Final Project

Idea

The idea came from my recent experience participating in a hackathon. During this event, I had an idea with my friend Leo that we can build a wearable device that listens to conversations and provide live feedback through haptics or red/green signals. Our vision was that we could use these devices in challenging scenarios such as dating, professional presentations, or parent-child conversations, where users might not know how to express themselves properly. We hoped that the wearable device can act as a coach to help users become a more confident speaker.

Here's a demo of what my solution

The wearable I design will be more subtle hopefully, with small vibration that will let the user know that they are saying something wrong.

Built-in Microphone

Advanced MEMS microphone technology that listens to conversations in real-time. The ICS-43434 digital microphone captures clear audio with omnidirectional sensitivity, enabling the device to analyze speech patterns and provide instant feedback during conversations.

Heart Rate Monitoring

The MAX30102 sensor continuously monitors your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. This biometric data helps the AI understand your stress levels and emotional state during conversations, providing more personalized coaching feedback.

Haptic Feedback System

Subtle vibration patterns provide immediate, private feedback during conversations. The haptic system can signal when you're speaking too fast, using filler words, or when it's time to pause and listen - helping you become a more confident communicator.

Research

I started researching more about how to build a successful wearable device. My initial search landed me on the details of building my own ring:

  • Smart Ring Development

    • I immediately learned how challenging it would be to build a ring device, which involves building a flexible circuit board that can fit in the small space of the ring. After consulting with , I switched my focus to developing a wearable necklace, which allows more room for error in my first time building something.

    Necklace

    I tried sketching different design of the necklace, mainly trying different shapes and contours.

    Necklace design sketches

    Week 3 Planning

    With 3D printing week starting and electronics design week coming up, I started to do more research in how I should design the case and the PCB board.

    Week 5

    Here are the schematics design and PCB layout I worked on during week 5:

    The next step is to iterate my design and see whether the PCB would fit in a watch or a necklace, which I would need to design an appropriate casing for.

    Week 7

    After successfully working with a smaller sized board by using the laser cutter, I am getting a little more ambitious towards the final project. With the finals timeline approaching and the input and output weeks coming up, I did more in-depth research to confirm all of the components I can add to my device.

    Here's the must-haves I need to use:

    Here's some nice to haves but I might not add if limited by space and time:

    I need to design my PCB to be around 39mm in diameter to fit in normal watch cases. I am thinking to send my PCB design to a PCB house to get it manufactured at a higher resolution. I am looking to create a more old-school feel and a classical watch rather than a pure tech feel.

    I got a sample watch case so that I can examine the casing better, and I might look to 3D print my own case to better fit the pcb. I might also look at molding & casting week to see if I can make the case from that week.