The goal of my project was to build a devices that could facilitate my need to study and use my time efficiently. 

When I started brainstorming ideas for my device I first began to search for a need in my academic life. At the time I was taking CTL53: a course where we studied different research proven strategies on studying and learning effectively. One of the strategies was a way to efficiently work in intervals of intensive studying and then a short break; this was called the “pomodoro” strategy. As part of our assignment for CTL53, we were required to implement the pomodoro strategy into our routine studying. I used my phone to set a 25 minute timer and when that was finished a 5 minute timer for a break. When I had to set the timer on my phone and check and see how much time I had left, I was using my attention and short term memory inefficiently. I needed a way to time and alert myself when implementing the pomodoro strategy; I needed a device.

I started my design with the metaphor on the verplank diagram: an egg timer. The egg timer is an interactive device that was similar to what I needed, but it required to much interfacing (setting the times and operating the twist control each work and break interval). I wanted to include the simplest controls available and the best way to interact the device that i could think would be to control it using an accelerometer. The physically reorienting the box instead of operating any button controls seemed like the easiest way to access different functions. The proximity sensory in lab 3 would also be an easy way to operate the device, however I couldn’t get consistent analog values from that thing so I didn’t trust it. 

My next step was to think of the other components of the Verplank Diagram and draft a state diagram. I changed my mind over the course of two weeks about a lot of things by asking questions like what controls should I use? Who is this device for, is it for my specific needs of universal needs? What should the user be able to control? Should I include battery power or should I use external power? Three days before I was meant to propose my project to David, I felt like i had answered these questions and I knew what my device was meant to do and how I should build it. After David’s feedback on my ideas and plans to build the devices, I modified that state diagram and ordered the battery and breakout board.

The next thing I began thinking about was was kind of enclosed I should build. I discussed my plans with the TAs in Room 36 and used their feedback to estimate how long the enclosure would take, how big I should make it, and what materials I should use.

After I had planned the enclosure, these are the materials and components I decided to use:

The goal of my project was to build a devices that could facilitate my need to study and use my time efficiently. 

When I started brainstorming ideas for my device I first began to search for a need in my academic life. At the time I was taking CTL53: a course where we studied different research proven strategies on studying and learning effectively. One of the strategies was a way to efficiently work in intervals of intensive studying and then a short break; this was called the “pomodoro” strategy. As part of our assignment for CTL53, we were required to implement the pomodoro strategy into our routine studying. I used my phone to set a 25 minute timer and when that was finished a 5 minute timer for a break. When I had to set the timer on my phone and check and see how much time I had left, I was using my attention and short term memory inefficiently. I needed a way to time and alert myself when implementing the pomodoro strategy; I needed a device.

I started my design with the metaphor on the verplank diagram: an egg timer. The egg timer is an interactive device that was similar to what I needed, but it required to much interfacing (setting the times and operating the twist control each work and break interval). I wanted to include the simplest controls available and the best way to interact the device that i could think would be to control it using an accelerometer. The physically reorienting the box instead of operating any button controls seemed like the easiest way to access different functions. The proximity sensory in lab 3 would also be an easy way to operate the device, however I couldn’t get consistent analog values from that thing so I didn’t trust it. 

My next step was to think of the other components of the Verplank Diagram and draft a state diagram. I changed my mind over the course of two weeks about a lot of things by asking questions like what controls should I use? Who is this device for, is it for my specific needs of universal needs? What should the user be able to control? Should I include battery power or should I use external power? Three days before I was meant to propose my project to David, I felt like i had answered these questions and I knew what my device was meant to do and how I should build it. After David’s feedback on my ideas and plans to build the devices, I modified that state diagram and ordered the battery and breakout board.

The next thing I began thinking about was was kind of enclosed I should build. I discussed my plans with the TAs in Room 36 and used their feedback to estimate how long the enclosure would take, how big I should make it, and what materials I should use 

To laser cut the faces of the two displays  into one of the 3.5x3.5 wooden pieces I measured the displays using digital calipers. 

Nokia display: 40mm x 34mm

LCM display: 24.55mm x 71.30mm

The vertical space between the displays is ≈13.75mm 

(the displays are mounted on female breakaway headers that flex and the level position is approximately 13.5-14mm)

The distance between the tops of PCBs on the two displays is ≈81.5mm

After I had planned the size of the enclosure, these are the components I decided to use:

Battery

https://www.adafruit.com/products/258

34mm x 62mm x 5mm / 1.3" x 2.4" x 0.2"

1200mAh at 3.7V

23g

Microcontroller

https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/arduinoBoardMicro

48 mm x 18 mm

13g

Charger

https://www.adafruit.com/products/1904

21mm x 19mm x 2mm

2g

Audio Encoder

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11684

38 x 44.5mm

5g

Display

http://www.wvshare.com/product/LCD1602-blue.htm

24 g

80 x 36 x 12.5

Speaker

http://www.jameco.com/1/1/25741-fe200cwp-round-ferrite-speaker-paper-diaphragm.html

50mm x 18

34g

Things I should have done:

1. I should have flipped the orientation of the perf board with the components and only made wire connections on the side with the components and only solder on the opposite side.
2. I should have implemented a step up between the breakout board and the Arduino so that the 5v output was fully functional.