Accomplishment: In the past week, I looked into hardware options for our device, specifically comparing TOF cameras to basic cameras. I learned that TOF cameras have less precision compared to a sensor dedicated solely for distance estimation, but this choice of hardware will make it easier for us to integrate object recognition with distance estimation, as opposed to our previous plan of integrating cameras with ultrasonic sensors. I also put together a Notion planning page for the team to keep track of our timeline, tasks, notes, and resources. We also had a team meeting to discuss feedback from our proposal and decide on any design changes, for which I created a new block diagram to reflect the new design. Lastly, I got in touch with a volunteer at LAMP to get the contact information of the volunteer coordinator.
Progress: This progress is on schedule with our initial timeline for research and ordering materials. However, since we decided to consider using the NVIDIA Jetson in place of the Raspberry Pi for better performance, I will be making more time to research single-board computers before our parts order goal of Wednesday 2/14.
Projected Deliverables: This week, I plan to continue looking into specific cameras and sensors so we can place an order by 2/14. I also plan to compare the performance and specifications of a Raspberry Pi vs. NVIDIA Jetson, so we can request one from the ECE inventory by 2/14 and begin using it by the end of the week. I will also contact LAMP’s volunteer coordinator on Monday 2/12 to set up a time for us to speak to visually impaired people and receive suggestions for our device’s features.