FYP2 : Week 15

Continue writing Results (Device) 

Objective : 

• To write result based on the objective of the project

• To show the device based from the development of this project

Activity: The main objective of this project is to develop a device that can detect fall signs that happen to the elderly via using accelerometer and pulse sensor. This is the result of the wearable device to detect the fall incident. The device has a box that contain  the components of this project ad a strap attached with it to be wear on the wrist. The box size is 20x6x2.5 cm which is quite compact and the angle of the box is curve and not sharp which is safe for the user. From the front of the device can be seen the battery compartment and antenna of GSM. From the left-side of the device have a cancellation button which to cancel if it a false alarm. Then, from the left-side also have a hole for buzzer sound and  Mini-B USB port for Arduino Nano. From the right-side of the device can be seen the hole for pulse sensor wire as it located under the device box. Besides, it also have on/off switch and a step-down converter. All other components was located inside the box.

Device front perspective

Left-side view of the device

Right-side view of the device

View inside of the device

The device weared on the wrist

Conclusion : This device had been developed in a quite compact size which can be wear on the elderly wrist.  This shown the main objective of this project had been achieved.

FYP2 : Week 14

Writing Second Results 
(Relationship between Heart Rate and Blood Pressure)

Objective : 

• To identify the relationship between the heart rate and blood pressure

• To continue writing chapter 4 for final project report

Activity: As this project is focusing on about blood pressure but the pulse sensor only can detect the heart rate so this is to investigate their relationship. As mentioned from heart.org, there could be variation in the relationship between the blood pressure and heart rate. If the heart rate increase, the blood pressure may also increase but the increase rate might not rise at the same rate. So, this experiment use patient monitor which used two part of it which are the pulse oximeter to measure the heart rate and non-invasive blood pressure to measure blood pressure(NIBP). Pulse oximeter need to clip the sensor on fingertip while NIBP use a cuff to measure blood pressure. The normal heart rate is from 60 to 100 heart beat per minute (bpm). Meanwhile, the normal range of blood pressure is from 120 for systolic and 80 for diastolic.Blood pressure reading unit in melimeters mercury (mmHg).

As can be seen below in Figure 1 which is the result for person 1, the heart rate is 57 which is lower than normal range of heart rate. Then, the blood pressure reading is 97/55 which 97 represent the systolic value and 55 for diastolic. This blood pressure is in low blood pressure category or known as hypotension in medical terms. The other results can be seen from Figure 2 which for person 3, the heart rate more than 100 which is higher than normal rate and the blood pressure produced in high blood pressure category or known as hypertension. The blood pressure will increases when the heart rate increases and vice versa. This shows that when heart rate lower than 60 will cause the low blood pressure and when the heart rate above 100 will produce high blood pressure category.

Figure 1 Resuls display on the patient monitor

Figure 2 Graph blood pressure versus heart rate

Conclusion : As conclusion, abnormal reading of heart rate will produce abnormal blood pressure. Fall alarm will be send out after it detect fall threshold and abnormality of blood pressure.

FYP2 : Week 13

Start writing Chapter 4

Objective : 

• To write project form the project

• To get the fall signal reading threshold from accelerometer

Activity: The main important part of this project is to get the fall accelerometer reading threshold to detect fall occur. This is to differentiate between fall with other routine activities such as walking upstairs, walking downstairs, sitting down and sitting up.. Accelerometer was attached on the wrist during the experiment.

Graph during walking upstairs

Graph during walking downstairs

Graph of sitting down

Graph of sitting up

Graph of falling

As the accellerometer have 3-axis which are X, Y and Z. The Y-axis represent vertical acceleration, X-axis is forward acceleration and Z-axis for side-away acceleration. The starting value for X and Y axis at 0 while for Y-axis at -256. Most of the activities did not give much different to the accelerometer reading except for sitting down and fall. Sitting down produced negative peak value of Y-axis meanwhile fall produced positive value of Y-axis which is 700. From all activities, Y-axis give the most differences value of changes during the activity so this project chose to only detect the Y-axis of accelerometer and set the threshold value at 700.

Conclusion : All routine activities produced different value of accelerometer output. The axis that produced the biggest changes among the three axis was Y-axis so noted that only value of teh Y-axis of accelerometer was covered in this project and the threshold for fall detection is 700 and above.

