Shriya Rathi
Contents
Prelude
About me
Hi, I am Shriya, currently learning Industrial Design from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology. I aspire to be a Product Designer and so I feel it is important to have learnt some basic information about electronics and technology. This thought of coming out from the comfort zone and learning science pulled me towards this course. Coming from a commerce background, I did not have good knowledge of physics. I knew I was entering the class with a blank mind hoping to learn how things work in the world of technology.
Introduction to basics
As the day started, we got introduced to the arduino software (works with C++ language) which can communicate with the arduino electronic plate and can interact with the things attached to it. To my understanding, the digital side is for the output and analog side is for the input.
Further, I looked closely to the basic things that can be attached to arduino, processed and had an outcome. We, in groups, touched our hands on LED (light emitting device), jumper wires, buzzer,LDR, bread board and played around by putting one leg on ground, one on the digital side, changing the values and getting different results. Learnt the functions of a bread board which is used for prototyping connections, potentio meter with three legs and soldering the connections. Sitting in a helped us share each other’s knowledge and mistakes.
Projects
Touch me not monster
This piece was built using arduino uno, 2 servo motors and IR sensor. Being at a learner’s stage, I was trying to understand how 2 or more than 2 sensors and motors are connected together with respect to its coding. Learnt how to solder and worked on covering the wire structure. To hide the technical part, we connected the monster’s legs to the rotating fan of the servo motor and made the body using some colourful thick threads.
ECG Meter
Instructions on how to use an ECG meter
Hardware required
- Arduino Mega
- ECG sensor board
- ECG Electrodes - 3 pieces
- ECG Electrode Connector -3.5 mm
- Power supply
- Connecting Wires
Connection of ECG sensor with Arduino- The ECG sensor comes with 9 pins. 6 pins for input connections and 5 pins to connect Electrodes. The input connections are as follows-
Board Label Pin Function Arduino Connection GND Ground GND 3.3v 3.3v Power Supply 3.3v OUTPUT Output Signal A0 LO- Leads-off Detect - 11 LO+ Leads-off Detect + 10 SDN Shutdown Not used
We already have an external cable connecting all the three parts of electrodes so we directly plug it in.
Coding- Select the arduino mega board, follow the coding and upload. Change the values according to the requirement.
Attach the 3 Electrodes to the body. Click on serial monitor to get the readings.
Insight- To join the circuit of an ECG sensor was easier than I thought. We looked up online for the reference of the connection and the code. In no time we could figure the circuit and it was working. We user tested the electrodes on the hand wrist to get the readings. The part we got stuck was to understand the reading of the ECG meter. The online manual said we needed to download different processing software to see the heart rate graphs.
Field visit
Puttenahalli Lake, Yelahanka
First visit to Puttenahalli Lake was scheduled on 7th march to collect lake water and rain water. A kit was prepared of the things we will need for the collection of water and documentation. We collected 8 different samples of water from different layers using ladle, threads, stone for weight so that the container touch the deeper layers of lake water and manually pouring it. We had to do quite a few attempts to get the desired water. While gathering the water and soil samples, we realized we have forgotten some useful things in the kit.
