Team Name:

Do You Even Lift?

Group Members:

Adam Suczewski, Andrew Callahan, Matt Drabick, Peter Grabowski

Brainstorming:

1. Live music aid — Music device that changes based on movement/attitude of the crowd. Uses Kinect to sense motion, adjusts lights/sound/fog accordingly.
2. Skateboard odometer/speeder to monitor travel data for the curious skateboarder. Communicates to watch display, or alternatively to LCD display on board.
3. Device to display airplane information (flight number, etc) by pointing to an airplane.
4. Gesture based interface for surgeons in OR — they can’t touch anything during the operation for risk of becoming not sterile, so a hands free interface for browsing patient records would be useful — also useful for other professions like butchers, potters
5. Emergency condom delivery system — when you’re in an intimate situation where it may be inappropriate to get up and leave, send out a (private message) to a trusted contact that you need a special delivery.
6. Display/Orb that indicates what club to go to based on where your friends are going to. One dial (with marks for each of the clubs) that integrates GPS data from friends and points to the club with the most friends
7. There are frequently used commands in photoshop (any program, really). Create a pedal based interface to map to these frequently used commands, to allow users to enter input with their feet as well and increase throughput
8. Secret knock or password to open door without key or prox. – motor to pull down on down handle
9. Arduino in a house hears fire alarm and shuts off the gas line
10. Full, new and improved smoke detector. Chemical sensor/light trap detects smoke. Alerts security company, calls your phone, takes pictures inside for insurance company
11. Kinect interface that allows you to make gestures to change the channel, up the volume, turn it on/off. Voice recognition for Netflix commands, etc.
12. Hardware interface for convenient ordering from seamless – does online ordering for a particular. One button for your favorite chicken parm, one button for sushi, etc.
    1. We could use mechanical turk to map orders to buttons so that the user doesn’t have to dig through the API – he can just say “2 slices pepperoni pizza from Dominos” and an anon does the hard work for 10 cents
13. Automated shocking when user bites nails to help break bad habit. Could be kinect based, although that might be overkill. May be too hard to differentiate between “hand near face” and “biting nails”
14. Device to wear while running that vibrates on your left or right side to indicate a turn coming up. Useful for novel routes — think about downloading other’s routes from a site like runkeeper and following them for the first time.
15. Kinect/webcam at the gym watches you lift and identifies problems in your form
16. Monitor lifting technique using force sensors in hands and feet to check if force is equal. Also use wrist watch with sensors on each leg/arm. Choose which exercise you are about to perform and get feedback
    1. Could integrate with Fitocracy or other account. Keep track of your progress
17. Weight lifting equipment with sensors built in to check the balance of the bar. Sensors detect balance and movement of the bar itself to give feedback.
18. Previous points assume you already know proper form and are looking to improve it. Kinect based system could teach you step by step, overlaying a video of your exercise with what a correct exercise would look like. Also uses voice cues.
19. Help runners with running form using a treadmilll with force sensors to detect foot striking. Display foot strike data on a monitor to help runner’s technique.
20. Detect when runners have bad form when tired and using sensors on legs and arms that can detect when they pass each other.
21. Arduino detects when it’s too bright/dark in room and adjusts shades on windows. Useful for classrooms
22. Arduino raises/lowers blinds to act as an alarm clock
23. Arduino works as a physical thermostat by opening windows when the room is too hot and closing them when too cold. Could also turn fan on and off.
24. Combine above three ideas for room maintenance system. Potential for cross communication — for example, it might be ok for the room to be dark and cold if you’re sleeping, but not during the day.
25. System that photographs people entering lecture, builds real-time attendance list, and can select a random attendee to answer a question. Solves problem of tracking attendance (students can sign in other students on sign in sheet), as well as wanting to pick a random student to answer a question
26. When you’re low on some household supply, scan your barcode on device, and it gets added to an online shopping list/shopping cart, such as fresh direct or amazon.
27. “Smart Container.” Have plastic containers that can be filled with water, flour, etc. that automatically adds that ingredient to your shopping list when the container is less than a quarter full.
28. Integrate the above two into automated kitchen. Containers and to-do list converse, to answer more complicated questions like “Do I have what I need to make cookies tonight?” or “What do I need to pick up at the store if I want to make chicken parm tonight?”
29. Arduino locks your door while you’re busy programming (while you have an IDE open or while you’re typing code etc). Or more realistically, illuminates a “Do no disturb” light
30. Single button to open IDE, enable warning light, and initialize brew of favorite coffee. Enter “programming mode”
31. Arduino turns off toaster when toast is done. Can be done with a light sensor that can detect the change in color as it browns, or a light trap/smoke sensor (depending on how dark you like your toast.
32. Arduino listens while you make popcorn and turns off microwave when popcorn is done
33. One better – Arduino uses netflix API to detect that you’re starting a movie, and makes popcorn for you.
34. Automated smoothie making with arduino. Preset options to streamline process.
35. Light controls for cyclists — button to signal for left right turns, as well as breaking lights
36. Arduino measures out ingredients for you in the kitchen — you enter in a recipe, and it dispenses the correct amount of flour, sugar, etc for you.
37. “Weasley clock” — location of various family members on dial, if they’re in predefined locations
38. Location sensors on valuable items, with dial indicator of where they are in the house
39. Device analyzes tempo of sex and plays appropriate music
40. Arduino resets your WRT-54G (router). Have an infrared or radio remote so you can do it from the comfort of your couch upstairs

a. Also keeps from you from having to go under the desk or somewhere inconvenient.

