Category: Meadow’s Status Reports

Most of the work for this week was spent on the design report and fleshing out details for our device that weren’t set in stone or coming up with implementation plans. The rest of the week I used to set up the BNO055 with Arduino and confirmed real time data output along with minor power supply research. Having a sensor set up with Arduino instead of only the ESP32 will help with parallel testing and allow me to work on the sensor data and power independently from the Bluetooth communication. Testing was not consistently successful, however, due to losing contact in the sensor inputs from loose wire connections (no solder yet and waiting on STEMMA QT cables). For next week, as the cables arrived during break, I want to ensure reliable data output and move to confirming accuracy with ground truth comparisons and work on calibration if there are mismatches.

So far things seem to be on schedule.

This week I gained more understanding on the ESP32 and the BNO055 and its setup process, along with part characteristics through research, prior to Jason physically testing the sensor. Even though he got some readings out of it, I found that pairing the BNO055 with an ESP32 is not reliable, per a warning from Adafruit. I took to looking for other microcontrollers compatible with the sensor in case there’s a more efficient option that offers more of our requirements than an Arduino (which we initially planned to test with). A different IMU was ordered to see how it compares to our BNO055, which will be tested after it arrives. I ordered a part that should help make testing the sensor easier for next week and eliminate some human error. I’ve also been looking into how to make our testing more functional by creating a (very) basic prototype to attach on a real barbell.  Because we know that the sensor is outputting values and have a script ready for more testing, next week I plan to investigate the sensor readings and check accuracy/plan for calibration and potentially perform more dynamic testing to simulate our use case instead of basic hand movements, should we manage to create the necessary mobility.

Progress feels on time.

This week I dove more into IMU investigation and learning which specs to look out for to find a model that fit the requirements of our design. Jason and I ended up settling on an Adafruit BNO055 due to its accelerometer range and ease of orientation data collection. It seems to have all the tricks we’re looking for with a design that won’t compromise any of our needs. We placed an order for a few of them and aim to test their functionality after arrival. As these are meant mainly to get a feel of what to look out for in hardware implementation, I plan to look into a few more IMUs and begin researching more about complementary parts we’ll need for the BNO if we continue strictly with this model. Lastly, I dedicated time to collaborating with my group on the design presentation and fleshing out the content and delivery of our information. So far we are still on track from previous week’s expectations.

As the first proper week working on our project after solidifying a concept, I spent time with my group brainstorming the necessary materials and requirements needed for our device. I aided in the research and design of our proposal presentation, making tweaks from the abstract and honing in on what we wanted our use case to accomplish. I worked with Jamshed to provide Jason mock-presentation feedback before the proposal presentation. A lot of the work time this week was spent generating a better idea of what our project seeks to accomplish and how we can implement it, which became clear in our proposal slide deck. On my own time I began reading up on devices on the market that provide the metrics we want to implement in the barbell sensors and if they should be feasible to integrate into our design.

In the coming week I hope to composite a list of IMUs and individual accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. that compare their features and see which parts meet our use case requirements. After deciding and collaborating with Jason (as the other hardware member) I would like to place orders for the ones we deem best. Finally, since the design proposal is coming up I will collaborate with my group to develop a concrete plan with corresponding slides outlining what we plan to achieve.