1. Gathering Pertinent Information - N-Division-2019-2020-Even/Repo-06 GitHub Wiki

ENGINEERING EXPLORATION:

Engineering exploration is an interactive course which aims at the following outcomes:

  • Applying the knowledge of science and mathematics to solving real-world problems.
  • Building engineering systems using the engineering design process.
  • Better one’s communication skills and teamwork skills.
  • Project management and time management skills.

NEED STATEMENT:

Jayanthi electronics are into the business of producing indoor decorative. The customer survey report of the company shows that people get more attracted towards decorative that have intricated moving mechanisms and displays different patterns of light and colour .

ABOUT OUR APPROACH:

The team is expected to present a successful project on the given need statement. This, however, is possible only if there is a proper approach to the process. Our team decided to spend time gathering information and doing literature surveys about the given need statement. The literature survey further will transform into the actual implementation phase. So this report contains a literature survey conducted by our team.

1. INFORMATION SOURCE:

The project begins with the need statement being the only piece of information available to us. We need to gather as much information as we can to get a good grip on what the need statement is all about.

What kind of information sources are to be searched?

Wikipedia describes ‘decoratives’ as:

The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional.

So, the team decided to search for all relevant information. We visited sites like youtube, read journals and articles that were connected with our need statement. The team decided to keep a broader perspective and searched for information online.

2. EXISTING SOLUTIONS:

What are the existing solutions to the problem?

A problem or an issue that is prevalent in the present world is ought to have some existing solutions. Though these solutions might not be ideal as they could have some shortcomings, we decided to list them out so that we can take them as a reference to better our project. There are many solutions concerning the given need statement. Some prototypes display intricate designs and shapes.

3. DIY PROJECTS:

Have you gone through any DIY projects?

4. INVENTORY AND RESOURCES:

Resources are the main part of a project. Wise usage of resources is of utmost importance.

What all components & sub-components do you feel are needed for your project? List out each component with details you have found out (details can include working principle, constructions, interaction aspects)?

SL NO. COMPONENTS OR PARTS MECHANISM OR WORKING PRINCIPLE LINKS
1 Arduino Mega Arduino is an open-source microcontroller which can be programmed. Arduino mega
2 DC Motor Electrical machine which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy chassis. DC Motor
3 Servo Motor A servo motor is an actuator that allows for precise control of angular or linear position, velocity and acceleration. Servo Motor
4 Stepper Motor Motors with a special arrangement of coils that allows you to turn a fraction of a degree by sending a pulse to the motor. Stepper Motor
5 Circuit Board Base plate insulating material separated from the conductive copper foil surface layer. Circuit Board

5. SOLUTIONS:

The need statement has a few solutions that are already available in the market. Those solutions that directly link with the need statements are:

  • Airowl: A product that senses the air quality and changes lights indicating the stages of the quality of air.

  • Lightsaber: A RGB controlled lightsaber.

  • Decorative RGB lights: Simple RGB decorative light using an Arduino Nano.

  • Automatic lights: Turns on lights when approaching home.

  • LED matrix display: It displays the day of the week, month, year, time, temperature and humidity.

  • Arduino Memory Game: Memory game with LEDs.

  • Arduino Sunflower: The sunflower follows the light using a servo motor and two photoresistors.

  • Everblooming Tulip: Mechanical tulip sculpture that blooms with just gentle touch and can shine into any colour of a rainbow.

6. OBSERVATIONS:

Observe in the local market, online market, and various labs of the college and in and around your locality to find out relevant hints and ideas which can be helpful for your project. List out at least 5 such observations, for each observation give a brief description with images. Local market place includes:

  • Exploration Lab
  • Tweaklabs
  • Elekzone
  • Electronic shops

Online market place includes:

  • Amazon
  • Flipkart

7. BUDGET:

Calculate cost estimation for the existing solution.

Therefore, these were the literature surveys done by our team and our further steps have a foundation as this information.

8. LITERATURE SURVEY:

According to Wikipedia, 'mood' is defined as:

In psychology, a mood is an affective state. In contrast to emotions or feelings, moods are less specific, less intense and less likely to be provoked or instantiated by a particular stimulus or event. Moods are typically described as having either a positive or negative valence.

Mood, music and colour are often related to each other. The mood of a person can be changed using the right colours and music. It has been researched that emotions and music/colours have a correlation. An excerpt from one of the research papers.(https://www.archdaily.com/917345/what-is-healthy-lighting) shows the correlation:

When light enters our eyes it travels through two separate pathways. For a long time, scientists were aware of one pathway, the visual pathway that connects the retina to the visual cortex and helps us perceive the world around us.

Another research paper11(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00221309.1942.10544721?needAccess=true) explains how the music/ambience and the colours/aesthetics affect the mood of a person. This direct correlation prompted us to dig in for more information and explore more about this topic, ultimately leading us to the project idea.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] AirOwl
[2] Lightsaber
[3] Colour changing lights
[4] Decorative RGB lights
[5] Automatic lights
[6] LED matrix display
[7] Arduino memory game
[8] Arduino sunflower
[9] Ever blooming tulip
[10] What is healthy lighting?
[11] Studies In Synesthetic Thinking: I. Musical and Verbal Associations of Color and Mood