This week I have been primarily focused on researching sensors for detecting the presence of a customer), as well as the most suitable programming languages to use for the Raspberry Pi and the frontend.
Sensors
Passive infrared (PIR) sensors are well suited for our project, because:
- While active infrared sensors are more versatile than PIR sensors, as active infrared sensors emit their own infrared radiation and therefore can detect objects and motion even in complete darkness, food-ordering kiosks do not require such capabilities. In fact, fast food restaurants are usually brightly lit environments, so there is no need for that level of sensitivity. Therefore, we will be using a PIR sensor, which detects the presence of a customer by measuring the changes in infrared radiation in the environment. The change in infrared radiation will trigger the PIR sensor and cause it to output a signal.
- They are low-cost, easy to use, and widely available, so they should save us some budget. Plus they have extensive documentation available online.
I have narrowed our options down to three:
- HC-SR501
Low-cost, widely available. Can detect movement within a range of 7 meters and has a built-in potentiometer that can be used to adjust the sensitivity and trigger delay time.
- Parallax PIR Motion Sensor
Designed specifically for use with microcontrollers like the Raspberry Pi, which we will be using! It has a range of up to 20 feet and provides a digital output that can be easily read by the Raspberry Pi.
- Adafruit AMG8833 IR Thermal Camera Breakout
A more advanced option than the previous two. Provides not only motion detection but also thermal imaging capabilities. It can detect the heat signature of a customer and is ideal for applications where temperature info is also needed.
Programming language to use for the Raspberry Pi
A variety of programming languages can be run on the Raspberry Pi. I have narrowed our options down to:
- Python: the Raspberry Pi has a strong emphasis on Python and is the most widely used language on the platform.
- C: provides more control over the hardware (in our case, the PIR sensor), and it is fast, efficient, and uses minimal resources, so probably won’t heat up our Raspberry Pi too much.
Front-end languages/frameworks
I have narrowed our options down to:
- HTML + Bootstrap/CSS: we can utilize Bootstrap templates shared by people online. This saves us a lot of time and the result is visually appealing. However, due to the nature of Bootstrap, the HTML code can become quite cluttered and difficult to manage.
- React: uses a declarative programming approach, which makes it easier to understand and debug. The use of reusable components can be easily reused across different parts of our front-end development.
About Schedule
My progress is on schedule.
Plans for Next Week
I will start front-end development and create a list of sensors/ microcontrollers to purchase. Additionally, I will work with my teammates on creating the slides for the next presentation.