A Wireless Identification System to Assist Sight- Constrained People

Transcription

1 A Wireless Identification System to Assist Sight- Constrained People Dec December 2006 Client: Mr. Curtis Chong Iowa Department for the Blind Faculty Advisor: Dr. Zhengdao Wang Team: Jerad Harmsen Team Member Nicholas Kayser Communications Daniel Ketcham Leader Rajesh Venkatachalam* 1

2 Outline Introduction Overview Activities Resources & Scheduling Closure Questions 2

3 Definitions (1/2) Omnidirectional Hand-Held Held Scanner: : a hand-held held scanner that can scan in all directions Bluetooth: : a short-range range radio technology for Internet and mobile devices, aimed at simplifying communications among them Radio Frequency (RF): : a frequency in which radio waves are transmitted SCANACAN : : software distributed by Ferguson Enterprises that allows a scanner to scan a barcode and transmit it to a computer which in turn will output a voice describing the product, for sight-constrained people 3

4 Definitions (2/2) HID: : Human Interface Device any device to interact directly with humans (mostly input) like keyboard, mouse, joystick, or graphics tablet : : applies to wireless LANs and provides 1 or 2 Mbps transmission in the 2.4 GHz band using either frequencies hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) or direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS). ISM Bands: : Industrial, I Scientific and Medical Radio Bands originally reserved internationally for non-commercial use of RF electromagnetic fields for industrial, scientific and medical purposes, but now a part of the radio spectrum that can be used by anybody without a license in most countries Screen Reader: : a text-to to-speech system, intended for use by blind or low-vision users, that speaks the text content of a computer display 4

5 Overview 5

6 Acknowledgements Mr. Curtis Chong and the Iowa Department for the Blind for the information and resources provided. Dr. Zhengdao Wang for all his hard work and guidance. Professors Lamont and Patterson for their consultation and for lab provisions. Jason Boyd for his consultation and design recommendations. 6

7 Problem Statement (1/2) Create Wireless hand-held held scanner that can: Read barcodes Wirelessly transmit barcode information to computer Use the SCANACAN software to decode barcode data Receive wireless audio signal Signal contains description of product Output the audio signal 7

8 Problem Statement (2/2) 8

9 Operating Environment In-home home environment Withstand occasional impacts Slight water contact Light dust buildup Temperatures ranging between C 9

10 Intended Users Sight-constrained or blind individuals Has experience with barcode scanners Has SCANACAN software and hardware already installed Has a screen reader installed General use will not exceed ten minutes 10

11 Intended Uses Scan barcodes Common household items Namely food products Scanner rests on flat surface Held by user 11

12 Assumptions (1/2) SCANACAN software and hardware was previously installed on Windows based platform Screen reader software was previously installed Aid with installation Used in a home environment 12

13 Assumptions (2/2) Home computer is always on AA Batteries available for power Wireless frequency between MHz 925MHz will not cause interference with common household items The scanner will be used within the United States and comply with FCC regulations 13

14 Limitations End product costs no more than $600 USD Must not weigh more than pounds Wireless technology must be strong enough to operate without data loss at a minimum distance of 30 meters Must operate on batteries 14

15 End Product Hand-held wireless scanner All features contained within an enclosure Wireless USB devices Transmitter attached to scanner Receiver to be attached to a computer User s s manual and setup guide Comprehensive design report 15

16 Activities 16

17 Accomplishments Wireless design complete Low power Moderate cost Documentation Electronic user s s manual Comprehensive design report 17

18 Approaches Considered (1/4) Approach 1: Use a Bluetooth interface for data/audio transmission Development kits too expensive Limited working knowledge 18

19 Approaches Considered (2/4) Approach 2: Make transmitter and receiver from scratch Low cost Not within scope of this project Implementation is difficult 19

20 Approaches Considered (3/4) Approach 3: Use a pre-made transceiver chip for communication method TRF6901 Low cost chip Low power usage Additional circuitry needed Too many possible problems Not within scope of this project 20

21 Approaches Considered (4/4) Approach 4: Use a pre-made transceiver module Chip contains all circuitry necessary for transmission and reception Low power usage Higher cost per device 21

