InSIGHTful Innovation
By Danny Wang and Yuan Cheng
Intermediate Category (Grades 9-10)
Innovation | Engineering and Computer Science
BCVSF Note: The required ethics forms have been submitted for this project.
In many jobs and careers, many monitor data on a daily basis, whether for the worker’s own safety or as a part of their career. We found that workers, and especially construction and farm workers, suffer injuries or illnesses that could otherwise be prevented if the worker had a way to monitor data conveniently and without disturbing their ordinary work routine.
To solve this problem, we decided to create a device that attaches to most pairs of glasses, whether prescription or sunglasses. This way, the wearer can simultaneously do whatever task they may have to perform while also viewing data that may be crucial to their wellbeing. We wanted it to be as versatile and customizable as possible. We began by building models from metal wiring and cardboard. We bought some materials from Sparkfun.com, such as the display, sensor, wires and the circuit board. We wrote all the coding and wired everything by hand. We then purchased some magnifiers meant for reading and cut them into the appropriate size and shape. After more testing, we found that the optimal number of magnifiers is three. During our project, we encountered many issues and obstacles. We managed to overcome many of them. However, weight remains a serious concern, as for the device to be convenient, a battery is needed to power the system. At the moment, the device weighs 120 grams, mostly on the battery. However, the weight on the glasses can be cut down by simply positioning the battery away from the glasses and putting it in the pockets. The device harnesses the principles of refraction to display data straight into the user’s eyes. We designed it in such a way that it is easy to assemble, requires minimum maintenance and is affordable for the average person. Additionally, the code used is Arduino, which is one of the most common types of code available and is incredibly easy to learn and work with.
NOTE: In the feature images, a grey wire is seen plugged into the device. That is purely to provide power, as the AA batteries ran out of power (after several days and nights without pause) and they would not be visible anyways because they are mounted on the underside of the box that contains the circuit board.
