home-gizmos@sfuwhitmore/courses/ensc305/projects/2002/hgprop.pdf · The SmartFridge™ is an inventory management system for the home that consists of a portable bar code scanner

Home GizmosSchool of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A [email protected]

Copyright © 2002 by Home Gizmos

September 16, 2002

Dr. Andrew RawiczSchool of Engineering ScienceSimon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, British ColumbiaV5A 1S6

Re: ENSC 340 Project Proposal

Dear Dr. Rawicz:

Attached is our document, Proposal for the SmartFridge Home Inventory System, whichoutlines our project for ENSC 340. We plan to design and implement a unit that willscan in common Universal Price Codes (UPCs), in order to keep an easy and accurateinventory of items by connecting with a computer.

The purpose of this proposal is to give an overview of our product, some of the designconsiderations, our budget and funding goals, our project schedule, and the organizationof our team. This document will include alternate methods of home inventory systems,and the potential market for our system.

Home Gizmos consists of five fifth-year-engineering students, whose imagination andtechnical skills will be of great value to our project: The SmartFridge™. MichaelNelson, Alexander Dunfield, Cameron Kenny, Colin Knight, and Shaun Jackman makeup the core of Home Gizmos. If you have any questions or concerns about our proposal,please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 604-929-6611, or email our group [email protected].

Sincerely,

M. NeM. NeM. NeM. NellllsonsonsonsonMichael NelsonPresident and CEOHome Gizmos

. . . . . . . . . .

i

Proposal for the SmartFridgeHome Inventory System

Revision 1September 16, 2002

Project TeamAlex DunfieldMike NelsonCam KennyShaun JackmanColin Knight

ContactAlex [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Home GizmosProduct Proposal for the SmartFridge ™: A Home Inventory System

Copyright © 2002 by Home Gizmos ii

Executive SummaryShopping – an activity that you look forward to each week? or a nightmare that needs tooccur at some point between work, driving the kids around, cooking dinner, cleaning thehouse, and aerobics class? The modern professional is often so busy that finding time toshop is difficult, and when time is found, the disgruntled shopper is forced to gamble ashe or she is not sure of which items need to be purchased to replenish the food supply!

If you are like many others, you must be thinking there is a better way to ensure all ofyour basic needs are met without impacting an already full schedule. The SmartFridge isthe answer. The SmartFridge not only simplifies the whole shopping process but allowsyou to easily track how long that gallon of milk has been in the fridge...

The SmartFridge™ is an inventory management system for the home that consists of aportable bar code scanner and a computer program to manage your supplies. When youget back from the store with your groceries, you simply swipe the pen-like barcodescanner across the labels. The scanner stores information about the food you have justpurchased, and when it is plugged into your computer your home inventory is updated.As you consume products in your day to day life, you simply scan the empty containersand the computer will remove the product from your inventory and add the product toyour grocery list. Now you have two options:

• you can print off the grocery list and do your shopping (the cycle repeats), or• you can let the program order the goods from an online grocer and get them

delivered to your door!

No problem, no shopping, no fuss. While the Jones’ are out battling through the crowdedgrocery store, you can be at home visiting friends, playing with the kids, or even justrelaxing in front of the TV. Forget about keeping up with the Jones’ – you just left theJones behind!

Home Gizmos consists of five fifth year engineering students, collectively that’s over 20years of engineering experience! We also bring a variety of co-op experience and skills tothe company. Most importantly, we all bring our determination to see this project to itssuccessful completion.

We foresee the research and development process to span three months, ending onDecember 9th. Our budget for this process is $500.


Copyright © 2002 by Home Gizmos iii

Table of Content

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ ii1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 12. System Overview ............................................................................................................ 23. Possible Solutions ........................................................................................................... 3

3.1. Entirely Software-Based System.............................................................................. 33.2. Fixed-scanner System .............................................................................................. 33.3. Existing Portable Scanner Systems .......................................................................... 3

4. Proposed Solution ........................................................................................................... 45. Budget ............................................................................................................................. 5

5.1. Expenses................................................................................................................... 55.2. Funding..................................................................................................................... 5

6. Schedule .......................................................................................................................... 77. Team Organization.......................................................................................................... 88. Corporate Profile ............................................................................................................. 9

Home Gizmos.................................................................................................................. 9Michael Nelson ............................................................................................................... 9Alex Dunfield.................................................................................................................. 9Colin Knight.................................................................................................................... 9Shaun Jackman.............................................................................................................. 10Cameron Kenny............................................................................................................. 10

9. Conclusion..................................................................................................................... 1110. Resources .................................................................................................................... 12


Copyright © 2002 by Home Gizmos 1

1. IntroductionHow much time is spent shopping for food items? How many times have dinner plansbeen disrupted because a key ingredient has run out? If we expand our field of view tothe rest of the house, how much of our lives are spent managing the inventory of ourhousehold? Most businesses realize the necessity for a computerized inventorymanagement system, yet the idea has not migrated to the household, due in a large part tothe lack of a product marketed towards the household. The goal of our company is toproduce an inventory system with low cost, portability, and ease of use that would makeit suitable for home usage. Our first product will be the Smart Fridge, tailored to themanagement of food items, and from this initial prototype we have the possibility toextend the concept to the production of a system to manage virtually all home and home-office inventory needs.