41. Device adjusts oven temperature based on meat thermometer and maybe color of steak
42. Arduino power control for dishwasher. Monitors power grid data, and turns on dishwasher when power cost is lowest (i.e., middle of the night). Reduces peak (max) power usage, and more evenly distributes power usage over the course of the day.
43. An Arduino based system that works as an air freshener that detects bad smells and activates a burst of delicious smell. Could be useful for public restrooms, and potentially more efficient than timer based systems.
44. In a car, Arduino continually monitors the air coming through vents. If it detects bad air quality it rapidly shuts the vents. It could check for skunk or nasty north Jersey refineries or smelly truck brakes.
45. Arduino brews tea for you by removing the teabag at the appropriate time. Useful if you need to brew many bags of tea at once, with specific brew times (consider Teavana or Infini-tea)
46. Bartenders place bottles on LED stand. When they go to make a drink, the appropriate bottles light up. Decreases time required to find the bottles, increasing bar’s throughput. Especially good for new bartenders. Also looks pretty cool.
47. Above could hook-in with DJ system, for song-themed drinks. For example, when Margaritaville comes on, you could offer a half price special on margaritas for the duration of the song. “Flash sale” mentality would potentially increase drink sales. Bartending system could flash or otherwise indicate ahead of time, so the bartender could prepare for the imminent rush.
48. Place microphones around room or other venue to sense volume. If speaker is too loud, lower volume levels. If speaker is too soft, arduino aims microphone to maximize sound captured (or raises volume levels). Could use tracking system to make sure microphone is pointed optimally at face
49. Glove for conductor of an orchestra. They can’t move or gesture while conducting, but may need to communicate during the performance with audio/house staff or parts of the orchestra. Glove has buttons to send predefined messages, or alternatively has a one handed keyboard system
50. Washing machine status light (for the living room, kitchen, etc.). Make it easy to see if your permanent press load is finished, so it doesn’t wrinkle while sitting in the drier.

Sketches:

1) Live music aid
2) Skateboard odometer/speedometer watch
4) Gesture interface for messy hands
7) Computer foot pedals for commonly used commands.

11) Gestures to change tv settings
36) Auto measuring of kitchen indredients
41) Oven meat temperature adjuster

Clockwise from top left:
29) Door lock when busy
32) Popcorn / Toast monitor
41) Auto adjust thermostat
45) Auto tea-brewing
46) LED bartender helper
Bike brake lights/ turn signals

21) Window shade adjuster
25) Camera for attendance
26) Household barcode scanner
27) Smart containers

Clockwise from top left:
6) Friend finding orb
9) Gas line cutoff in fire
13) Bad habit/nail biting breaker
20) Running form detector
15) Lifting technique montior
12) Convienient food ordering
8) Secret knock to get in room

17) weight sensors in lifting equipment to check technique
19) Treadmill foot strike detector
42) Run appliances (dish washer) at low times on power grid.

Short description:

Our first choice is a kinect-based trainer for the weight room. This device would use a camera and body-tracking APIs to identify problems in form and point out fixes. It could also provide a full tutorial on how to do the lift, useful for a complete novice. We like the idea because:

• We can approach the problem from a few different areas
• Kinect APIs should make it easy to watch the lifter and identify problems
• The advice would be very useful to the end-user, as it would be a very inexpensive (free, probably) way to check your form and avoid mistakes that could cause injury
• Commercial gyms are always looking to buy the latest gimmicky things

If we can’t have a kinect, our second choice is to try using a standard webcam-based system to the same effect, or to just go and spend all of our budget on another kinect.

If none of the above pans out, another project we are interested in is an Arduino-based window thermostat, ideal for dorm rooms. The device could open and shut the windows when the room is too hot or cold, and could roll up the shades in the morning when it’s time to wake up. We think this could accomplished pretty efficiently and would be useful for your typical lazy college student. It has room for extra goals in the form of learning and adapting to the user’s patterns.

Full Description:

Target User Group – The system would aimed primarily at novice weightlifters. The system could start from scratch, assuming no user knowledge of the lift, and teach it in stages. The system’s ability to identify subtle problems in form could be useful for trainees of all skill levels, though, as some common problems in form are very tricky to notice on your own (e.g. not having the back in the right spot on the back in a squat, or allowing the lumbar to round in a deadlift).

Problem Description & Context – We are looking to solve the problem of inexperienced weightlifters doing lifts inefficiently or dangerously by compromising their form. This solution could offer guidance on how to correct these problems, as well as more general advice on routines and workout programming. We envision addressing this in the weightroom, right where the user does his/her lifts. Users will have varying experience levels, and we don’t want to interrupt experienced lifters who would rather not be annoyed. Some users might have different or mis-concieved opinions on how a lift should be done, and might choose to ignore some or all of the advice given. Some users might have friends or (human) trainers with them to help out.

Technology Platform – We imagine this working with a Windows PC (probably one of our laptops initially) hooked up to a Kinect. This gives us body-tracking APIs that will make it much easier to identify what the user is doing. Unless these saturate the gym, they could be placed on something like a cart with wheels, so that it can monitor different exercises or from different angles. If the idea takes off, the technology could be incorporated directly into exercise equipment like squat racks.

