1. What will you do for your project?
We will create a wifi (stretch goal: and bluetooth) enabled meat thermometer to allow for checking the temperature of roasts in real time. We will source hardware(preliminary research indicates we may use USB enabled thermometer probes with arduinos) and create an application to allow the user to check the real-time temperature of the meat (and, given the weight and type of meat, and estimate for how long it will take for your roast to be finished.)
2. What computer science theory and/or subject matter will it illuminate?
Architecture: getting the probe and arduino(/other small computing device) to play well together.
UI: the app will need a user interface so that the user can enter information such as the weight and type of meat, as well as so that the user can view the current temperature and time remaining with ease.Programming: we’ll need to program the application!
3. What will you learn in accomplishing it?
How to…
get hardware pieces to interface/assemble hardware
broadcast information over WiFi and Bluetooth to multiple kinds of device/browser
program an application to take sensor data (in this case, from a probe)
create clear and usable interfaces for browser-based applications
broadcast information over WiFi and Bluetooth to multiple kinds of device/browser
program an application to take sensor data (in this case, from a probe)
create clear and usable interfaces for browser-based applications
4. What resources will you use?
We will pool our resources to purchase the thermometer probes wholesale from a site like alibaba.com, and use arduinos as our computing/broadcasting device. Other than the hardware resources, we will use a revision management tool such as git or mercurial, our home computers, and out delicious brains.
5. How much software do you expect to create (in lines of code)?
Not having done a project as this before, I am unsure.
6. How will you know when you are done (ie, what criteria should I use in judging the completion of the project)?
We will know we are done when we can cook a roast using our trusty WiFi meat thermometer.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
LEVEL 0: Minimal Prototype get the hardware to get along
interface: No public interface. We can read the data through a connected terminal.
function: The arduino is registering data from the thermometer probe. It is able to translate this data into a temperature.
function: The arduino is registering data from the thermometer probe. It is able to translate this data into a temperature.
LEVEL 1: First Working Prototype get it on the web
interface: Minimal, browser-based. Displays the temperature and has places for user input regarding weight and type of meat (though this is not connected yet to the method which will take this data — the data, it goes nowhere!) The user must refresh to get an updated temperature.
function: We have provided the data for the safe temperatures of meats (adjusted for the error range of the probe!!!!) and a method to calculate the time until the meat is finished cooking.
function: We have provided the data for the safe temperatures of meats (adjusted for the error range of the probe!!!!) and a method to calculate the time until the meat is finished cooking.
LEVEL 2: 50% Complete get it in real time
interface: Minimal, browser-based. Displays the temperature and has places for user input regarding weight and type of meat, and provides the user with an estimate of how long it will take for their roast to finish cooking.
function: Uses the user input to calculate the roasting time. The page refreshes/updates itself — the user no longer has to refresh the page to attain a fresh display.
function: Uses the user input to calculate the roasting time. The page refreshes/updates itself — the user no longer has to refresh the page to attain a fresh display.
LEVEL 3: Complete get purdied up for prom
interface: Fully fleshed, browser-based. Displays temperature and estimated time until completion of roast in real time. Takes user input re: type of meat and weight. Has a ‘help’ option to assist the user.
function: [step 2 and] provides support for the ‘help’ option in the interface. (This could be as simple as an .html file which you can reach by clicking on some link on the interface, or as complicated as small icons beside parts of the interface which you could hover or click on to get more information.
function: [step 2 and] provides support for the ‘help’ option in the interface. (This could be as simple as an .html file which you can reach by clicking on some link on the interface, or as complicated as small icons beside parts of the interface which you could hover or click on to get more information.
LEVEL 4: Glory!
interface: [Level 3]
function: [above and] provide Bluetooth support.
function: [above and] provide Bluetooth support.