The SmartFridge™ system will consist of a hand-held UPC scanning device and a PCsoftware application connected to a database. The system will monitor the types of foodsin the kitchen, and monitor the expiry dates. It will store recipes and suggest meals thatcan be made with available ingredients, it will generate shopping lists and it will have thecapability to send orders to online grocers. The main technical challenges will bedesigning the hand-held UPC scanner, and writing the PC software. The UPC scannerwill use a micro-controller to store barcodes and upload information to the computerthrough a serial connection at a later time. The scanner will provide a basic interface tothe user that will include buttons to switch modes and a display (audio and visual) thatwill indicate a successful scanning. The software will run on a PC with a Windows-based GUI, and will also have interfaces for reading in data from the UPC scannerserially and transmitting orders to online grocers using an internet connection.

The main marketing challenge standing in the way of a successful product is theunwillingness of the consumer to embrace a radical new way of organizing the house.Some people will find they enjoy making grocery lists and shopping, and will not want topurchase a technology to do that for them. For a growing number of people, shopping isa monotonous task, and time could be spent more productively by automating theprocess. One needs only to scan the product when it arrives, and scanning it when it runsout. Most items today have UPC codes, and for those that do not, the system will be ableto generate new codes that can be printed as stickers or entered manually. Economicswill dictate the success of this product. If we can save people substantial amounts of timeat an affordable cost, people will gradually overcome their wariness of new technology.The success of Amazon.com illustrates how convenience, cost, and selection have causedmany people to give up the traditional way of shopping and embrace a new technology.

This document outlines the proposed design of the Smart Fridge, including a discussionof alternate design possibilities, sources of funding, project schedule, and a description ofthe company. In addition, we have included a brief discussion of possible extensions ofthe product, including features that could be added in the future, and ways that theproduct could be modified for use in other areas of the home.



2. System OverviewThe SmartFridge™ maintains an inventory of the food items in your fridge, freezer, andcupboards. Empowered with this information, it is able to simplify your daily life byautomating the more mundane tasks associated with keeping yourself well fed. It can:

• order groceries when you are out of the required staples needed to make a meal• make meal and recipe suggestions based on available ingredients• keep track of the expiry dates on perishables, and alert the user of pending

spoilage

The barcode-scanning wand is a portable non-intrusive item that sticks magnetically toyour fridge door. When a food item is consumed, wave the wand over the barcode torecord it in the wand's memory. To order groceries, connect the wand to your computer,and you can automatically order the exhausted items from your local grocer. Trips to thegrocer for weekly staples are no longer necessary when the food is delivered directly toyour door!

When your groceries are ordered through your computer, the SmartFridge™ maintains aninventory of the food in your fridge. The SmartFridge™ can make meal suggestionsbased on the ingredients and time you have available from its archive of recipes collectedfrom today's best cook-books. It will remember family favourites and offer exciting newdishes.

The SmartFridge™ will organize your fridge/freezer/cupbowill record the date the perishable entered your life, and waon a life of its own.

Figure 1: System Overview

ards of meats and preserves. Itrn you before it begins to take



3. Possible SolutionsA home inventory system could be implemented in any number of ways. Many homesalready employ a simple inventory system of some kind. However, the most importantaspects of a home inventory are that the system be accurate, fast, and easy to use.Currently there are few high-tech inventory systems, but the following would be asampling of other potential solutions.

3.1. Entirely Software-Based SystemThis solution would involve developing database software, and the user would enter thepurchases directly onto a computer, and also delete them when they run out. Thissolution would be effective, if the user had the discipline to use it properly. The act ofwriting everything out on a computer after putting groceries away would be toobothersome for the average consumer to undertake.

3.2. Fixed-scanner SystemThis solution would entail having a fixed barcode scanner that uses a laser, similar toscanners at the supermarket. This system would be less versatile to other applications, aswell as more expensive. However, a benefit would be that such a system would be easierto use to scan in barcodes, and it could automatically update the computer withoutneeding to connect first and then download.

