Home Gizmos School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6

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1 September 16, 2002 Home Gizmos School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6 Dr. Andrew Rawicz School of Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 Re: ENSC 340 Project Proposal Dear Dr. Rawicz: Attached is our document, Proposal for the SmartFridge Home Inventory System, which outlines our project for ENSC 340. We plan to design and implement a unit that will scan in common Universal Price Codes (UPCs), in order to keep an easy and accurate inventory of items by connecting with a computer. The purpose of this proposal is to give an overview of our product, some of the design considerations, our budget and funding goals, our project schedule, and the organization of our team. This document will include alternate methods of home inventory systems, and the potential market for our system. Home Gizmos consists of five fifth-year-engineering students, whose imagination and technical skills will be of great value to our project: The SmartFridge. Michael Nelson, Alexander Dunfield, Cameron Kenny, Colin Knight, and Shaun Jackman make up the core of Home Gizmos. If you have any questions or concerns about our proposal, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at , or our group at home-gizmos@sfu.ca. Sincerely, M. Nelson Michael Nelson President and CEO Home Gizmos Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos

2 Proposal for the SmartFridge Home Inventory System Revision 1 September 16, 2002 Project Team Alex Dunfield Mike Nelson Cam Kenny Shaun Jackman Colin Knight Contact Alex Dunfield alexd@sfu.ca i

3 Executive Summary Shopping an activity that you look forward to each week? or a nightmare that needs to occur at some point between work, driving the kids around, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, and aerobics class? The modern professional is often so busy that finding time to shop is difficult, and when time is found, the disgruntled shopper is forced to gamble as he or she is not sure of which items need to be purchased to replenish the food supply! If you are like many others, you must be thinking there is a better way to ensure all of your basic needs are met without impacting an already full schedule. The SmartFridge is the answer. The SmartFridge not only simplifies the whole shopping process but allows you to easily track how long that gallon of milk has been in the fridge... The SmartFridge is an inventory management system for the home that consists of a portable bar code scanner and a computer program to manage your supplies. When you get back from the store with your groceries, you simply swipe the pen-like barcode scanner across the labels. The scanner stores information about the food you have just purchased, and when it is plugged into your computer your home inventory is updated. As you consume products in your day to day life, you simply scan the empty containers and the computer will remove the product from your inventory and add the product to your grocery list. Now you have two options: you can print off the grocery list and do your shopping (the cycle repeats), or you can let the program order the goods from an online grocer and get them delivered to your door! No problem, no shopping, no fuss. While the Jones are out battling through the crowded grocery store, you can be at home visiting friends, playing with the kids, or even just relaxing in front of the TV. Forget about keeping up with the Jones you just left the Jones behind! Home Gizmos consists of five fifth year engineering students, collectively that s over 20 years of engineering experience! We also bring a variety of co-op experience and skills to the company. Most importantly, we all bring our determination to see this project to its successful completion. We foresee the research and development process to span three months, ending on December 9 th. Our budget for this process is $500. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos ii

4 Table of Content Executive Summary...ii 1. Introduction System Overview Possible Solutions Entirely Software-Based System Fixed-scanner System Existing Portable Scanner Systems Proposed Solution Budget Expenses Funding Schedule Team Organization Corporate Profile... 9 Home Gizmos... 9 Michael Nelson... 9 Alex Dunfield... 9 Colin Knight...9 Shaun Jackman Cameron Kenny Conclusion Resources Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos iii

5 1. Introduction How much time is spent shopping for food items? How many times have dinner plans been disrupted because a key ingredient has run out? If we expand our field of view to the rest of the house, how much of our lives are spent managing the inventory of our household? Most businesses realize the necessity for a computerized inventory management system, yet the idea has not migrated to the household, due in a large part to the lack of a product marketed towards the household. The goal of our company is to produce an inventory system with low cost, portability, and ease of use that would make it suitable for home usage. Our first product will be the Smart Fridge, tailored to the management of food items, and from this initial prototype we have the possibility to extend the concept to the production of a system to manage virtually all home and homeoffice inventory needs. The SmartFridge system will consist of a hand-held UPC scanning device and a PC software application connected to a database. The system will monitor the types of foods in the kitchen, and monitor the expiry dates. It will store recipes and suggest meals that can be made with available ingredients, it will generate shopping lists and it will have the capability to send orders to online grocers. The main technical challenges will be designing the hand-held UPC scanner, and writing the PC software. The UPC scanner will use a micro-controller to store barcodes and upload information to the computer through a serial connection at a later time. The scanner will provide a basic interface to the user that will include buttons to switch modes and a display (audio and visual) that will indicate a successful scanning. The software will run on a PC with a Windowsbased GUI, and will also have interfaces for reading in data from the UPC scanner serially and transmitting orders to online grocers using an internet connection. The main marketing challenge standing in the way of a successful product is the unwillingness of the consumer to embrace a radical new way of organizing the house. Some people will find they enjoy making grocery lists and shopping, and will not want to purchase a technology to do that for them. For a growing number of people, shopping is a monotonous task, and time could be spent more productively by automating the process. One needs only to scan the product when it arrives, and scanning it when it runs out. Most items today have UPC codes, and for those that do not, the system will be able to generate new codes that can be printed as stickers or entered manually. Economics will dictate the success of this product. If we can save people substantial amounts of time at an affordable cost, people will gradually overcome their wariness of new technology. The success of Amazon.com illustrates how convenience, cost, and selection have caused many people to give up the traditional way of shopping and embrace a new technology. This document outlines the proposed design of the Smart Fridge, including a discussion of alternate design possibilities, sources of funding, project schedule, and a description of the company. In addition, we have included a brief discussion of possible extensions of the product, including features that could be added in the future, and ways that the product could be modified for use in other areas of the home. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 1

