Arduino LCD and Keypad (for weather) $23.95
  
• 22ft of 2X4s $10
  
• 1 inch #8 wood screws $4.76
  
• one pack corner braces $1.97
  
• 2 packs straight brackets $5.36
  
• String $
• Other Screws.... $
• Shipping (Adafruit) $7.17
• Transportation Costs $10
• Blind (30" x 60") $31.09

Total: $

Design and Solutions

Description

Overall Setup
Our Sunlight Alarm consisted of a system of a Raspberry Pi, an Arduino, 2 stepper motors, a 3D printed gear system, an LED display, and an LCD display. The Raspberry Pi fetched the current time and weather data from the internet and sent it to the Arduino. The Arduino then displayed the weather and time on the displays. Using two buttons connected to the Arduino, the user can select a time at which the shade will open. When that time is reached, the Arduino begins to open the shade by running two stepper motors which drive the gear and spool system.

Arduino and Raspberry Pi

Gear System

Frame
The frame was built to resemble a window frame. The shade was attached to the inside and top of the frame as a normal shade would. The frame was built from 2x4s, wood screws, and metal brackets. The dimensions of the inside of the window were 30" x 60". We took 3 8ft 2x4s and cut them into 5 pieces: 2 measuring 3', 2 measuring 6'2", and 2 measuring 1'.]

File:FrameDiagram.PNG

Results

Demonstration Poster