ENGR 103 - Spring 2016
Freshman Engineering Design Lab
“Simulated Window with LED Daylight Matching”
Project Design Proposal
Date Submitted: April
|
Group Members Kevin Legge, kjl97@drexel.edu
Matt DeVane, mjd436@drexel.edu
Kevin Cunningham, kjc329@drexel.edu
Alexander Noce, an538@drexel.edu
Technical Advisors Dr. Eugenia Ellis, genaellis@drexel.edu
Long Nguyen, lkn25@drexel.edu
Abstract:
The purpose of this design project was to create a false window illuminated by LEDs that simulated daylight by adjusting the color of the light to match the light given off by sunlight at a given time of day. The goal of replicating natural light was to encourage healthy circadian rhythms in humans which would have been otherwise regulated by exposure to natural sunlight.
The most important technical challenges were determined to be the assembly of the frame, the wiring of the LEDs to the Arduino, and the programming of the Arduino to synchronize the LEDs with natural light and the user’s sleep cycle. These obstacles were given their own main tasks in the timeline discussed later in the paper, to allow for sufficient focus on these tasks.
The main deliverable of the project was decided to be the working window prototype, including the frame, LED circuit, and Arduino script. These functioned as a working simulation of natural light. The final deliverable for the project was assigned as the final report, concluding the project.
1 Introduction
Dark and windowless rooms have had an adverse effect on health in the same way as artificial lights that do not accurately replicate sunlight. Most lights used in buildings have been fluorescent with erratic emission spectra. The spectra have had spikes in wavelengths due to the emission spectra of the individual gases that have been used in the bulbs. This had been unlike natural sunlight, which had a smooth emission spectrum curve that shifted over the course of the day. This lack of natural light led to eye fatigue, sleep problems, and an overall disruption of circadian rhythms. LED lights had much smoother spectrum curves that mimicked natural sunlight more accurately.
The goal of this project was designed to create an illuminated “window” that simulated daylight in a room without windows or access to natural light. This goal would have been accomplished with the use of LED lights, which would have most accurately represented sunlight and allowed for an entire spectrum of color to have been emitted. The color temperature of light would have been changed over course of the day to have matched the spectrum found in daylight at the same time. An Arduino program was used to control the LEDs and matched up to their color and brightness appropriately for daylight.
The major challenges of the project were thought of to have been the construction of the window frame, the programming of an Arduino script to have matched the lights’ color temperature to daylight patterns and a human’s sleep schedule, and the integration of the Arduino software with the LED hardware. If successful, the project would have produced an illuminated glass window that accurately simulated a source of daylight by the end of the proposed timeframe.
2 Deliverables
By the end of the term, a fully operational window unit prototype would have been produced. The prototype would have included the window pane and array of LED lights connected to an Arduino, as well as an Arduino script used to control the LEDs, synchronizing their color to the emission spectrum of daylight to accurately represent natural light. The script would also brighten and dim the lights according a user’s sleep schedule. This window pane was decided to have been enclosed within a structural wooden frame. The structural frame would have had a light diffusing acrylic or polycarbonate cover. Along with the working prototype of the artificial window, a final report would have been created by the end of the design process, which would have reviewed the process taken each week in the project. This report also would have reported the findings that the project uncovered, concluding the project after the course was completed.
3 Technical Activities
The two major tasks were decided to be split between two focuses of Computer and Mechanical Engineering. The first major task with a Computer Engineering focus was chosen to be programming the LED lights using the Arduino. As a result, the Arduino system, both hardware and software, would have to be learned by the programmers. The second main task with a Mechanical Engineering focus was the design and building of the window itself, especially the frame.
3.1 Programming the LED Lights
An Arduino microcontroller was chosen as the method of controlling the color temperature of the LEDs. An Arduino would be ideal for this use because of its focus on integrating low-level software with hardware, including LEDs. The script for adjusting would involve using a system clock to keep track of time, fading the LEDs on at the user’s wakeup time, adjusting the color over the course of the day to match daylight, and fading the LEDs out at the user’s bedtime. Learning to use the Arduino would be accomplished by using the instruction booklets and sample projects that come standard with Arduino kits.
3.2 Building the Window
The design process for the artificial window and frame itself would have to be decided upon on before the window could be built. The working prototype for the window frame was decided to be made so that the diffusing window within the frame would have dimensions of 1’ by 1’ and the frame extend an extra three inches around the window itself. The frame would be made of wood siding with the diffusing sheet on the front. The LEDs would be installed with the Arduino inside the frame, facing outward through the acrylic sheet.
