The sixth week of work began with our biweekly meeting with the project supervisor, during which we had the opportunity to meet the assistant professor who will also be available to support us in the next stages of development. During this meeting, the final version of the list of materials, completed the previous week, was reviewed, and the direction of the project was discussed.
It was concluded that developing a wristband for noise detection and worker alert would not be the most suitable solution. Instead, it would be preferable to develop a device to be worn at chest level.
In parallel, the team decided to abandon the idea of using an accelerometer to verify the correct positioning of the hearing protection. This decision was based on the fact that, in some industries, the use of helmets is mandatory, which significantly affects the placement of earmuffs. As a result, the team opted to use a capacitive sensor to detect proximity to the skin, thereby verifying whether the device is being properly worn.
Additionally, it was decided that the RP2040 board, initially intended to be integrated into the earmuffs, will only be required in the chest device. A new microcontroller, Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3, was therefore added to the materials list for use in the earmuffs. Other components added include an LED module, an ON/OFF switch, and a 5-way navigation button, completing the components needed for the first prototype.
The team is currently working on the first draft of the prototype’s architecture, focusing on the weight distribution and overall volume of the components, in order to ensure comfort for the user—both for the chest device and the earmuffs. Once this step is completed, development of the 3D model will begin. The printed model will then be used to house the prototype’s components.
During weeks 4 and 5, development began on a noise detection algorithm responsible for identifying elevated noise levels. A preliminary version of the algorithm is already functional, sampling audio at 16 kHz and processing data every 100 ms, which allows for near real-time monitoring. This algorithm will be used in conjunction with an LED system to alert the worker to different sound intensity levels: green for safe levels, yellow for caution, and red for dangerous levels. It will later be implemented in the chest-mounted device.
On Wednesday, two members of the team visited the factory of one of the companies we contacted during the early stages of the project. From this visit came the opportunity to, at a later stage, have one of the factory workers test the product in real working conditions—allowing us to gather real-world data and evaluate prototype performance.
The mid-program pitch deck presentation is nearly finalized and will soon be submitted for an initial review by the supervisors, allowing any necessary changes to be made.
Finally, the third group meeting is scheduled for this coming Sunday, March 30th, during which task distribution will be revised and the next development steps will be planned.
The visit to the factory of one of our partner companies opened the possibility of testing our device in a real-world environment with one of their workers using it at a later phase.
As such, the team prepared a schedule to plan these dates in advance, considering the time needed for prototype development and potential delays/unforeseen events.
