Weekly Progress 6

This week, the group completed the rough draft for the final design of the medical device. The group continues to test the device for bugs and possible issues that may occur. During the class period, the group was able to successfully make the LCD screen respond to the Arduino code and the screen was able to display words from the prompt. In the following weeks, the group will continue to modify the mechanical and electrical parts of the medical device and will finish the prototype.

The goal of the medical device is to accurately remind the user to protect themselves from the risk of skin cancer and other related conditions, especially when UV levels are high. The Arduino Uno board controls the functionality of the device components-- the UV sensor, LCD screen, clock, and buzzer-- which work together to notify the user of the specific tasks that they should complete in order to most greatly reduce their risk. The UV Index is a scale from 1 to 11 put together by the EPA that indicates the amount of UV rays reaching the Earth’s surface at a particular moment in time. The UV sensor output in converted into a UV Index and displayed on the LCD screen along with the time and specific directions for users to follow depending on the index and time of day. Overall, the completed prototype of this medical device will help users monitor and protect themselves from UV radiation.