Reflection

This project incorporated mechanical, electrical, software, and design elements.  While each of us presented ideas and separated the project into parts based on our strengths, the project really came together when we helped each other design and implement the parts together.

There were a number of items that would be changed in a more refined product.  Mechanically, the components would be sized appropriately, screwed into surfaces or glued on instead of being taped.  We could not obtain a rack and pinion, and we did not have enough pulleys and rollers to make a high-quality conveyor belt.  Even with one servo motor, it was difficult to find an adequate pulley that fit over an available axle; we simulated a conveyor belt using two servos rotating in the same direction.  We experimented with continuous servos but found that the inconsistencies between them combined with our mechanical imprecision made open-loop coding with time delays too unreliable.

From a software perspective, it is inconvenient to test the code with mechanical components using a 15-minute timer.  We adjusted the code to have both servos rotate on a much shorter time scale to show proof of concept.  Ideally, the overall product would be externally wireless.  Perhaps multiple reminders can be incorporated into one device using different colors with patterns whose meanings are known only to the user.