More Detailed Design Sketches:

-Using a kinect, monitor lifting technique and give the user feedback
-System can evaluate technique and also give instructions to user
-Can be built in to lifting equipment or implemented separtately

-User will be able to select from different lifts they want to perform.
-Visual and auditory display will give feedback (“Good Job!”, “Keep Arms Even”…) as well as act as the interface for selecting lifts or receiving instruction.
-Monitor/Audio can show “ideal” lifts teach user.

-Kinect watches technique.
-Forces sensors check balance/evenness

Team Members

Gene Merewether

Alice Fuller

Rodrigo Menezes

Phil Oasis

Brainstorming

1. Device for determining friends’ drunkenness by making them perform motor tasks and gauging their responsiveness
   1. decreased respiratory rate – breath sensor
   2. loss of balance – stand on one foot, sense movement of person holding it
   3. slurred speech – record speech….
   4. depressed pulse –  test pulse
   5. erratic behavior – checklist of irrational behavior friends can check off
   6. loss of fine motor control – similar to baby toy of putting shapes into the correct locations, the move the sensor along the wire without touching it, simple game
2. Baby toy to teach shapes with different shaped (polygon etc) blocks and appropriate holes for the blocks that recognize them and light up correct parts
3. LED strip from “cold” (blue) to “hot” (red) that senses proximity to a tagged object and displays appropriate colors, to help make finding your keys fun
   1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jyc3dZb2RQZjh1RVU/edit?usp=sharing
4. Transparent DJ table that allows the audience to see the DJ’s work. Ordinarily, the audience does not see the work a DJ puts in.
5. Keyboard that lights up when you are supposed to press a key. Preferably, something that can rollover an existing keyboard with a nifty interface to allow you to choose songs to play. Some implementations of this exist, but they suck.
6. a device than can test the security of rock or ice before stepping on it.
7. Device that allows you to tilt and turn your hands to control a remote control airplane or Quadcopter. Less scary/more natural for kids than a remote control
   1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jyWDFzTmZNUk93SUE/edit?usp=sharing
8. An insulin needle with instruction that project or display before/during use.
   1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jyODc3Tk52ZjM4Szg/edit?usp=sharing
9. A ring that allows you to control your iPhone or mobile phone. Has a digital display that allows you to see your current song or text so you don’t have to pull it out. Essentially, the Pebble watch, but as a ring.
10. massage display that projects lights onto the persons back indicating where and with what pressure to massage the person.
11. A robot that plays ping pong. Instant ping pong partner.
12. ring that integrates with google calendar/phone/blackboard and lights up as a reminder
13. Cup with automatic drink instructions, and maybe shake/stir mechanism.
    1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jydWtXakVURXcyeFU/edit?usp=sharing
14. Opera/Movie glasses that display the subtitles and allow you to zoom in and out. Some people love subtitles, other hate them and this would solve that problem so both people can watch.
    1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jyUFFCajF4TG9IT3c/edit?usp=sharing
15. A clipboard that digitizes notes.
16. A device that a choreographer could use. First walk around the perimeter of the room to set the spacal place, it will then record the spatial locations of the choreographer as he/she moves, allowing them to look back at a recording of the movement patterns they made.
17. A bag that will measure the weight of its contents. Memorizes previous weights and will tell you if you forgot something.
18. A RFID pin that you can easily put on important objects that allows a bag or container to determine if you’ve forgotten to bring something.
19. Shoes for elderly people to keep them from tripping. They have ultrasonic range-finders on them that see upcoming objects and start a cell-phone vibrate motor in the shoe to alert the operator
    1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jyZkxJS21xZzk1WDA/edit?usp=sharing
20. a coffee cup that indicates the temperature of the contents, preventing people from burning their tongues or taking a sip of cold gross coffee.
21. A sensor connected to your legs that can sense if you ACl or achilles tendon is about to break and it will indicate that you need to stop exercising and stretch
22. Connect a telephone to an elderly person’s hearing aid that turns on and calls the ambulance when an impact is sensed in the hearing aid.
23. Jigsaw puzzles that allow you to change the background as you’d like.
24. A training racket or watch that critiques your tennis/squash swing.
25. A silent training violin
26. Watch that measures pulse and motion and determines the right time in your sleep cycle to wake you up
27. A belt of shirt that can help correct your posture helping to prevent back injuries and promote proper form while working out. It could send signals to your ipad or something to show what corrections need to be made to your posture.
28. A coin that is needed to unlock your phone, like a physical key.
29. A way to unlock your phone using a 3-D signature.
30. A training flute that lights up when you need to press a note.
31. A pen which digitizes what you’re writing, as you’re writing it
32. A baseball or tennis ball that gives you information about its trajectory and path
33. A fencing sword that shows how fast/bent the sword got in a bout and other information.
34. Assisted driving gloves for the deaf that vibrate the hand that is in the direction of the next turn more as the turn approaches
35. A device in a refrigerator that will text you when food is rotting.
36. A toothbrush that glows if it goes over an area in your mouth that you should brush more.
37. Multi-purpose two factor authentication apps. Authentication apps are becoming increasingly common on the app store for different services (GMail, etc.) and it would be useful to have one that is tied to your identity, so services only ask you to use one app.
38. Building off of 16, a set of joint position sensing sleeves for knees, elbows, etc that remember body positions of dancers, martial artists, performers etc throughout a piece
39. A clock that tracks and plots your sleeping habits
40. A pillow or blanket that senses the occupants body temperature and adjusts its heat so as to optimise the person’s temperature. It could track the information and allow you to look back at the data. It will always be the cold side of the pillow.
41. Similar to 14, a collaborative movie watching experience where people can post stuff on another screen next to the TV so people (especially parents/younger siblings) don’t talk to ask questions about plot etc.
42. A scanner which you upload your grocery list to, and removes them from the list as you then scan items that you get
43. Shoes that measure your gait and critiques it/helps it.
    1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XMC9ryo5M5R1FiaXBvQk5PdDQ/edit?usp=sharing
44. A training drum kit that glows with the beat and tells you how off you are. Or something you can add to a drum kit that does this.
45. Automatic gavel for a meeting. If it gets too loud, it will gavel automatically.
    1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jyZ2Z4VEd5ZmVJams/edit?usp=sharing
46. Stethoscope for taking a patient’s pulse/blood pressure in loud environments that changes the brightness of lights based on sound level in the earpieces
47. A soccer ball that detects when it has crossed a line, and lights up to indicate that
48. A watch that if you lick it will let you know if you are dehydrated.
49. Game controllers that make it harder to play if you’re winning, and easier if you’re losing
50. A heat resistant temperature sensor that changes color based on the temperature of the object it is touching
51. A bar that has weight sensors under each of the bottles. It can tell you how much you have left of everything and it automatically gives inventory metrics.
52. Electronic labels for stores that allow you to change prices throughout the day. Comes with inventory software so you can code how the prices change with how much quantity is left.
53. A ring or other object that monitors a stock price and changes colors unobtrusively to indicate price changes so you can look during a meeting
54. A breadboard that lights up with instructions when you input a wiring diagram
55. Attachment for the phone that can analyze blood in different ways – insulin, oxygen content, disease, etc.
56. A watch that will not let you fall asleep. Detects drowsiness and gives the wearer and nice shock.
57. Digital chips that let you spatially organize emails or texts
    1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4_S-8qAp4jyZUlEb0tYMEZSZGM/edit?usp=sharing
58. Headphones that sense when you’ve fallen asleep, and can be used for noise cancelling or to wake you up after a fixed amount of time
59. An interface to flip through ebooks using a kinect.
60. A coatrack that tells you which coat you should wear today via a light up hanger / that gives you metrics on which clothes you use and which ones you don’t.
61. A laundry bag that texts you when it is full
62. Building on 60, an automatic coat checker! No humans required, very efficient and secure.
63. Kinect application to sort through emails spatially
64. A digital chip and map based application which gives you streetview or a picture from where you put the chip

