This robotic dispenser will tell you if you forget to take your pills
This robotic dispenser will tell you if you forget to take your pills
Arduino Team — May 23, 2023
Many types of medications (such as antidepressants like SSRIs) can have a very negative effect if not taken regularly. Even taking them a few hours late can affect a person's mood and cause physical discomfort. But remembering to take pills at the right time can be tricky - even setting an alarm isn't foolproof, as you can turn it off without taking a pill. That's why Mr. Bindhammer is building a 3D-printed robotic pill dispenser that will alert people if they forget to take their medication.
Mr. Bindhammer's design reflects his own needs: he has to take one pill in the morning and another in the evening. He suffers from bipolar disorder and missing the schedule for even a few hours can have consequences. To make sure he sticks to this schedule, this robot dispenses two pills a day and will ask for attention if Mr. Bindhammer forgets. It has 14 chambers, so Mr. Bindhammer can load a full week's worth of medication at a time for convenient long-term use.
Although the project is not yet complete, Mr. Bindhammer has completed the mechanical design and worked out most of the circuitry. The 14 chambers rest around a wheel torso turned by a continuously rotating servomotor, with a second servomotor that opens a door under the current chamber to allow a pill to fall. An Arduino Due board with a custom evasion shield - which also incorporates a DS3231 precision RTC - controls these servos and monitors a capacitive touch sensor in the base so it knows when the user is taking a pill. The Arduino will be able to provide feedback via an OLED screen and a speaker connected to a text-to-speech module. When the robot is done, these will let the Arduino display a warning and play an audio reminder if Mr. Bindhammer doesn't take a pill when he should.
Arduino Team — May 23, 2023
Many types of medications (such as antidepressants like SSRIs) can have a very negative effect if not taken regularly. Even taking them a few hours late can affect a person's mood and cause physical discomfort. But remembering to take pills at the right time can be tricky - even setting an alarm isn't foolproof, as you can turn it off without taking a pill. That's why Mr. Bindhammer is building a 3D-printed robotic pill dispenser that will alert people if they forget to take their medication.
Mr. Bindhammer's design reflects his own needs: he has to take one pill in the morning and another in the evening. He suffers from bipolar disorder and missing the schedule for even a few hours can have consequences. To make sure he sticks to this schedule, this robot dispenses two pills a day and will ask for attention if Mr. Bindhammer forgets. It has 14 chambers, so Mr. Bindhammer can load a full week's worth of medication at a time for convenient long-term use.
Although the project is not yet complete, Mr. Bindhammer has completed the mechanical design and worked out most of the circuitry. The 14 chambers rest around a wheel torso turned by a continuously rotating servomotor, with a second servomotor that opens a door under the current chamber to allow a pill to fall. An Arduino Due board with a custom evasion shield - which also incorporates a DS3231 precision RTC - controls these servos and monitors a capacitive touch sensor in the base so it knows when the user is taking a pill. The Arduino will be able to provide feedback via an OLED screen and a speaker connected to a text-to-speech module. When the robot is done, these will let the Arduino display a warning and play an audio reminder if Mr. Bindhammer doesn't take a pill when he should.
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