Below is the contract I submitted for my Honors Project proposal.
My family's business manufactures cable assemblies, and we use bins to hold orders as they are being assembled. I would like to find out how to make a centralized system to help keep track of which order is in which bin, and to keep track of the status of each order.
I will use object-oriented programming to program at least two microcontrollers and a central host. I will use agile methods of iterative development in the evaluation and selection of hardware, languages, and libraries. I expect I will go through multiple 3-week prototyping cycles before arriving at a final design, and I will meet with the professor at the end of each cycle. I will take notes on my progress.
I will have a minimum of two small devices with e-ink displays that will show an order number and some information about the order. The devices will be able to be charged in some way when they aren’t in use (like through solar power or induction). The devices will communicate with a central host over BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) or LoRa (Long Range), and the host can update each device with new information. I will be able to push buttons on each device to update its order status. The host can also see a list of all the devices and their order information, including status. I will compile a final report based on my notes, and present my project to the class.
7 September - Meet with instructor and submit proposal; start putting together bill of materials
10 September - Order hardware from Adafruit
24 September - Have proof-of-concept code that talks to hardware; meet with instructor; order more hardware if needed
8 October - Finish code for first prototype and meet with instructor; order more hardware if needed
29 October - Finish code for second prototype and meet with instructor; order more hardware if needed
19 November - Finish code for third prototype and meet with instructor; order more hardware if needed
10 December - Finish final product and meet with instructor
13 December - Present project
14 December - Submit completion report
I will meet with my instructor at least once every 3 weeks to discuss my progress, plans, and results as my research project progresses.