Toks Fifo

Final Project Proposal

Fall 2013

I'm interested in creating a product that helps people work smarter. One such idea is Focus, your study partner.

Focus: Your Study Partner

I've noticed that like most people, I work very inefficiently. Focus is a small desktop device that helps you study. You start your study session with the push of a button and whenever you get distracted (by other people, Facebook, email, etc.), you push the button again. Over time, you'll be able to use to see how efficiently you're studying by using the Focus web app. Additionally, LEDs/screens on the device will show you how deep you are into your study session (from cold blue to red hot).

I'd need to program a PCB that controls the device. Additionally, I'll need to figure out a way to connect Focus to the internet. I'm looking into the Electric Imp.

Model

Here's a simple Solidworks model that shows a preliminary design of Focus.

Ink: The Smart Water Bottle

Another project idea is to create a smart water bottle (idea from product engineering class). I believe that what gets measured gets improved. Hence, the best way to drink more water is to measure how much water you drink. Ink does this by tracking the change in its water level. It also visually shows you how close you are to your daily goal via LED lights on the bottle. The customizable mobile app will display your history of water intake.

For this project, I need to look into tracking changes in water level. I'm considering using either optics/electronics or a scale for tracking. I also need to figure out how to connect Ink to a smart-phone.