Brewmaster

Need – Like any good science, the art is in the repeatability of an experiment. Brewing remains to this day a delicious and time consuming science. Control for temperature, specific gravity, pH, fermentation stage, and time all must be managed simultaneously. Even the most detail oriented person can miss something along the way.
Objective – The Brewmaster would be able to monitor each of these variables, alerting you when one has stepped out of bounds, or when the next timed session should begin. With a web based UI, specific time and fermentation stages, temperature goals during each stage, and specific gravity and pH logs could all be created and monitored during the entire process. Brewmaster couldn’t make the beer for you, but it can record everything you need to know and alert when something doesn’t go as planned.
Requirements – The Brewmaster would require sensors for specific gravity, temperature, pH, and CO2 emissions. A microcontroller with on or off board WiFi would be required to gather and process the information as well as execute instructions for timing and fermentation stages. A noise making device would be required to alert the brewer that a new stage is ready to begin or one of the stage goals has been overstepped. A web based GUI backed by a simple database is required to facilitate the programming of the Brewmaster as well as display the information gathered during the brewing process. The Brewmaster may use a smartphone app to perform the stage programming and alerts. The whole device will need to be portable for use during the brewing stage as well as convertible such that it attaches to a standard glass carboy for the fermentation stages.

Dice Reader

Need – Tyson has a friend who is hard of seeing that plays roleplaying games with him. These games require her to roll dice and then enlist the help of the players at the table, often strangers, to help her read the dice faces. Rather than be subjected to this embarrassing assistance she will lower her face close to the dice, read: millimeters, to see the number on the dice. This is also not ideal and takes longer than asking for help.
Objective – Make an imaging device that dice are rolled on that captures what numbers were rolled and then announces those numbers through a speaker and/or displays them on an LCD screen.
Requirements – This project would require a camera array backed by a microcontroller that could recognize different types of dice and record what was rolled. It may also require an LCD display for showing numbers in a larger format as well as a speaker for outputting the numbers rolled.

#Flashy Fashion

Need – The first electrical engineering based project JP ever made was a DIY prefab kit from Fry's when he was barely a teenager. This kit was a small single line LCD Screen name tag which only required him to solder all the parts together. With the help of the team, JP would like to create his own version with an updated, larger, screen capable of being incorporated into a variety of fashion accessories.
Objective – Create a battery powered, programmable, fashion accessory capable of displaying a message or image.
Requirements – The device must remain relatively small to be incorporated into a variety of fashion accessories. It will need an LCD or LED screen capable of displaying a message or image chosen by the wearer. A UI will be needed to program the message or image with a user friendly method for transferring the program information from the computer to the device. All image processing and control of the screen will be done through a microprocessor with suitable I/O ports and internal storage.

Zombie Tag

Need – For ECE411: Practicum, students are required to make a project that has at least 1 actuator, 1 sensor, a microprocessor and a PCB. These students, like many students don’t get a lot of exercise because they spend so much time in basements working on projects and homework. They need an excuse to get out and play during breaks.
Objective – Create a game that gets students out of the basement, up and moving. This game will be a type of tag/infection game where students try to not get tagged (not become infected) until the time runs out.
Requirements – The project will require LED’s to show if the player is infected or not. It will require some sort of wireless communication that sends and receives within a close range of touch. It will need to be portable so that students can carry it. The project will also need a microcontroller to adjust its state from the wireless communication and change the display of LEDs. There will need to be a switch that can turn the device on and off as well.