22 Approach Used Approach 4: Use a pre-made transceiver module (RFD21130) Fastest development time Cost of additional components removed Simplicity Plug n n Play interface Picture Courtesy of R.F. Digital < 22

23 Definition Activities Meeting with Client Discussed project definition Convert wired scanner to wireless system Sound in proximity of the scanner Still works with SCANACAN software Product documentation 23

24 Research activities Researched barcode scanners Researched wireless technology Bluetooth RF MAX2606 chip TRF6901 chip RFD21130 module 24

25 Design Activities (1/3) Voltage stepper Tranceiver uses less voltage than USB Negative voltages for voltage stepping Circuit layouts USB DIAGRAM HERE 25

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28 Implementation Activities Fixate wireless module to an enclosure Hook up both scanner and wireless module to power Power regulation Hook additional wireless module to the computer 28

29 Testing Activities Lab testing Signal interference Signal strength Proper data transmission User testing Scanner tested outside of lab Scanner tested by end user 29

30 Other Activities Documentation for scanner setup and usage 30

31 Resources & Scheduling 31

32 Personnel Effort Rajesh Venkatachalam (74 hrs) Jerad Harmsen (242 hrs) Daniel Ketcham (317 hrs) Nicholas Kayser (305 hrs) 32

33 Tangible Resources Item Team Hours Other Hours Cost Parts and Materials: Scanner 0 0 $0.00 Wireless Technology 40 0 $86.00 Battery 5 0 $10.00 Electronic Components 30 0 $ Poster 25 0 $40.00 SCANACAN Package 15 0 $ Subtotal $ Other Services: Print Poster 0 2 $0.00 Printed Paper 15 2 $50.00 Travel Expenses 5 0 $20.00 Mailing Expenses 1 1 $25.00 Subtotal 21 5 $95.00 Totals $

34 Financial Requirements Item W/O Labor With Labor Parts and Materials: Scanner $0.00 $0.00 Wireless Technology $86.00 $ Battery $10.00 $62.50 Electronic Components $ $ Poster $40.00 $ SCANACAN Package $ $ Subtotal $ $2, Other Services: Print Poster $0.00 $0.00 Printed Paper $50.00 $ Travel Expenses $20.00 $72.50 Mailing Expenses $25.00 $35.50 Subtotal $95.00 $ Labor at $10.50/hr Jerad Harmsen $0.00 $2, Nicholas Kayser $0.00 $3, Daniel Ketcham $0.00 $3, Rajesh Venkatachalam $0.00 $ Subtotal $0.00 $9, Totals $ $12,267.50

35 Schedule 35

36 Closure 36

37 Evaluation Milestones Relative Importance Evaluation Score Resultant Score Problem definition 15% 100% 15% Research 10% 100% 10% Technology selection 5% 100% 5% End-product design 15% 100% 15% Prototype implementation 10% 90% 9% End-product testing 15% 60% 9% End-product documentation 10% 100% 10% Project reviews 5% 100% 5% Project reporting 5% 80% 4% End-product demonstration 10% 2% 0% Total 100% 82% 37

38 Commercialization Design intended as a prototype Potential for future production Approximately $150 for production of system, excluding SCANACAN software and hardware Marketable to all current and new SCANACAN users 38

39 Additional Work Rechargeable battery Battery strength indicator (audible) Wireless built into scanner Elimination of a black box attachment Copyright infringement issues 39

40 Risks Loss of a Team Member Rajesh left the team at the end of the spring semester Defective hardware No defective hardware was found Design flaws Design was re-evaluated evaluated three times 40

41 Lessons Learned Contact with many sources Start design work as early as possible Designs do not necessarily work as planned Assume lengthy testing times Set up project goals so that the project can continue with member loss 41

42 Summary Due to the need for an adequate scanning solution for sight-constrained individuals, this project centers around creating a scanner that will fit these needs. This scanner does not only scan barcodes on pre-defined products, but also it will tell the user verbally what the product is. By using this designed product, blind individuals will have an easier time managing their personal inventories. 42

43 Questions? 43