Project Choice

We will be building a pressure-sensing insole for running shoes. We will place several force sensors on the footbed, and use the output to coach runners on proper gait. It is common for runners to require additional weight or support on either the inside of the sole or the outside of the sole. This project could be used in shoe stores to allow vendors to advise potential customers on the best type of shoes to wear.  Currently, in order to get gait analysis, you must go to a specialty running store, which will videotape you while running in order to analyze which parts of your feet hit the ground first.  With a pressure-sensing insole, this analysis can be done much more accurately, allowing runners to select insoles or shoes which best suit their gait.  Furthermore, the inclusion of live feedback would allow a runner to dynamically modify their running technique to best use energy.

We picked our idea because we have a specific user type, helping us narrow down the idea. Also, we felt it was the right scope for our group project. We also believe that starting simple is a good goal and the potential expansions to different areas are intriguing. This could also turn into a balance trainer using vibrating motors to give feedback on balance, for example.

We also think that there are a lot of directions to expand from this project – we can expand to other sensors in the leg and provide deeper diagnostics. We’re interested in making an intuitive user interface for people not experienced with computers. Presenting the collected data in an easy-to-understand way will also be a challenge. Existing solutions have a complex and unfriendly user interface that isn’t attractive to less computer-savvy users.

Detailed Description

Target User Group

Our target user group is employees and customers of Princeton Running Company, who we will have access to through in-store visits. Customers want to compare different models of shoes during a short in-store experience. They hope to find a pair of shoes that will be healthy for their feet. Customers also enjoy involving technology, and will enjoy the experience of “seeing” comfort or discomfort. Employees want to show their expertise to help put the customer at ease, and give the customer additional basis for making their decision.

As well, we may test the device with students using treadmills in Stevens Fitness Center, or with trainers associated with Varsity teams. Princeton students love analyzing things, and so will like making their run more comfortable with technology. Trainers will appreciate being able to visually demonstrate to their athletes when they are running.

Problem Description and Context

The employees of the Princeton Running Company will want a product that will help them sell shoes and be a trusted company. To do this they will need a product that is accurate so that customers leave happy. They will need something that does data analysis quickly so that the client does not need to have any extra wait time. They will want something aesthetically pleasing and easy to use so that they can quickly understand how to use it as well have something that the customer will want to look at. The customer will want something that feels comfortable and does not affect the way they run. They will want a visual result that they can easily understand so that feel that they are learning something about how they run as well as have trust in what the employee is telling them.

