Breeze: Group 7

Inspiration

The Breeze team was inspired to create our smart window attachment because we could help many households save a lot of money on AC bills through the implementation of our porduct.

What it does

Breeze detects weather and temperature conditions of the inside and outside of a house. If certain conditions are reached, Breeze will either open or close windows depending on the situation.

How we built it

We built our prototype using the Arduino platform to power a linear actuator, laser-cut acrylic, temperature sensors, relays, and MOSFETs. Our MVP performs the core functions of our product, replicating the hardware and software functions on an Arduino Uno, with the limited resources and time allotted for the engineering project.

Challenges we ran into

We ran into challenges with powering the motor of the linear actuator, which we solved with a relay and voltage regulation from a wall outlet. We also spent much of our prototyping time balancing temperature sensors and manual buttons in conditional statements to determine the precedence of each one. The demonstration window provided was not structurally rigid, leading us to have to fasten it with bolts in order to attach our laser-cut mount.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

As a team, we were able to take advantage of our strengths, leading to efficient progress in each facet of our product. This delegation of tasks allowed us to spend time on our separate parts while having the time to receive and give feedback on the work of others. As a team, we were extremely lacking in our electrical engineering abilities; however, we were able to overcome those in the final prototype, building a relatively complex circuit to reverse current and supply power to a large linear actuator. Our video demonstrates our strength as a team, as we were able to all contribute through our work as greater than the sum of all parts.

What we learned

Each person in the team learned how to channel their individual strengths for the team as a whole. We learned how to communicate effectively and work as a unit while not overpowering one another. The Breeze team has grown much in terms of their sense of unity and understanding how to perform well together.

What's next for Breeze - Group 7

Breeze plans to develop new prototypes that include more of the features encompassed by the final product. The Breeze team will use IoT to connect the indoor / outdoor sensors and the Breeze box so that the installation will be wireless. In addition, our team is searching for a more reliable yet affordable alternative to the current temperature sensors, as they break easily and sometimes give incorrect readings.