4 Project Timeline
The project was determined to contain seven different main focuses and tasks, as outlined in Table 1. The very first task of the project, researching the subject more thoroughly, was estimated to take the first four weeks. Included in this timeline was the materials gathering phase. The materials would be acquired as research and design progressed in order to make sure the right materials were gathered.
The second task was chosen to be learning the hardware and software of the Arduino for controlling the color temperature of the LEDs. The Arduino basics were decided to be learned during weeks two through four. The third task and fourth tasks were chosen to be run simultaneously, which included having programmed the LED lights with the Arduino and also having designed and built the frame and the window itself where the LED lights were to be placed. Both tasks were decided to have started on the third week, while the LED programming was decided to have run for five weeks while the designing and building of the window was decided to have run for only four weeks.
The final three tasks all included the final touches of the project. The fifth task was chosen to be integrating the system of LED lights as well as the Arduino into the frame of the window. This task was chosen to have started on the sixth week and was decided to have been ran for three weeks. The sixth task was decided to have been testing the window and LED system together and as well as to have been making changes to the design where flaws were noticed. This task was decided to have been started on the seventh week, and to have ran along with the system integration for three weeks. The final task, also chosen to have been started on the seventh week was the preparation and completion of the final report, a major component of the project. The report had to have been run until the end of the ten week time frame to ensure that the final project was complete and accounted for within the report.
Table 1: Proposed Timeline for the Design Project
Week
| ||||||||||
Task
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
Research and Product Purchase
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
| ||||||
Learning Arduino
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
| ||||||
Programming LEDs
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
| |||||
Mechanical Design and Build
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
| ||||||
System Integration
|
x
|
x
|
x
| |||||||
Testing
|
x
|
x
|
x
| |||||||
Final Report Preparation
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
| ||||||
5 Facilities and Resources
Materials needed for the project were decided to have been LED strips, a diffusion plate made of plastic or glass, an Arduino kit (including connecting cords and wires), and material for the frame, which included wood and nails. Ideally, wood would have been obtained from the machine shop and an Arduino would have been borrowed from the engineering department. Otherwise, materials would have to have been ordered online, as well as any electrical and circuitry components that were required in the fabrication. The construction of the prototype of the artificial window required the machine shop to have been used as an additional facility to the design lab.
6 Expertise
Here are some skills would be necessary to complete the project:
- Familiarity with Arduino hardware/software - in order to have the window run on arduino, it is necessary to know arduino and how to use it
- Computer programming experience - In order to program the lights a level of computer programming skill was necessary
- Knowledge of basic circuit theory - The LED’s are powered electrically, and to deliver power to them some skills with circuitry will be needed
- Mechanical construction - The window frame will have been built using wood, and in order to construct this, some construction skills will have been needed
Before the project, the team had some expertise in basic circuitry, computer programming, and mechanical constructions. This was a result of past experiences that would lead to the team having greater success on the project. Familiarity with the Arduino needed to be obtained, which is accounted for in the timetable. The project doesn’t call for any other specific skills in order to be effectively constructed, however, each of these are necessary to create the window by either the creator or a professional.
7 Budget
Table 2: Budget
Category
|
Projected Cost
|
16.4 ft. Variable Color Temp LEDs (Amazon)
|
$37.00
|
1 sq. ft. light diffusion sheet (ACRYLITE)
|
$17.00
|
Arduino Kit (Amazon)
|
$25.00-150.00
|
TOTAL
|
$79.00-204.00
|
7.1 LEDs
The LEDs will have to be purchased in order to be able to create the natural progression of daylight for the simulated daylight curve. Based on Amazon.com, it is expected to cost about $37. (http://www.amazon.com/LEDENET%C2%AE-2800K-7000K-Temperature-adjustable-Waterproof/dp/B00R5UR8KI)
7.2 Arduino Kit
An Arduino will be used to control the color temperature of the LEDs using software written specifically for the Arduino. The Engineering department may have some available; otherwise, they cost anywhere from $20 to $150 (Amazon price), depending on the complexity of the kit needed (more likely near the lower end).
7.3 Light Diffusion Plate
For the simulated window, the effect of light coming through a window will be achieved by diffusing the light from individual LEDs into a single glow. In order to do this, an acrylic or polycarbonate sheet can be used to diffuse the light. Initial research gives this popular sign-grade acrylic LED diffuser sheet which is priced per square foot and estimates shipping and handling to a total of ~$17.00, depending on the acrylic sheet used.
No comments:
Post a Comment