Weekly Update #9: Project Check

There was not much done in lab this week as this lab was spent tweaking things for the project check.

The results of the check has shown us that we need to put in code to filter the ECG signals and read and display heartbeats per minute of the user on the device. We also need to put together a presentation for week 10.

Weekly Update #8: Button and Filtering

Hello,
We hooked up the Bluetooth module again to allow the device to communicate with a smartphone or computer wirelessly. We also put a button on the device to act as a kill switch. The button currently restarts the device. We need to change this so that it just stops the functions of the device. Since this is not an integral part of the device, we aren't spending much time on it. Should it not work, it will just be left off of the final deliverable.

We worked on trying different ways to filter the signals as the sensors are not very accurate. We haven't found a way that works well enough to make us want to keep it in the program for the device. This is what most of the remaining time will be spent on with the project.

Weekly Update #7: Portability

Hi there,
In week seven's lab, we looked through more sample code to try to get a working program together. The sample code that came with the new sensor contained code for calculating peaks and troughs of a heart rate. We worked on incorporating that into our existing program.

We also decided to switch back to the sensor that straps onto both wrists and leg. While the new sensor seemed to work better in terms of signal clarity, it was too difficult to work with. The old sensor provided better mobility when it was worn and we felt more familiar with it.

We got antistatic bags this week, covered the device in them, and packaged the whole thing in a waist pack. The LCD module is mounted on the outside of the waist pack so the user can see the status of their heart rate. The way that the device is placed in the waist pack also lets the user plug it into a computer without having to open the main pocket.

In the next couple of weeks we hope to complete the program and get the device to detect abnormalities in the user's heart rate. We're also working on a presentation and the final report for week ten.

Project Timeline

Hello all, 

This post is a summary of our progress on the project so far and what we plan to do in the few weeks that remain in this term. 

Weeks 1 - 4 | Literature study and electrical design
In the first four weeks, we focused on learning about how the Arduino works and how everything connects to the Arduino board. We started plugging in all of the components into the Arduino and managed to get each piece working. This included figuring out how the Arduino outputted data from the sensors and getting it to do this through the LCD module. Most of this was done with the help of online sources which can be found in the "Tutorials and Sources" page.

Weeks 4 - 7 | Electrical design and Arduino programming
We connected the Bluetooth module to the Arduino at the end of week four and got the device to output data to a smartphone over Bluetooth connection. A new sensor was also tested out in week six. It was during this time that code was starting to be written for the device. We managed to get the device to detect when there is no heart rate, but there is not yet code for the detection of an irregular heart rate. The sample code that came with the new sensor included code for the calculation of peaks and troughs in a heart rate. We are currently working on using this code to get the device to detect an irregular heart rate. A draft of the final report was written at the end of week six and can be found in the "Reports and Documents" page.

Weeks 7 - 10 | Finishing up and writing the final report
In the last few weeks left in the term, we hope to fix up the code for the detection of irregularities in a heart rate. We also need to work on putting the device together in a way that is portable. The draft of the final report has to be adjusted to include the activities done since week six. And a presentation has to be made.

Project Budget

Hello,
This post is just going to be the breakdown of the costs of the project.

Arduino

This category consisted of only the Arduino Uno board which we are using to record and analyze data from the sensors

Sensors

The sensor used was a small pulse sensor that clips onto the user's ear. More details on this sensor can be seen on our week six blog post. We also tested out a sensor that strapped onto the user's arms and legs. Each of the sensors cost about $25, but only one was used in the final design so only one's cost was factored into the budget. 

Connectivity

We used a HC-06 Bluetooth module to allow the device to connect to smartphones and computers wirelessly. 

Peripherals

Since the main purpose of the project was to notify users of heart rate abnormalities, we needed a way to convey an alert message to a user. We used a LCD display module and a simple speaker for this. 

Miscellaneous

This category included all the wires and the breadboard used to connect all of the components. We also bought a pack of switches for the kill-switch function on the device. Since the device is meant to be carried around, we needed a rechargeable battery pack to keep the device wireless. We also got antistatic bags to protect the device when the user is wearing it. Mike's dad was kind enough to give our group a waist pack (fanny pack) to carry our device around in. 

Weekly Update #6: New Sensor

Hello all!

We got a new ECG sensor to play with this week. The new sensor can be worn on the fingertip or clipped onto someone's earlobe. The signal from the new sensor is clearer than the signals we were working with before. After connecting the new sensor, we worked on filtering the signals we got from it. The signals we got from the new sensor were erratic and all over the place at first. After we wrote code to filter the signals, the new sensor worked better than the previous one we used in terms of portability and signal clarity. We are now looking through the software that came with the new pulse sensor to find a way to calculate the peaks and troughs of the signals.

We also started writing the final report draft in lab. We hope to finish the report and have the heart monitor able to find the peaks and lows of a heart rate by the end of this week. If we have time this week, we will work on the app and get the device to detect irregularities in a user's heart rate.