Trainers are likely to have similar desires as the store employee, but they will be more focused and accurate and in depth results. If they are actually trying to help improve an athletes running style or figure out what areas of the body the athlete need to strengthen they will need a very clear look of the precise areas that are receiving pressure. They might also want a comparative diagram or color system that shows how different the athletes pressure dispersion is from where it should be.

It is difficult to analyze gait and running form in a quantitative manner. This problem arises in many different scenarios: coaches looking to advise their athletes, shoe store customers looking for shoes with the right support, and doctors looking to provide more information to physical therapy patients. Many solutions to this problem still involve videotaping, which is inexact and inaccurate. Some products have recently entered the market with pressure sensor soles, such as the Tekscan F-Scan In-Shoe Plantar Pressure Mapping System, but it remains a largely unsolved problem for everyday use. Also, this system does not allow handheld/portable feedback, which would allow easy integration into sports.

The best possible scenario is to allow the system to provide easy-to-understand instant feedback. Hopefully, this would allow the user to play with the device and associate how different movements put pressure on their feet on the fly. It would also allow vendors to allow customers to A/B test shoes and make the system require less effort to use.

Appropriate Technology Platform

We are planning on making an Arduino-based system. The primary hardware element of the our project is pressure sensors, which can be easily linked to an Arduino. The data from Arduino can be easily read into a system and we can choose from a variety of different platforms to show data.  Because of the small form factor of the Arduino and associated parts, we envision the prototype including an ankle strap to hold those components.

Ideally, this would be able to provide live feedback to the user as they were running.  This would have the benefit of allowing the user to dynamically adjust their running style.  While this would be technically difficult, it might introduce another use for the product by allowing the user to change their gait mid-run and use less energy.  However, in order for this to be a viable product in that sense, it might be necessary to manufacture multiple models of insoles with different types of support.  This idea would add another level of complexity, but would also allow the insoles to be worn on a regular basis.

We envision that the greatest benefit of the product would be in post-run analysis.  The pressure sensors could act as a sort of pedometer, and help judge when new shoes are required.  Furthermore, after a run, the user could receive feedback on how their running style changed as they tired, and on what types of shoes they should purchase for running.  While these reports may seem trivial, they would help runners reduce injuries and accurately select shoes that best fit their running style.

Photos

Product in Use:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XMC9ryo5M5MVY1NmFwRy01WHM/edit?usp=sharing

Sensor Layout:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XMC9ryo5M5bkt1ZEVveklYNEk/edit?usp=sharing

Display Watch:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XMC9ryo5M5NFVZWGpOWFgxODg/edit?usp=sharing

Evan Strasnick, Xin Yang Yak, Jacob Simon, Joseph Bolling

Brainstorming!

