Project Story
Our Team
Tasawar-Sanjar Rahman
Computer Vision and ML Engineer
- Focused on scanner app integration
- Developed machine learning-based pill classification
Thien Phong Dong
Embedded Systems and Electronics Engineer
- Responsible for BLE communication
- Implemented motor and servo control
- Handled electrical system integration
Nhan Tran
Mechanical Design and Prototyping Engineer
- Focused on DIY fabrication
- Designed mechanical structure and product details
Inspiration
The idea for this project came from a personal experience within the team. One member shared that their grandmother often forgot to take her medication on time. Despite reminders, maintaining a strict schedule was difficult, especially for elderly people managing multiple prescriptions. This highlighted a broader problem: many seniors struggle with medication adherence, which can directly affect their health and well-being.
What We Built
To address this, we designed a smart pill dispensing system that combines hardware automation with simple mobile interaction. By leveraging an ESP32-S3 with BLE communication, the system allows a mobile app to trigger precise dispensing actions. Servos are used to position the correct compartment, while a DC motor handles the physical dispensing process.
The goal was to make the system intuitive and low-effort for users — especially elderly individuals — reducing reliance on memory and manual tracking.
How We Built It
We started with a modular approach:
- BLE communication for interaction between phone and device
- Servo mechanisms for accurate positioning
- Motor driver (L298N) to control dispensing
We iterated quickly on both firmware and hardware, testing different timing values, servo angles, and mechanical alignments to ensure pills are dispensed reliably.
Challenges
- Power stability: Motors and servos introduced voltage fluctuations, requiring careful power separation and grounding
- Mechanical alignment: Ensuring pills drop correctly without jamming required multiple adjustments
- Calibration: Fine-tuning servo angles and motor timing was critical for consistent behavior
- Time constraints: As a hackathon project, balancing hardware assembly and firmware development was challenging
What We Learned
- Practical experience with embedded systems (ESP32, BLE)
- Importance of power design in hardware systems
- Iterative prototyping for mechanical + electronic integration
- Building user-focused solutions based on real-world problems
Impact
While this is a prototype, the project demonstrates how simple, affordable components can be combined to solve meaningful healthcare challenges. With further development, this system could evolve into a reliable assistive device for elderly users or patients with strict medication schedules.
Inspiration
The idea for this project came from a personal experience within the team. One member shared that their grandmother often forgot to take her medication on time. Despite reminders, maintaining a strict schedule was difficult, especially for elderly people managing multiple prescriptions. This highlighted a broader problem: many seniors struggle with medication adherence, which can directly affect their health and well-being.
What We Built
To address this, we designed a smart pill dispensing system that combines hardware automation with simple mobile interaction. By leveraging an ESP32-S3 with BLE communication, the system allows a mobile app to trigger precise dispensing actions. Servos are used to position the correct compartment, while a DC motor handles the physical dispensing process.
The goal was to make the system intuitive and low-effort for users — especially elderly individuals — reducing reliance on memory and manual tracking.
How We Built It
We started with a modular approach:
- BLE communication for interaction between phone and device
- Servo mechanisms for accurate positioning
- Motor driver (L298N) to control dispensing
We iterated quickly on both firmware and hardware, testing different timing values, servo angles, and mechanical alignments to ensure pills are dispensed reliably.
Challenges
- Power stability: Motors and servos introduced voltage fluctuations, requiring careful power separation and grounding
- Mechanical alignment: Ensuring pills drop correctly without jamming required multiple adjustments
- Calibration: Fine-tuning servo angles and motor timing was critical for consistent behavior
- Time constraints: As a hackathon project, balancing hardware assembly and firmware development was challenging
What We Learned
- Practical experience with embedded systems (ESP32, BLE)
- Importance of power design in hardware systems
- Iterative prototyping for mechanical + electronic integration
- Building user-focused solutions based on real-world problems
Impact
While this is a prototype, the project demonstrates how simple, affordable components can be combined to solve meaningful healthcare challenges. With further development, this system could evolve into a reliable assistive device for elderly users or patients with strict medication schedules.
Built With
- arduinoide
- ble
- c/c++
- esp32
- machine-learning
- mcu
- mit-app-inventor
- motor
- python
- servo
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