Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
86 Smart Backpack + Inventory Tracking System
 Aashish Subramanian
Seth Oberholtzer
Shreyas Sriram
 Rui Gong design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
video
Smart Backpack + Inventory Tracking System
Team Members:

Shreyas Sriram (ssrir5)

Seth Oberholtzer (sethmo2)

Aashish Subramanian (asubr2)

Problem
Many people struggle with tracking their belongings inside their backpacks, often forgetting essential items or falling victim to theft in crowded areas. Traditional backpacks lack intelligent security and organization features, making them inefficient for modern users. There is a need for an innovative backpack that provides smart tracking, theft prevention, and automated security.

Solution Overview
We propose a Smart Backpack with Inventory Tracking & Security, integrating advanced RFID tracking, theft detection, automated security features, and real-time mobile connectivity. This backpack will help users keep track of their belongings, prevent theft, and provide alerts for missing items, ensuring both convenience and security.

Solution Components
RFID-Based Item Tracking
This backpack integrates an RFID tracking system to help users keep track of their essentials. Small RFID tags are attached to commonly carried items like a laptop, notebook, wallet, and keys. An STM (or any other) microcontroller scans the backpack’s contents and sends real-time alerts to a mobile app if an important item is missing before the user leaves a location.

Anti-Theft Security System
Designed with theft prevention in mind, the backpack features an accelerometer and gyroscope (IMU) to detect unusual movement, such as someone attempting to grab or open the bag while it's unattended. If unauthorized access is detected, a hidden buzzer or vibration motor activates to alert the user, adding an extra layer of security.

Bluetooth & Mobile App Connectivity
The backpack connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), allowing users to check their bag’s contents in real-time through a dedicated app. It also includes geo-fencing alerts, which notify the user if they leave the backpack behind in a public place, helping prevent loss.

Auto-Zip & Auto-Lock Mechanism
For added security and convenience, the backpack features motorized zippers and an electronic or magnetic locking system. It can automatically lock itself based on the user's location—securing in crowded areas and unlocking at home. This feature prevents unauthorized access while making it easy for the user to carry and access their belongings when needed.

Criteria for Success
Accurate RFID Tracking: The system must reliably detect and track RFID-tagged items in real-time, alerting users when an item is missing.

Effective Theft Detection: The IMU sensors should correctly identify unauthorized movements and trigger alerts or alarms.

Seamless Mobile App Integration: The app should provide real-time inventory tracking, geofencing alerts, and security notifications.

Reliable Auto-Zip & Locking Mechanism: The motorized zippers and locks must function consistently and respond correctly to user-defined security settings.

Low Power Consumption: The system should operate efficiently on a portable battery to last for extended periods without frequent recharging.

Monitor for Dough and Sourdough Starter

Jake Hayes, Abhitya Krishnaraj, Alec Thompson

Monitor for Dough and Sourdough Starter

Featured Project

Team Members:

- Jake Hayes (jhayes)

- Abhitya Krishnaraj (abhitya2)

- Alec Thompson (alect3)

# Problem

Making bread at home, especially sourdough, has become very popular because it is an affordable way to get fresh-baked bread that's free of preservatives and other ingredients that many people are not comfortable with. Sourdough also has other health benefits such as a lower glycemic index and greater bioavailability of nutrients.

However, the bulk fermentation process (letting the dough rise) can be tricky and requires a lot of attention, which leads to many people giving up on making sourdough. Ideally, the dough should be kept at around 80 degrees F, which is warmer than most people keep their homes, so many people try to find a warm place in their home such as in an oven with a light on; but it's hard to know if the dough is kept at a good temperature. Other steps need to be taken when the dough has risen enough, but rise time varies greatly, so you can't just set a timer; and if you wait too long the dough can start to shrink again. In the case of activating dehydrated sourdough starter, this rise and fall is normal and must happen several times; and its peak volume is what tells you when it's ready to use.