3.3. Existing Portable Scanner SystemsThere are currently a few similar systems available. However, none of them are asversatile as the system that we intend to design. Some of the current solutions are notportable, thus you are limited to organizing food in a small area. Other available systemsare portable, but are very bulky because everything is integrated into it. Using the small,lightweight downloadable scanner that we have developed is an excellent compromise.With a few software modifications, our system can be used to do inventory for non-fooditems, small companies, medical supply refrigerators, office supplies, and many otherapplications. Current systems are much more rigid in their definition.



4. Proposed SolutionHome Gizmos’ proposed solution to the home inventory problem is the SmartFridge™.This will be implemented by designing a wireless wand that will scan in the barcodeusing a photoreflector, and interfacing to a microcontroller. The microcontroller willinterpret the analog signal into a ten digit number, and store it into memory, either ashaving been scanned in or scanned out. When finished a session of scanning, the userwill then upload the data to a computer via a serial connection. The computer would thenupdate the inventory database, and act according to the user’s desires. Once the databaseis in place, the user can automatically print a shopping list, get recipe suggestions, ororder groceries online.

This solution is superior to others, because it has a high degree of flexibility. Given timefor development, it can be expanded to include more complicated inventories, build astand alone unit to be integrated into the fridge, or interface to a PDA. Another potentialhardware add-on could be wireless broadcasting, or USB interface.

A potential shortfall of our solution would be keeping up to date with new UPC codes,which are constantly being released. This would require periodic software updates.Also, users may lack the discipline to continually be scanning food in and out. However,this solution will save them time in the long run, and also we could update the personaldatabases automatically when a food order comes in from the online grocer.

For prototyping purposes, our solution will not initially have a fully comprehensive UPClibrary, or recipe bank. Given more time and money, it would be possible to fullydevelop these libraries, and improve our product.



5. Budget

5.1. ExpensesTable 1 contains a cursory budget for the R&D process of the Smart Fridge. Moreconcrete numbers will be available when development has proceeded far enough toorganize a bill-of-materials for the product.

Table 1: Preliminary R&D Cost Analysis

Resource Estimated Cost

Microcontroller evaluation board and chips $200

Prototype PC board $120

Electronic Components $100

Enclosure $40

Cables $40

Total $500

5.2. FundingAs the development of this project requires a significant amount of capital, we areinvestigating various sources to fund the development of the SmartFridge. Ideally, all ofthe organizations discussed here will be able to contribute a small amount of money(between $20 and $100).

Our first source of potential funding will be through endowment funds. The EngineeringScience Student Endowment Fund (ESSEF) is a student and faculty administered fundthat is likely to be a significant help to Home Gizmos. The purpose of the Wighton fundis to aid in projects that can be beneficial to society. We believe that we are on thecutting edge of the direction that home shopping is going, and the SmartFridge will havea significant effect on how later generations receive their groceries.

A secondary source of funds will be to apply for bursaries, scholarships, and donationsfrom the following companies and organizations: the NSERC Undergrad StudentResearch award; the BC Advanced System Institute, the Canada Foundation forInnovation, Canadian Microelectronics Corporation, and the SFU University/IndustryLiason Office.



Finally, we intend to contact relevant companies such as IGA and Canada Safeway tosolicit funding and information so that we can better accommodate the SmartFridge towork with real, established companies.

If we are unable to raise sufficient funds to cover our costs, we at Home Gizmos believethat it is quite reasonable for each of us to contribute $100 - $150, the cost of a textbook.On the other hand, if we are able to raise more than the required capital, we intend todonate the excess funds to the ESSEF as a gesture to show our appreciation for theirsupport.



6. ScheduleThe following figures contain an outline of our proposed completion schedule. Figure 2is a Gantt chart indicating a timeline for the various tasks, and Figure 3 contains aMilestone chart indicating the crucial dates that we have to have various tasksaccomplished by.

Figure 2: Project Timeline

Figure 3: Project Milestones



7. Team OrganizationHome Gizmos is comprised of five engineering students all entering their fifth year atSimon Fraser University's Engineering Science Program: Michael Nelson, Colin Knight,Alex Dunfield and Shaun Jackman. These students bring a wealth of experience coveringthe Computers, Systems and Electronics Options at the school; not to mention a widevariety of co-op jobs ranging from product validation and website design to ASIC design,electronic circuit design and the black art of RF design.

The wide variety of skills in this group will be put to good use in designing theSmartFridge. Colin, with his wealth of programming experience, will head up thecreation of the Application Software. The embedded software development will bedirected by the very capable Shaun where his extensive co-op experiences in electronicand embedded software design will be put to good use. Alex, with his great charisma andmoney-savvy attitude, will seek funding for the group and contribute both hardware andsoftware expertise. Alex will ensure the group stays on task and on budget. The duty ofdeveloping a test plan and general troubleshooting will fall to the capable Cam, whosewealth of experience should be able to sort out almost any problem. And last but certainlynot least is Michael, who will do the managerial duties to ensure the Home Gizmos teamlives up to their expectations and reputations as some of the academic leaders at SimonFraser University.

