batteries i wasnt sure about, i was thinking along the lines of the type u get in a watch......only because i dont know of any smaller. the problem is whether it would power what i want sufficient enough. can u tell i love design but had the technical part? lol
lol the idea is that it doesnt look ugly, just because they cant see it, it doesnt mean they dont deserve good designOriginally Posted by TheAnimus
They can still feel what the thing is like at the end of the day.
Triple A batteries are pretty small. I think you could probably fit one of those inside a spoon. It could be about as thin as a man's razor. Like a gillette whatsitcalled. The AAA batteries are long (short) and thin, so its the right shape atleast.
Also, I'm sure ive seen birthday card speakers that can be folded up and end up being really tiny. Maybe one of those could be folded tightly into something the size of a razor too.
We are still talking about spoons here, yes?
Nice idea Ms Twiglet, don't forget us when you're rich and famous.
Ok, first question with the battery is how can you make your life easy.
the classic water detector circuit can either be made using a single transistor (and a resistor) or by using an op-amp as a Schmitt trigger type thing.
The single transistor idea would work off virtually any power source, but remeber there would be a 0.7v drop accross it (assuming standard school grade bi-polars here). This means from an AAA battery you have sod all juice left to drive the buzzer.
a much better idea would be to use some very small cells I'd recomend a 312. This is a type often found in hearing aids. they are about 8mm by 3.5mm. I'd suggest you use 3. This will give you a fair few mAh at 4.5v.
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
hmm 3 of these together sounds about the same size as an AAA but with more power. this might b a better battery solution thanx
just how much air do these batteries need to operate? if they work within an 'in ear' hearing aid im assuming they would work within a spoon :S the whole thing obviously has to be water tight so im just wondering if it would work.
Pickering reed relays are tiny little buggers, and they come in lotsa nice shapes. That may well do the job.
As a student they will probably send you a few samples free if you ask their PR people nicely.
(Thanks Evilmunky)
Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet intakes.
I assume that the spoon handle will be plastic with a screw on cap so that you can change relays during the test phase. Sounds like a clever idea. I hope you get a first for it.
(Thanks Evilmunky)
Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet intakes.
Yes, but as mentioned, use a screw top. These batteries work better if you don't let any air (and moisture) in to them. So a totally airproof container inside the handle would be good.
I'd recomend against a relay, they draw too much current for an application like this, a simple bi-polar transister would be much better. (or mabye two if your worried, one with a hudge impedence for sensing the water, this way it will drain little power in use, another for driving the sounder, with some CR circuit before hand to provide a little bit of a pulse)
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
ok, i think im getting confused lol so i can use 312 cell batteries (like hearing aid 1s) as the main power. the switch bit and amplification is in the bi-polar transistor and then i have a speaker at the end? circuit in lamens terms, humour me
Can't you just use a battery to send a small electric charge up the spoon and into the blind person? They know when to stop when they get a small electric shock. Probably put them off messing around with boiling water after a while too, which has got to be a bonus, considering how easy it must be to get burned.
sig removed by Zak33
Yes, but you might want to use two transistors.ok, i think im getting confused lol so i can use 312 cell batteries (like hearing aid 1s) as the main power. the switch bit and amplification is in the bi-polar transistor and then i have a speaker at the end? circuit in lamens terms, humour me
Transistors can be thought of as having a ratio they can switch by. Ie if switching x, i need to have y on the base.
To get a better battery life, i'd recomend using two transistors, because this way, you can have a much lower current to detect the water. This is not only safer, but also will improve battery life.
If your really worreid about space, then don't bother. I don't know how good your electronic circuit has to be (is this a-level, undergrad (which year)?)
As otherwise 3 cells (312s say) a transistor, a sounder, and a couple of resistors.... not exactly impressive.
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
im final year degree but its all about the design not technical info so much, i just have to know it would work and how otherwise my concept is floored no matter what it looks like
Thinking laterally here... it's all about blind people not overfilling their tea cups, right?
So how about controlling the amount of water going into the cup instead?
A dual chamber kettle, with the main chamber for boiling and the smaller chamber delivering a measured amount of water? Then you flog cups of the size to match the kettle!
You could have a selector on the top for free pour or measured, so sighted people can make a full pot of tea without having to repeatedly tip the kettle.
You can then do a range of measured stuff, like milk containers that dispense a measured amount of milk ect...
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