SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Matheus Barros (EE) - Alex Gutowski (EE) - Steven Mitchell (EE) Preliminary Design Review Professor Weibo Gong Team Advisor, Senior Lecturer, ECE October 20 th, 2010 Wait Watchers

2 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Background  What is the most important aspect of the day? TIME  There are only 1,440 minutes in a day Time Management is the key to success  What if you could reduce or even eliminate waiting in line for your lunch everyday? For all of your daily errands, Bursar’s office, the barber shop, etc.? Less time wasted waiting, more time for you!

3 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Study of Blue Wall Dining Area  Studied wait times for lunch at 12:05 (high traffic) and at 12:35 (low traffic) on a Wednesday  Wait time: The time from when a student enters the food area, to when they completed paying for their items High Traffic: Low Traffic:

4 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Graphs Showing Study Data

5 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Graphs Showing Study Data

6 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Results  The 30 minute time difference resulted in reduced wait times by 7 minutes per person on average This correlates to at least 1,820 minutes more free time for you per work year!  Problem Statement: Provide a resource, such as the “Wait Watchers” website, that works with an embedded system to display wait times in order to reduce time wasted in an individuals everyday life

7 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Consent from Blue Wall  In contact with the manager of the Blue Wall café to obtain permission  Waiting on Approval from the Manager of Retail Dining Services

8 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Pro’s and Con’s Pro’s:  Decreased wait times to get food  Less crowded in the Blue Wall Café  More consistent business throughout the day for Blue Wall  Expandable technology Con’s:  Website might not be used regularly  If count is not accurate people will not use it  Blue Wall might find the system intrusive  Camera’s pose privacy problems

9 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Proposed Solution  Use a system of infrared sensors to detect people entering and exiting the Blue Wall Food Area  The sensors act with an embedded system to verify the movement is actually a person  The embedded system communicates data wirelessly to the website  The website displays the count, updated in real time, as well as projections on a lower volume time to eat

10 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Upper Level Block Diagram

11 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Sensor Functionality  Two infrared sensors positioned at entrances/exits  Placed at different distances allows user to determine patron entering or leaving  Signal sent for patron entering or leaving is wirelessly communicated to a microcontroller

12 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Microcontroller Functionality  Wirelessly receives signals sent from sensors  Keeps an active count of number of patrons inside selected area  Relays patron count wirelessly to be displayed on website Only information sent wirelessly is the count

13 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Website Functionality  Displays active count of patrons currently inside (real time)  Forecast algorithm predicts busy times and gives suggestions on best times  Records previous dates patron counts and creates business statistics  Advertising for the cooperating business

14 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Proposed Error Control  Webcam in conjunction with 2-D object sensing algorithm located at cash register keeps an active count of patrons in-line  Compares sensor count to in-line count in order to detect significant errors  Feedback loop with microcontroller adjusts the number of patrons in-line count as necessary

15 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Starting Hardware Components  2 Infrared Sensors Number varies with number of entry/exit points  Microcontroller Processor Wireless Transmitter  Feedback High Resolution Camera Processor/Laptop  Website Address Internet Connection

16 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Design Challenges  Interfaces Sensors Wireless  Comprehension of collected data Signal processing Integration  Cost  Adequate testing location Location of sensors

17 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Error Control and Data Verification  Special Use Cases A cart being pushed through the gateway Person standing non-mobile in gateway Person carrying object  Someone who leaves through a non-exit  Loss of Count Feedback Loop

18 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Proposed MDR Deliverables Working wireless IF sensors Meaningful data acquisition by Microcontroller Display data on a host computer Design required SDP project website

19 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Division of Labor  Microcontroller (software side)  Transmission of data to website  Website Design  Reception of Data  Error Control Alex: Steve:Mat:  Microcontroller (Hardware side)  Infrared Sensors

20 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Conclusion  Real-time display of head count  Prediction of lower wait times  Applications Bluewall Public administration buildings Research

21 SDP11-Team Gong-“Wait Watchers” PDR Questions? ?