# Solution

Our solution is to design a device with a distance sensor (probably ultrasonic) and a temperature sensor that can be attached to the underside of most types of lids, probably with magnets. The sensors would be controlled with a microcontroller; and a display (probably LCD) would show the minimum, current, and maximum heights of the dough along with the temperature. This way the user can see at a glance how much the dough has risen, whether it has already peaked and started to shrink, and whether the temperature is acceptable or not. There is no need to remove it from its warm place and uncover it, introducing cold air; and there is no need to puncture it to measure its height or use some other awkward method.

The device would require a PCB, microcontroller, sensors, display, and maybe some type of wireless communication. Other features could be added, such as an audible alarm or a graph of dough height and/or temperature over time.

# Solution Components

## Height and Temperature Sensors

Sensors would be placed on the part of the device that attaches to the underside of a lid. A temperature sensor would measure the ambient temperature near the dough to ensure the dough is kept at an acceptable temperature. A proximity sensor or sensors would first measure the height of the container, then begin measuring the height of the dough periodically. If we can achieve acceptable accuracy with one distance sensor, that would be ideal; otherwise we could use 2-4 sensors.

Possible temperature sensor: [Texas Instruments LM61BIZ/LFT3](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/LM61BIZ%252FLFT3/12324753)

Proximity sensors could be ultrasonic, infrared LED, or VCSEL.\

Ultrasonic: [Adafruit ULTRASONIC SENSOR SONAR DISTANCE 3942](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/adafruit-industries-llc/3942/9658069)\

IR LED: [Vishay VCNL3020-GS18](https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Vishay-Semiconductors/VCNL3020-GS18?qs=5csRq1wdUj612SFHAvx1XQ%3D%3D)\

VCSEL: [Vishay VCNL36826S](https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Vishay-Semiconductors/VCNL36826S?qs=d0WKAl%252BL4KbhexPI0ncp8A%3D%3D)

## MCU

An MCU reads data from the sensors and displays it in an easily understandable format on the LCD display. It also reads input from the user interface and adjusts the operation and/or output accordingly. For example, when the user presses the button to reset the minimum dough height, the MCU sends a signal to the proximity sensor to measure the distance, then the MCU reads the data, calculates the height, and makes the display show it as the minimum height.

Possible MCU: [STM32F303K8T6TR](https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelectronics/STM32F303K8T6TR?qs=sPbYRqrBIVk%252Bs3Q4t9a02w%3D%3D)

## Digital Display

- A [4x16 Character LCD](https://newhavendisplay.com/4x16-character-lcd-stn-blue-display-with-white-side-backlight/) would attach to the top of the lid and display the lowest height, current height, maximum height, and temperature.

## User Interface

The UI would attach to the top of the lid and consist of a number of simple switches and push buttons to control the device. For example, a switch to turn the device on and off, a button to measure the height of the container, a button to reset the minimum dough height, etc.

Possible switch: [E-Switch RA1113112R](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/e-switch/RA1113112R/3778055)\

Possible button: [CUI Devices TS02-66-50-BK-160-LCR-D](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/cui-devices/TS02-66-50-BK-160-LCR-D/15634352)

## Power

- Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery capable of staying on for a few rounds of dough ([2000 mAh](https://www.microcenter.com/product/503621/Lithium_Ion_Battery_-_37v_2000mAh) or more) along with a USB charging port and the necessary circuitry to charge the battery. The two halves of the device (top and underside of lid) would probably be wired together to share power and send and receive data.

## (stretch goal) Wireless Notification System

- Push notifications to a user’s phone whenever the dough has peaked. This would likely be an add-on achieved with a Raspberry Pi Zero, Gotify, and Tailscale.

# Criterion For Success

- Charge the battery and operate on battery power for at least 10 hours, but ideally a few days for wider use cases and convenience.

- Accurately read (within a centimeter) and store distance values, convert distance to dough height, and display the minimum, maximum, and current height values on a display.

- Accurately read and report the temperature to the display.

- (stretch goal) Inform the user when the dough has peaked (visual, audio, or app based).

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