The nature of the Home Gizmos project allows for much of the development to be doneconcurrently. As such the Home Gizmos team will use this fact to split the work loadbetween smaller groups and co-ordinate their efforts using email and bi-weekly meetings.As the time for integration draws nearer, the primary software developers will continue towork on their respective software while the others start to look at the integration betweenthe various parts of the project. This should ease the often complex issue of combiningthe efforts of the different areas of development.



8. Corporate Profile

Home GizmosHome Gizmos was formed in September of 2002 for the purpose of developing theSmartFridge™ for an engineering science project course (ENSC340). The employees atHome Gizmos are proud Vancouverites and the corporate headquarters are located at theSimon Fraser University Burnaby Campus.

Michael NelsonChief Executive Officer (CEO)Michael is a fifth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University withprevious work experience at the PMC-Sierra Saskatoon Design Center, Spectrum SignalProcessing, and West Bay Semiconductor. Michael has experience with C/C++, Tcl, andPerl programming languages, as well as VHDL, Verilog, HTML, and HSPICE. Thefocus of Michael’s work experience has been mainly in hardware design and testing, andMichael is focusing his degree on telecommunications and physics.

Alex DunfieldChief Financial Officer (CFO)Alex brings a wealth of skills and ideas to the Home Gizmos Team. He has hadrewarding work experience at both PMC-Sierra and CreoScitex, and is a crack financialanalyst. Alex is adept at debugging evaluation boards and is first-rate at solving obscureproblems. Alex has a strong mechanical background, and has extensive experience insoftware, hardware, and embedded programming. As Chief Financial officer for HomeGizmos, Alex will contribute many hours and much effort to making Home Gizmos'visions a reality.

Colin KnightChief Operating OfficerA fifth year Computer Engineering student at Simon Fraser University, Colin has workedin industry on several projects related to software for telecommunications equipment anddatabase systems, and is proficient in the C++ programming language. Colin also hasexperience working with microcontroller hardware, and has specialized in the areas ofanalog electronic circuit design, VLSI circuit design, and Networking.



Shaun JackmanChief Technical OfficerShaun is a technology enthusiast, and indeed a technophile. He has enjoyed tinkeringwith electronics and computers since the days when the Apple ][e reigned supreme.Shaun has taken this passion for gadgets with him into his current role as CTO at HomeGizmos Corp. Here, his previous experience with embedded engineering in a smallcompany, and continued status as a fifth year scholarship Computer Engineering studentat Simon Fraser University allow him to provide technical direction for new productdevelopment.

Cameron KennySenior Project ManagerA fifth year student in the electronics option, Cam has had work experience in the blackart of RF design, as well as other important skills required for product validation.Through these experiences and many others Cam has had experiences in a number orareas including the development of functional tests, circuit design and custom softwaredesign. Using these and other skills, Cam has made his mark by being able to sit downand solve complex projects once the specifications have been laid out.



9. ConclusionThe key to producing a successful product does not lie simply in the invention of newtechnology. Efficiently merging new and existing technologies in a usable, practical, andcost-effective way make a successful product. The goal of our company is to produce aprototype that meets that description.

The Smart Fridge system will give people who do not enjoy shopping the freedom tospend time on other pursuits, and that extra time for recreation and relaxation can go along way to creating a healthier, more fulfilling life.

It is our hope that the design, scheduling, and funding information provided in thisdocument will illustrate how we expect to create a working prototype by December of2002 that could potentially be a marketable product.



10. Resources

1) Introduction to Barcodeshttp://www.makebarcode.com/info/intro.html

2) How a barcode reader workshttp://www.taltech.com/TALtech_web/resources/intro_to_bc/bcpwork.htm

3) A1 Barcode Scannershttp://www.barcodemall.com

4) Atmel AVR Microcontrollershttp://www.atmel.com/atmel/products/prod23.htm

5) IGAwww.iga.net/en/default.html

http://www.makebarcode.com/info/intro.html

http://www.taltech.com/TALtech_web/resources/intro_to_bc/bcpwork.htm

http://www.barcodemall.com/wanbarscan.html

http://www.atmel.com/atmel/products/prod23.htm

http://www.iga.net/en/default.html

Documents

home-gizmos@sfuwhitmore/courses/ensc305/projects/2002/hgprop.pdf · The SmartFridge™ is an inventory management system for the home that consists of a portable bar code scanner