My project is to create a Harley Davidson heart rate watch for my dad when he works out. It will have 3 LEDs to display when he needs to increase, remain at, or decrease his heart rate. For my heart rate watch, I have run into several constraints:
1.Cost
The project will use Arduino components and a 3d printed case for the watch. The cost of these can grow rather quickly if not taken into consideration and could blow my budget.
2.Aesthetic
The Harley Davidson aesthetic usually involves sleek curves and is black with orange flames. It is main focus in the design for my watch’s case.
3.Size/Weight
The watch needs to be able to hold the Arduino and its components for the heart rate sensor, while also still being comfortable for the user to wear during a workout.
4.Time
With the design review next week and the project due in about one and a half months, I really have to be working towards this project on a consistent basis.
5.Functionality
Besides the LEDs, I would like to add a timer to record and display how long you maintained the desired heart rate during the workout. This may be difficult to implement into my project because it will increase the size of the watch, as well as increase the cost, and time needed to complete the project.
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How did it end up? In terms of electronic components, there are plenty of scraps in the ITLL Project Depot and in Tim May’s electronics shop. In fact, my upcycle project was entirely based on upcycled Arduino components from the ITLL! The wearability/packaging constraint is a tricky one, and I will be interested to see your project at Expo and see what you came up with!
Hi Jon,
This sounds like a cool idea! Not many projects on here are incorporating programming and electronics into them, and I think this really satisfies the “must be dynamic” requirement. It sounds like maybe you already have a pretty good idea about how you are going to accomplish your task. Some good resources for parts might be sparkfun.com (their distribution center is in Gunbarrel), also Tim May is really helpful, and there is also another electronics shop in the basement in the EE wing. You mentioned that you have to work on this consistently until the end of the year. One thing I do for myself sometimes is to just set dates in google calendar when things have to be done, like “all parts sourced”, “all parts bought” etc.. This will be a cool project to watch, good luck!