What did you personally accomplish this week on the project? Give files or photos that demonstrate your progress. Prove to the reader that you put sufficient
effort into the project over the course of the week (12+ hours).
This week, I focused on getting the peripherals working, specifically understanding how it works more in depth and setting up testing code for the ultrasonic sensor. While testing it, I realized potential issues that could arise. Our project’s primary goal is not to proctor the user but rather to encourage discipline by detecting their presence nearby to continue a timed study session. However, the ultrasonic sensor has some limitations due to how it operates—it sends a trigger signal and relies on the echo signal reflecting back to determine distance. This method is highly susceptible to interference, as various obstacles can cause inaccurate readings.
Initially, we referenced a previous project that used the same sensor for a similar purpose. However, after working with it firsthand, I discussed with the team the possibility of pairing it with a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, which detects heat. This combination could improve reliability, ensuring more accurate presence detection. Despite its challenges, the ultrasonic sensor still holds value in our setup, and I am continuing to refine its integration. Besides this observation, I was able to set up the code for the sensor to detect within our 1 meter threshold range and I also attempted to integrate it into our main code so that the timer paused when the distance detected was greater than the threshold.
I also dedicated many hours to assisting David with debugging the speakers. Despite extensive research and multiple attempts at reconfiguring both hardware and software, we have yet to produce any sound. Troubleshooting this component has been time-intensive, but we are actively working on finding a solution.
Is your progress on schedule or behind? If you are behind, what actions will be
taken to catch up to the project schedule?
Due to the time spent troubleshooting the speakers, I wasn’t able to dedicate as much time as I had planned to integrating the sensor with the GUI. As a result, I’m slightly behind my intended progress. To get back on track, I will prioritize integrating the sensor next week before revisiting the speaker issues if needed.
What deliverables do you hope to complete in the next week?
I hope to integrate the ultrasonic sensor to the code and test its functionality so as to see how I can further refine its accuracy.