6 2. System Overview The SmartFridge maintains an inventory of the food items in your fridge, freezer, and cupboards. Empowered with this information, it is able to simplify your daily life by automating the more mundane tasks associated with keeping yourself well fed. It can: order groceries when you are out of the required staples needed to make a meal make meal and recipe suggestions based on available ingredients keep track of the expiry dates on perishables, and alert the user of pending spoilage The barcode-scanning wand is a portable non-intrusive item that sticks magnetically to your fridge door. When a food item is consumed, wave the wand over the barcode to record it in the wand's memory. To order groceries, connect the wand to your computer, and you can automatically order the exhausted items from your local grocer. Trips to the grocer for weekly staples are no longer necessary when the food is delivered directly to your door! When your groceries are ordered through your computer, the SmartFridge maintains an inventory of the food in your fridge. The SmartFridge can make meal suggestions based on the ingredients and time you have available from its archive of recipes collected from today's best cook-books. It will remember family favourites and offer exciting new dishes. Figure 1: System Overview The SmartFridge will organize your fridge/freezer/cupboards of meats and preserves. It will record the date the perishable entered your life, and warn you before it begins to take on a life of its own. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 2

7 3. Possible Solutions A home inventory system could be implemented in any number of ways. Many homes already employ a simple inventory system of some kind. However, the most important aspects of a home inventory are that the system be accurate, fast, and easy to use. Currently there are few high-tech inventory systems, but the following would be a sampling of other potential solutions Entirely Software-Based System This solution would involve developing database software, and the user would enter the purchases directly onto a computer, and also delete them when they run out. This solution would be effective, if the user had the discipline to use it properly. The act of writing everything out on a computer after putting groceries away would be too bothersome for the average consumer to undertake Fixed-scanner System This solution would entail having a fixed barcode scanner that uses a laser, similar to scanners at the supermarket. This system would be less versatile to other applications, as well as more expensive. However, a benefit would be that such a system would be easier to use to scan in barcodes, and it could automatically update the computer without needing to connect first and then download Existing Portable Scanner Systems There are currently a few similar systems available. However, none of them are as versatile as the system that we intend to design. Some of the current solutions are not portable, thus you are limited to organizing food in a small area. Other available systems are portable, but are very bulky because everything is integrated into it. Using the small, lightweight downloadable scanner that we have developed is an excellent compromise. With a few software modifications, our system can be used to do inventory for non-food items, small companies, medical supply refrigerators, office supplies, and many other applications. Current systems are much more rigid in their definition. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 3

8 4. Proposed Solution Home Gizmos proposed solution to the home inventory problem is the SmartFridge. This will be implemented by designing a wireless wand that will scan in the barcode using a photoreflector, and interfacing to a microcontroller. The microcontroller will interpret the analog signal into a ten digit number, and store it into memory, either as having been scanned in or scanned out. When finished a session of scanning, the user will then upload the data to a computer via a serial connection. The computer would then update the inventory database, and act according to the user s desires. Once the database is in place, the user can automatically print a shopping list, get recipe suggestions, or order groceries online. This solution is superior to others, because it has a high degree of flexibility. Given time for development, it can be expanded to include more complicated inventories, build a stand alone unit to be integrated into the fridge, or interface to a PDA. Another potential hardware add-on could be wireless broadcasting, or USB interface. A potential shortfall of our solution would be keeping up to date with new UPC codes, which are constantly being released. This would require periodic software updates. Also, users may lack the discipline to continually be scanning food in and out. However, this solution will save them time in the long run, and also we could update the personal databases automatically when a food order comes in from the online grocer. For prototyping purposes, our solution will not initially have a fully comprehensive UPC library, or recipe bank. Given more time and money, it would be possible to fully develop these libraries, and improve our product. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 4

