Accomplishment: This week, I developed a prototype casing for our device out of cardboard for the interim demo. Afterwards, I ordered the battery packs and adapters for the Jetson, which will allow us to actually wear the device instead of relying on power from an outlet. Lastly, I connected the Jetson to internet using my Wifi router and installed python3.8, espeak, pyttsx3, and numpy onto the Jetson. I attempted to install pytorch but ran into issues and asked Josh to look into the installation since it is needed for the OR model.
Progress: I am on track with my progress now that all subsystems of the PCB seem to be working and the battery pack has been ordered.
Projected Deliverables: This week, I will work on designing the device casing, which we will likely laser cut and assemble, and will look into getting a strap for wearing the device. Once we get the carrying strap, I will integrate the vibration motor into the strap and ensure that the wearer can feel the vibration motor through the strap. Lastly, I will reach out to LAMP to set up user testing times.
Verification: For verifying the hardware components, specifically the PCB, we wrote software programs to test each individual component (buttons, vibration motor, and ultrasonic sensor). The components seem to function individually, but Shakthi and I have experienced some issues running the proximity module code, since the ultrasonic sensor tends to hang while waiting for the echo pulse. To identify the source of the issue, we will test the code using a breadboarded ultrasonic sensor instead of the PCB-mounted sensor and will use an oscilloscope to verify that the signals sent between the Jetson and PCB are expected values. This will tell us whether a transient signal on the PCB is interfering with the sensor readings, or if our software needs to be modified. Now that the rechargeable battery pack has arrived, I will also begin running the Jetson on battery power. To do this, I will fully charge the battery pack and run the Jetson for as long as possible to verify whether it meets our 4-hour requirement. I will also leave the battery pack idle for several hours then check the charge again, to see how much power drains when the Jetson is not in use. Since we ordered two battery packs, we may be able to connect both to the Jetson in case the power or battery life is insufficient.