1. Dielectric stimulation – Choreography is hard to communicate and record, teach it to people by stimulating their bodies
2. For anyone attempting to hobbies, sports, or arts requiring tacit skills (e.g. skiing), a helmet could record the motions and perspectives of the master, and then the apprentice could have this perspective played back for them as they attempt the motions.
3. Dynamically adapting screen that uses eye tracking to take advantage of foveal resolution / peripheral resolution and thereby optimize resources and space.
4. Glasses or some form of headpiece that tracks direction of gaze to turn on lights only where a person is currently looking, to conserve energy (or just a cool social experiment)
5. Bad habits tracker: a basic app combined with select hardware pieces could allow users to select their personal bad habits and collect statistics on how often they occur, as well as give advice (teeth-grinding, snoring, stuttering, etc.).
6. A patch containing a variety of flex sensors could be applied to any of a number of target areas on patients with bad posture, helping to remind them with simple vibration when they sink into unhealthy positions.
7. A flex-sensor based device to be placed on the neck, that stimulates (vibration, dielectric, etc.) students with a tendency to fall asleep during class.
8. Speech recognition software that reads the users lips (and applies predictive software) instead of listening to an audio stream would allow users in public locations to have text-to-speech input without having to speak to their computer, or could serve as an enhancement to existing audio-based software, or could serve as input for disabled/blind patients.
9. Door that is gesture-triggered, not just motion-triggered – automatic doors often open even when passersby don’t intend to pass through the door; this could be fixed with a more nuanced interface
10. An automatic toilet that will never flush while you’re still using it. (heat or pressure sensors)
11. Integrating an accelerometer component into a watch or wedding ring, allowing users to respond to common prompts instantly and effortlessly (answering/rejecting calls, turning off reminders, etc.)
12. An alarm that wakes you up using gradually increasing light rather than sound. This not only allows users to wake up more naturally and peacefully, but does not disturb neighbors/roommates.
13. Track REM periods through eyelids to monitor quality and duration of sleep states.
14. For anyone who wishes to check time discreetly during class, work, a meeting, etc: a ring, bracelet or other touch-controlled item that can signal with vibrations
15. Sensors (pressure sensors, proximity sensors) that can be placed around the house to automate the tasks a user must perform in various locations (e.g. turn off lights when pressure in bed registered after a certain time, open blinds by stepping in front of them, etc.)
16. A device which monitors basic physiological readings (blood pressure, heart rate), and activates severity-determined anxiety prevention steps (from helpful text messages to emergency personnel alerts) to help patients with phobias
17. 3D TV must be viewed from a specific angle to reach the full effect. We propose glasses that use accelerometers or eye tracking to constantly adjust the TV to the correct viewing angle in real time.
18. Playing cards visible only to players – each player wears glasses which overlay images on specialized cards currently being held in front of them; other players are not shown these images.
19. Splitscreen multiplayer that is player-specific, hides other player’s screen
20. A TV which allows family members to view different channels or programs at the same time, using polarized light and viewing glasses for example.
21. For improved hygiene in public restrooms, an intelligent toilet that automatically raises or lowers its seat depending on user intention (penis identifier).
22. Making it easier to observe shabbat by automating common tasks using passive proximity technology.
23. New types of trackpads which can distinguish and recognize individual fingers for advanced gestures – Modern trackpads are very accurate, but cannot identify which finger is being used; doing so would allow for much more nuanced interactions, shortcuts, etc. with a computer.
24. Car safety (warning if you don’t check your mirrors and blind spots) – eye tracking software could be used to train new drivers to check their blindspots, one of the harder things to learn when driving.
25. Phone mouse using visual and accelerometer input – The camera on a modern smartphone could be used with accelerometer data to let users accurately pan onscreen by moving their phone.
26. Actively heated clothing – Clothing that is actively heated by warmed fluids or another mechanism would maintain body temperature in extremities during winter without adding too much bulk, and could be made smart through temperature sensors and shiver-detection.
27. Study space noise tracker – It’s difficult to know which public spaces on campus are being used as social areas and which are available for quiet study at any given moment; this could be fixed with noise sensors and a web application.
28. Dance-based music selection – We could solve the problem of poor party DJ-ing with a system that recognized the dances different dancers are performing and selects songs accordingly.
29. Dance-controlled music synthesizer – The improvised dance performance is vastly improved by live musicians.  This device would produce a similar conversation between dancer and musician without the inconvenience of finding a live musician.
30. Anti static phone charger – Harvesting the static electricity that builds up in clothing during winter could help charge small devices and solve a major annoyance.
31. People who like to do gardening recreationally may not know what kinds of plants their garden soil/climate is suitable for. A device that monitors the soil and climate condition can help the planter figure out what types of plants are likely to do well in the garden.
32. Dental sensors in dentures/retainers – Basic dental diagnostics such as bacterial populations, enamel health, and tooth position could be assessed using devices implanted in dentures and retainers
33. Text input for severely disabled patients by touching their tongue to their teeth using a specialized retainer.
34. A toothbrush that maps out where users reach (and don’t reach) while brushing, allowing them to improve their brushing habits and dental hygiene.
35. Audiovisual recording buffer device – Allows you to retroactively record moments in your life or lecture by keeping a running buffer of the last few minutes. Allows users to never miss out on a moment of accidental hilarity, without the storage restraints of constantly recording the entire day
36. Improve bad handwriting with a pen that actively corrects its user with counterbalanced weights.
37. In some sports, it’s easier to spot bad form if you can see yourself in third-person view. Goggles that allow the athlete to see him/herself in third person while performing the action during athletic training might help to improve form.
38. Monitoring the food that is being baked in the oven currently requires one to open the oven, but this reduces the oven temperature and requires that the chef always be nearby and alert. An oven camera which streams to a smartphone would allow constant monitoring without interfering with the baking.
39. Smart microwave oven that both scans barcode of food and figures out how long to cook it, and also adjusts the microwaving plate using pressure sensors to always center food to cook evenly.
40. It’s a hassle for hikers/athletes/patients who need to stick to a hydration plan to keep track of their fluid intake. A water bottle that tells you how much to drink would help.
41. CPR instructor necklace/tattoo – A device worn by populations at risk for cardiac arrest could indicate to untrained rescuers how and where to apply chest compressions for CPR.
42. Phone EKG patch/heart monitor – People could keep continuous track of their cardiac health by wearing small electrode devices that would communicate warnings to a cellphone or other handheld interface.
43. Weight-lifting sensor gloves – Gloves with built in pressure sensors and accelerometers could track and deliver statistics on how much work is being done with each arm, to allow weightlifters to more accurately exercise their muscles.
44. Customer heatmap for stores/attractions – A manager could track which areas or displays experience the most traffic by using pressure sensors or infrared cameras, and adjust product locations and inventory appropriately.
45. Diagnostic toilet with fluid and fiber recommendations (tracks volume, frequency, and possibly chemical content)
46. Eyeglasses that not only darken in bright light, but can accurately adjust to any desired level of light (using a liquid crystal layer, for example).
47. Ctrl + F for physical books: so that a user could instantly find parts of a book, a piece of hardware with an equipped camera would be adjusted to rapidly flip through the pages of a book and photograph each one, using text-recognition software to compile a digital version within minutes.
48. Kinect phantom limb therapy – Kinect could be used to display missing body parts in the mirror image of a user, helping ease phantom limb pain.
49. “Intelligent mirror” – Kinect system + screen would allow users to virtually try on all of the clothes in a store’s inventory  
50. Kinect-based application that allows the user to turn their entire body into a musical instrument – e.g. control volume by opening mouth while playing out pitches with arm position – but user could select which parts of their body they wanted to control which elements of the music.
51. Sonar glove (or infrared glove) – a glove which emits and records a high-frequency sound (or infrared beam), indicating the distance from an obstacle via vibrations and allowing blind users to detect obstacles in front of them.