FYP2 : Week 12

Recommendation for the project

Objective : 

• To recommend for the future project

• To make sure the future project can improve the limitation of this project

Activity: During the project exhibition day last week, the assessors had give few opinion on recommendations to upgrade the project. Recommendations is a part of chapter in the final report. The first recommendation by the first assessor is to add GPS sensor which to detect the location of the elderly. This is because the elderly might go out to garden or market. Second recommendation
by second assessor is to also send message when the alert had been cancel. This is to alert that might be false alarmor the elderly did fall down but can get up by themselves after the fall occurred. Next, the device may be added with LCD as they can monitor their vital sign to keep monitor their health status. Besides, the device will have extra point if the it be connect with Internet of Thing (IoT) such as Blynk and Thinger,io which can show the data from device to the smartphone.

Conclusion : By having these recommendations can improve the project and reduce the limitation and weakness of this project. Thanks to all assessor that willing to give opinions on recomendation for the project.

FYP2 : Week 11

Final Project Exhibition

Objective : 

• To present about the project to assessor 

• To get recommendations for the project from others

Activity: Today the final year project exhibition was held. Some presenting their project at Dewan Gemilang while some of it (included myself) presented at lab. By 8 a.m. I went to to lab to setup and prepare for the presentation. However, there was a lecturer using that lab so I need move to another lab. Total of presenter at the lab is 6 person and I was the second presenter. I have got acquainted with the other presenter at the lab while waiting for the assessors come. At 9.30 a.m. , the first assessor, Dr. Muhammad Noor bin Nordin had arrived. After I had done explained about my project based on the poster, he did ask few technical question such as the frequency of GSM and he also give some situation and ask for the response of the device. Besides, he also give some recommendation for the project. The next assessor, Sir Mohd Syazwan bin Mohd Yid came at 11:45 p.m.. He did ask few questions and I had demonstrated the project. He also had gave some recommendations for the project.

Figure 1 Presentation to first assessor

Figure 2 Presentation to second assessor

Figure 3 Picture of me with poster

Conclusion : It just a relieved as the big day of this semester which is project exhibition day had went well. Some recommendations had gained from the assessors. I need to start write my final report of FYP2 without any hesitation.

FYP2 : Week 10

Project and Poster Making

Objective : 

• To ensure the device running according to the objectives of the project
• To make a poster that can represent total work for the project

Activity: There were some problem faced during all component interface. However, by having some help and discussion with my fellow friends. That's shown how important of cooperation with others. After all the project running well, I had put all of them inside a box such I had planned before this. I put them by attached them to the box using hot glue. This hot glue make they stay still in their position and make it looks neat. The full picture of device I will share after this when I write the Results and Analysis chapter.

Figure 1 Process of attaching the components to the box using hot glue

After all the device had been placed into the box, the device had tried been running to ensure it still functioning well. Then, the poster making began as the project development had been done. In the poster should have the main parts of the project which are :

1. Project background
2. Objective of the project 
3. Methodology 
4. Flowchart 
5. Results 
6. Conclusion 
7. References

All the information was taken from the report of the project that had been simplified. This is to ensure the poster is not too crowded with words that can make readers boring and do not want to read it. The first draft of my poster had been rejected by my supervisor as the colour was very contrast which could make the poster had to be read. Then I had changed the poster into pastel colours which make ready more calm when they read it. The poster need to be print in A1 size which I need to ensure that the design will not burst the quality of the poster.

Figure 2 Final poster of the project

Conclusion : I need to ensure the project functioning well during the project exhibition and the poster need to be print by tomorrow. Then, I need to do some practice to prepare myself for the project exhibition day.

FYP2 : Week 9

Interfaces of all component & design

Objective : 

• To combine all components parts and their interface for this project

• To finalize the design of the device

Activity: As there are two more weeks for the project presentation, I need to speed up in making this project. For the device sketch, i have planned to put all the components inside a box. Then, the box will be attach with a strap as it need to be wear on the wrist of the elderly. The skect of project shown in Figure 2 and 3. Then, I had finalized the circuit diagram of combination all components for this project as shown in Figure 1. All this I just combine from the parts of each component interfaces that had been done before. This are the connection pin between the Arduino Nano and all the components of the project :

Accelerometer (SDA & SCL) : A4 & A5                   

Pulse sensor : A0 

GSM (RX & TX) : A2 & A3

Alert cancelation button : A6                    

Figure 1 Circuit diagram of this project

Figure 2 Front view device sketch

Figure 3 View from side of device sketch

Conclusion : This shown the finalized design of device and circuit diagram for the project. All of this need to make it as a real device and working well right after this. Let's face the sleepless night for two more weeks.