Goal: create a device that will sanitize office supplies after they have been used, and can prevent the spread of disease.
How to use: place object in front of ultrasonic sensor, motor turns an oblong 3D printed piece, light turns on a few moments after sanitizing to let you know the item is ready to use!
The schematic for the circuits was created using TinkerCAD. The housing for the electronics was designed in Solidworks and 3D printed.Â
Challenges and Room for Improvement
The major challenge I encountered during this project was creating enough torque to press down on a spray bottle cap using the materials provided in a basic Arduino kit. The servo motor in the kit did not create nearly enough torque, so I swapped it for a stepper motor.
I also tested a variety of spray bottles to find a cap with lower spring strength, so less torque would be required to push it down.
However, the stepper motor still gets stuck when rotating, and does not fully press down on the cap. In the future, this can be resolved by acquiring a more powerful motor.