R.U.G. - "Remember Ur Goods"

togiLand
Class:Physical Computing
Professor: Carlyn Maw

A reminder device for those out in a hurry

Documentation/Media

I created a box housing the following:

  • RFID antena
  • RFID circuitry
  • Arduino micro-controller
  • Green LED
  • Red LED
  • Mini speaker

An external switch triggered the RFID to read.
If an RFID tag was within range, the green LED goes off, otherwise the red LED goes off along with the speaker buzzing.

Arduino code.

RUG assembly pictures:

Desired Design:

How it was done / more details

Trying to find a "solution" for carrying and often forgetting things in NYC, we started out with figuring out what and how people carry and forget things in the city with a quick SURVEY.

We decided to create a device that would check if all the items you want to track are with you when you leave the house.

You would tag the items you want to track with an RFID tag.

When you leave your house you would step on a RUG that would been if you did not have all the items with you.

The idea is that there is a "scan area" around the rug. If you are within the scan area AND have all of your objects, the device will turn green - good to go. If any of the objects are not with you, the device alerts you which object you forgot.

Try it out - move objects out of the scan area and then press the RUG.

Circuit Prototype:

  • A simple circuit with 2 variable potentiometers as inputs, 2 LEDs and a vibrating motor as “outputs”.
  • To use the circuit, you must squeeze the roll switch.
  • If any one of the variable pots are lower than a certain value (i.e. the object you want to track is far away), the corresponding LED will light up.
  • If all variable pots are above our “closeness” threshold, the vibrator motor will go off reassuring you that all you want to be with you is indeed with you.

SURVEY:

The following questions were asked to NYU students:

  1. Do carry the SAME BAG every day?
  2. Do you pack CAREFULLY or RANDOMLY?
  3. A bigger bag means MORE stuff for you?
  4. Do you usually FORGET things
  5. If you forget something, what do you ALWAYS forget?
  6. Do you use any METHOD to remember your things?
  7. Have you ever used any TOOL to help you remember your things?
  8. You think you carry TOO MUCH stuff?
  9. Would you like to carry LESS things is good?
  10. What are the items you MUST carry?
  11. What are items you like to carry but are NOT ESSENTIAL?

CONCLUSION/RESULTS

We all like our GADGETS:

carry4

Less IS good and we carry TOO much around! We sometimes forget things - not always. Most people NEVER used any tool to help remember things:

carry3

Books and magazines still popular. iPod could NOT have missed the list:

carry2

Never leave home without PHONE, WALLET and KEYS! Pen and paper pretty important as well:

carry

OBSERVATION:

People are always carrying bags with them, especially in NYC. They carry all kinds of bags - plastic, leather or paper bags... everyone carries a container of some sort. Usually, they carry more than one item.

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We tend to not notice people carrying bags, as opposed to iPods or Laptops, probably because bags are not something new like the electronic devices and we are used to seeing people carrying them around.

Another curious thing we observed was that right before and after women enter into the subway station, tend to be more distracted than men. They are rearranging their belongings.

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Particularly, women usually spend a lot of time trying to find something inside their bag. Usually they are looking for their MP3 player, phone, PDA, or makeup - but rarely a nail cutter or a brush.

They tend to lean to one side to keep their center of gravity. When carrying more than 3 bags, they grab the bags in one hand, and searched what they want to use with the other.

That seemed very uncomfortable.

It seems like people's habits determine what size and how many bags they carry.

Well - sex seems to determine how many bags they carry :)

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