MEC202

Project Background and Objectives

Background: Many elderly people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and research shows that music can help improve patients’ attention and memory.

User Needs: The survey found that users expect the product to be cost-effective, easy to operate, and small in size.

Design Requirements: The product should be cost-effective, have a simple structure, be portable, and have a music memory training function.

Project Planning: The tasks and time arrangements of each stage of the project are detailed, including topic selection, research, design, testing, prototype making, report writing, etc. Team members complete various tasks together, with a clear division of labor in code writing, prototype making, meeting minutes, etc.

Design Concepts

Concept Comparison: Initially, it was planned to design a medical keyboard with nine keys, using strain gauges as buttons and combining multiple sensors to achieve different functions. However, the rhythm game may be too complicated for the elderly.

Development and Screening: Simplify the design, reduce the number of keys to four and change to a keyboard module, replace the infrared sensor with a touch sensor. Finally, the product is determined to have a tubular appearance, containing multiple sensor and function modules, and the final circuit design is given.

Prototyping and Testing

Prototyping Methods: The product is based on the Arduino board and combines simulated wind instruments and keyboards. There are following mode and instrument mode, which are switched by the pressure sensor. In the following mode, the user presses the keys according to the indicator lights to play music for training skills; in the instrument mode, the user can play freely, and the keyboard simulates the playing method of the cello. In addition, it also has functions such as noise monitoring, brightness monitoring, and keyboard lighting. The software code is designed based on the C language, and the design ideas and implementation methods of the program basic structure, mode switching, following mode realization, and sensor application are introduced.

Testing Plan: Obtain feedback on the difficulty of use, portability, price, etc. by interviewing the elderly to try the product. At the same time, collect data such as material prices to evaluate the product cost and price, and conduct a large number of trials to test the convenience.

User Feedback: Most test users can understand and complete the tasks in the following mode, and can also use the instrument mode well after getting familiar with it, which proves that the design meets the needs. However, there are also problems such as loose packaging and easy boredom due to a small number of tracks. Future improvements such as packaging and expanding the music library will be considered.

Project Summary

The product can help elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease or poor memory enhance memory and relax through music. It has advantages such as cost-effectiveness, easy mode switching, and strong environmental adaptability, but there are also some deficiencies in the system and hardware.

Improvement directions in terms of the system and hardware are proposed, such as upgrading the code, adding sensors, and improving the structure.

Team members have improved their abilities in programming, sensor application, etc. in the project, enhanced their cooperation and communication skills, understood the needs of the elderly, and provided directions for subsequent research.