After much discussion, we finally decided upon idea #51, the “sonar-glove” (which may or may not actually employ sonar!) First and foremost, we believed that it would be a product that could completely change the way that the user base (the visually handicapped) faces its daily problems. By being something as inconspicuous as a glove, it would serve the same basic goal as a cane, but would draw much less attention and be far more convenient. By offering an analog scale of vibration frequency, users could know exactly how far away they were from an object, and if they wanted, they could even use more than one in order to scan even greater regions of space around them. Another advantage to this system is its design flexibility. While the idea was originally proposed as a glove, the same system could take the form of a more conventional cane (allowing the propioceptive benefits of this more standard approach), or even be embedded in the users shoes. Similarly, we began by thinking in terms of sonar, but have already begun discussing the advantages and disadvantages of other approaches (i.e. infrared beams). We believe that this idea will allow us to make the most of the experience of iterative design, while realistically culminating in the creation of a prototype that could be nothing short of miraculous for its users.

Target User Group: Our main target user group is the blind and visually handicapped. Of course, there are many other possible applications for this technology (working in dark spaces, assisting patients recovering from eye surgery, etc.), but the blind face daily challenges that make even the most basic of tasks frustrating, not the least of which is simply navigating their environment. As evidenced by the fact that multiple coping strategies already exist (canes, seeing-eye dogs, etc.), safely traversing the world is a demanding task for the visually handicapped – one we believe would be much alleviated by constantly being able to sense the distance of obstacles. Of course, while this is a user group which is not terribly common on Princeton’s campus, we believe it would be perfectly feasible to get user feedback by reaching out to hospitals, assisted-living homes, or other members in the nearby community. We believe it is important for users who actually understand the struggles of a visual handicap to test the system, so we will not simply allow testing to consist of “closing one’s eyes.”

Problem Description: The visually handicapped often use canes or other aids in order to walk about without fear of tripping or walking into an unseen obstacle.  While effective, the cane provides a limited amount of information-the device does not alert the user to an obstruction until they are within a few feet of it, and the information refresh rate of the cane is limited by the speed with which the user can physically sweep it.  What’s more, the cane is noisy and physically intrusive, and can become entangled in objects or other pedestrians.  Our glove would serve instead of or in addition to a cane, and would provide more information while being less

Technical platform: Our technological platform of choice is the Arduino. We chose this because our device needs to be portable and needs to be able to make use of input from the proximity sensors and to control the vibration motors on the glove. It also does not require much computational power. The Arduino would also make it easier for us to quickly iterate on technical parameters of the device such as the sensitivity of the proximity detectors or the intensity of the vibration motors to provide the optimal user experience.

Group name: %eiip (everything in its place)
Bonnie Eisenman (bmeisenm), Valya Barboy (vbarboy), Erica Portnoy (eportnoy), Mario Alvarez (mmcgil)

Brainstorming list

1. Paper that can erase itself, keep track of changes
2. Paper with real-life version control, you can revert it to a previous state, and it includes backups
3. Real life version control for room, clothes, etc. organization
4. Cheap projector for when you can’t alter your surfaces (for decoration)
5. A bookshelf that keeps track of the books on it by using smart book covers or stickers in the books
   

   Sketch of smart bookshelf

6. Self-adjusting exoskeleton for people who have to stand up for long periods of time (for under your clothes)
7. A screen position optimized for a person laying down in bed
8. A real-time translator that strips your speech of mean comments and makes them nice
9. Clothing or gloves embedded with sound sensors to facilitate echolocation
   

   Sketch of echolocation clothing

10. Material-free umbrella that repels water using air blowing, possibly.
11. Clothing that generates electricity from movement and recharges batteries
12. Hackable clothing that converts energy from motion into changing designs (for fashion options)
13. A machine that helps you duplicate (scan and print) books licensed under creative commons (or public domain)
14. Sleep cycle alarm but not based on phone being in your bed; preferably attached to your body
    

    Sketch of sleep cycle alarm

15. Conductive clothing that generates electricity for keeping you warm
    

    Sketch of conductive warming clothing

16. Real-time autotuning for vocal cords
17. EZ-pass for real life: getting into dining halls, or even concerts, etc: a system that scans your ID automagically and also photographs people whose IDs aren’t working
    

    Sketch of EZ-pass for people

18. Rigorous rock band vocals where it tells you if you do something wrong, and helps out when you’re doing it wrong (for vocal training)
19. Theatre lighting board user interface; automating; virtual stage
20. Hair cutting machine like in chitty chitty bang bang
21. Pockets or bags that keep track of what’s in them
    

    Sketch of smart bag

22. 3D printing for clothing
23. Smart binder that scans and keeps track of the papers in it, or automatically digitizes them → integrate web and paper → e-ink on binders (you could display the syllabus and everything else)
    

