In this final section we put SmartMilk to the test and see how well it performs.

Performance Measurements

To test how well the program performed, and how it dealt with unexpected changes in temperature, we ran SmartMilk using thresholds relative to room temperature, rather than the fridge temperature. In other words, we designed it so we could test the responsiveness without needing a to take real-time measurements of a carton of milk. To do this we ran the program and changed the temperature of the sensor probe using our hand. This meant we could see, within a reasonable amount of time, if the software indeed performed as expected.

We wanted to assess the following aspects:

• do the correct messages send, and at the right times?
• do the labels light up when certain conditions met?
• are the timers counting down and displaying properly, and are they synchronised with the messages sending?
• do the buttons respond as they should (i.e. convert temperature scale)?
• does everything reset as it should when normal conditions are met?

The link below is to a live demonstration of the software that illustrates all of these areas. SmartMilk Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HtfX8zR0hQ

Conclusions and Possible Improvements

Overall, our system responded as expected and will keep the user accurately informed.

There are, however, some areas that could be improved:

• to eliminate the delay caused by sending the messages.
• a more attractive GUI could be designed.
• custom-build our own app (e.g. Android or iOS).
• to implement the application for mobile use, to allow users to access real-time data remotely.
• according to [3], infusing pasteurised milk with nitrogen gas stunts bacterial growth and increases the shelf life of milk. Future work could combine our system with a circuit for opening a solenoid valve to release the gas into the milk when message 3 is sent. Whether one would be happy coming home to wash down a nice, warm glass of nitrogen gas-infused milk, however, is another matter...but in any case, it may be a fun DIY project nevertheless.