Prototyping Process

How did you design and implement your initial prototype? What were the design choices? What challenges were encountered and how did you resolve them?Illustrate you initial prototype.

Implementation choice

The focus of the initial prototype was to get the functionality in place. Our team initially planned to use an FSR sensor to detect when a mail arrived, an IR sensor to detect whenever a subsequent new mail was put in the mailbox, and a neopixel to indicate the status of mail. To simulate the weight of the mail, used a pair of magnets and a spring to calibrate the FSR.

In addition to this, our team debated integrating notifications to the user when the user was in close proximity to the mailbox, but we decided against it since we wanted to move away from any type of notification on the phone. 

Design choice

In terms of the form, we created a 3D render of a wooden bowl that would act as the 'enchanted' object in the house. The idea was that we wanted to use an object that the user would see every day and the bowl was a candidate, since most users put their keys and cards in a bowl at the entrance, and the object is always in focus.