    Sketch of smart binder

24. Hoods with heaters so you don’t look like a criminal while keeping warm in the winter, or other invisible heated clothing (for face)
25. Prox or other chip required to open laundry door in order to prevent theft.
26. Robots that automatically declog the hair from your drain.
27. Plant that notifies you when the soil is dry
28. Litterbox that alerts you when it needs to be cleaned
29. A way to alert you when you’re grinding your teeth — a cover for your molar that vibrates etc when you grind your teeth?
30. Portable gas chromatographer–mass spectrometer for detecting allergens in air and food
31. Flex sensors in gloves to determine how often you’re clenching fists / are stressed, and tell your doctor
32. Ping pong balls that record their speeds
33. Smart ping pong table that tells you if it’s in bounds
34. Chessboards that highlight good next possible moves for teaching
35. Cheap nighttime illumination: sticker with light sensor and LED for dark glow
36. Convert human body language to text or visual information that can be sent during electronic remote conversation
37. Force human hand muscle contraction or flex sensors and motors in a glove to teach sign language
38. Force human hand muscle contraction or flex sensors and motors in a glove to teach kids to write
39. Portable self-inflicted electroshock conditioning for improving learning speed
40. A gestural interface for manipulation of 3D models.
41. 3-D mouse for manipulating 3-D models, etc. → possibly using a cube with viscous liquid, or a device with an accelerometer, or hacking an optical mouse (preferably that also works in 3D)
42. Curtains / blinds that open and close based on incoming light and normal use patterns (like the Nest does for temperature – save on lighting, help temperature like Icahn)
    

    Sketch of automatic blinds

43. Throwing teacher: sensor on object being thrown, calculate what to fix, and inform the thrower. Like frisbee, football.
44. Smart clothes that inform you when they don’t match
45. RemberRings – small (wearable!) rings that you can use to record to-dos; press a button to record an idea or play back the recording
46. GPS + FLORA: embed a GPS in your doggie sweater, so you can keep track of your dog via GPS instead of implanting a microchip, since that freaks some people out. Or, you know, secretly put one in your kid’s jacket.
47. Auto-sensing LifeAlert: like LifeAlert, a necklace you wear, but this one measures your pulse, and alerts your doctor and / or family if your heart stops?
48. Wearable GPS: tracks your location, points or nudges you in correct direction for your destination. Could be a bracelet, ring, etc.
49. Universal car remote to start car and turn on heat
50. Bike lock that sabotages bike if you dont unlock it (less bulky than a normal lock, hopefully)
51. Wine bottle reusable cork that determines if wine has gone bad (oxygenation sensor?)
52. “Windshield wipers” for automatically and quickly erasing chalkboards/whiteboards during a lecture
53. A programmable teapot that has the hot water ready for you, based on the time you’ve set your alarm for in the morning.
54. A camera that gets facial expressions of kids in classrooms and somehow alerts teacher when class is confused, bored, etc, so that they can adjust speed

Project choice: Biblio-File

To choose our idea, we each picked two ideas from the list, compiled them into a short list, and we cast three votes (indicated by *) each amongst these top 8 ideas (bookshelf****, echolocation***, automatic blinds*, smart binder *, smart bags *, real life EZ pass*, sleep cycle alarm, self-warming clothing*). We chose to implement a bookshelf that keeps track of the books in it. It is an example of embedded computing as it is based around physical books and the shelves they are on, although we may choose to incorporate an application in addition. It addresses a real-world problem, as it addresses the problem of locating, organizing, and keeping track of books, although the problem really extends to physical objects in general. As elucidated below, it has a specific target group of users. We feel that we can create a prototype between now and May, on a relatively limited budget. Many of our other ideas were too large in scope, did not address a problem that we felt actually existed, or simply did not excite us as much.

Target user group

Our target user is a person who owns a lot of books and ideally has some disposable income. Let’s call our target user Jane. She in a sixty-year-old professional with a large book collection, somewhere between 20 and 500 books, and a voracious reader. She has a bit of arthritis and hates searching for books on her bookshelf. She needs to find books quickly, and doesn’t want to waste time micromanaging and organizing her book collection. She also hates “losing” books that she already owns because she can’t be bothered to search through all of her books. We are not really concerned with libraries, which have specific and perhaps idiosyncratic needs, or book collectors, who may be unwilling to modify their books.

Jane, an elderly voracious reader

Problem description and context

Imagine a person with lots of books. It could be a college student, a professor, a senior citizen, and/or a bibliophile. When the user goes to look for a specific book, it might be time-consuming and very difficult to find. The user might have to bend over, look in the same place multiple times, or even fail to find it. He might not remember whether he put this particular book on his bookshelf at home or in his office. Maybe he lent this book to a friend, and doesn’t even currently have it. The consumer does not really have the time to reorganize his books, and cannot remember where he put what. Our bookshelf would solve these problems by remembering the books that are in it, as well as where on the bookshelf they are, and allowing the user to search for a book in a given shelf. As far as we know, based on Googling the problem, no related or complementary solutions exist already.

Professor Dave, our absentminded user

Justification of the technology platform

We’ve chosen to use the Arduino microcontroller platform to implement this project. We believe the Arduino is the most appropriate because of its low cost, its ability to interface with low-level electronics (such as our indicator LEDs), and its compatibility with a wide array of sensors. This last is important because we are not yet exactly sure how we will implement sensing the locations of books, and we don’t want to limit our options. Add-ons for the Arduino enable it to have network connectivity (such as this one), which will be needed for the system to look up books based on their ISBN bar-codes. Additionally we need to create an interface for users to input information about the books they’re trying to find, so the system can help them find it. This could be a web app, a mobile app, or even a screen/keyboard built into the bookshelf unit.