9 5. Budget 5.1. Expenses Table 1 contains a cursory budget for the R&D process of the Smart Fridge. More concrete numbers will be available when development has proceeded far enough to organize a bill-of-materials for the product. Table 1: Preliminary R&D Cost Analysis Resource Estimated Cost 5.2. Funding Microcontroller evaluation board and chips $200 Prototype PC board $120 Electronic Components $100 Enclosure $40 Cables $40 Total $500 As the development of this project requires a significant amount of capital, we are investigating various sources to fund the development of the SmartFridge. Ideally, all of the organizations discussed here will be able to contribute a small amount of money (between $20 and $100). Our first source of potential funding will be through endowment funds. The Engineering Science Student Endowment Fund (ESSEF) is a student and faculty administered fund that is likely to be a significant help to Home Gizmos. The purpose of the Wighton fund is to aid in projects that can be beneficial to society. We believe that we are on the cutting edge of the direction that home shopping is going, and the SmartFridge will have a significant effect on how later generations receive their groceries. A secondary source of funds will be to apply for bursaries, scholarships, and donations from the following companies and organizations: the NSERC Undergrad Student Research award; the BC Advanced System Institute, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canadian Microelectronics Corporation, and the SFU University/Industry Liason Office. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 5

10 Finally, we intend to contact relevant companies such as IGA and Canada Safeway to solicit funding and information so that we can better accommodate the SmartFridge to work with real, established companies. If we are unable to raise sufficient funds to cover our costs, we at Home Gizmos believe that it is quite reasonable for each of us to contribute $100 - $150, the cost of a textbook. On the other hand, if we are able to raise more than the required capital, we intend to donate the excess funds to the ESSEF as a gesture to show our appreciation for their support. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 6

11 6. Schedule The following figures contain an outline of our proposed completion schedule. Figure 2 is a Gantt chart indicating a timeline for the various tasks, and Figure 3 contains a Milestone chart indicating the crucial dates that we have to have various tasks accomplished by. Figure 2: Project Timeline Figure 3: Project Milestones Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 7

12 7. Team Organization Home Gizmos is comprised of five engineering students all entering their fifth year at Simon Fraser University's Engineering Science Program: Michael Nelson, Colin Knight, Alex Dunfield and Shaun Jackman. These students bring a wealth of experience covering the Computers, Systems and Electronics Options at the school; not to mention a wide variety of co-op jobs ranging from product validation and website design to ASIC design, electronic circuit design and the black art of RF design. The wide variety of skills in this group will be put to good use in designing the SmartFridge. Colin, with his wealth of programming experience, will head up the creation of the Application Software. The embedded software development will be directed by the very capable Shaun where his extensive co-op experiences in electronic and embedded software design will be put to good use. Alex, with his great charisma and money-savvy attitude, will seek funding for the group and contribute both hardware and software expertise. Alex will ensure the group stays on task and on budget. The duty of developing a test plan and general troubleshooting will fall to the capable Cam, whose wealth of experience should be able to sort out almost any problem. And last but certainly not least is Michael, who will do the managerial duties to ensure the Home Gizmos team lives up to their expectations and reputations as some of the academic leaders at Simon Fraser University. The nature of the Home Gizmos project allows for much of the development to be done concurrently. As such the Home Gizmos team will use this fact to split the work load between smaller groups and co-ordinate their efforts using and bi-weekly meetings. As the time for integration draws nearer, the primary software developers will continue to work on their respective software while the others start to look at the integration between the various parts of the project. This should ease the often complex issue of combining the efforts of the different areas of development. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 8

13 8. Corporate Profile Home Gizmos Home Gizmos was formed in September of 2002 for the purpose of developing the SmartFridge for an engineering science project course (ENSC340). The employees at Home Gizmos are proud Vancouverites and the corporate headquarters are located at the Simon Fraser University Burnaby Campus. Michael Nelson Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael is a fifth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University with previous work experience at the PMC-Sierra Saskatoon Design Center, Spectrum Signal Processing, and West Bay Semiconductor. Michael has experience with C/C++, Tcl, and Perl programming languages, as well as VHDL, Verilog, HTML, and HSPICE. The focus of Michael s work experience has been mainly in hardware design and testing, and Michael is focusing his degree on telecommunications and physics. Alex Dunfield Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Alex brings a wealth of skills and ideas to the Home Gizmos Team. He has had rewarding work experience at both PMC-Sierra and CreoScitex, and is a crack financial analyst. Alex is adept at debugging evaluation boards and is first-rate at solving obscure problems. Alex has a strong mechanical background, and has extensive experience in software, hardware, and embedded programming. As Chief Financial officer for Home Gizmos, Alex will contribute many hours and much effort to making Home Gizmos' visions a reality. Colin Knight Chief Operating Officer A fifth year Computer Engineering student at Simon Fraser University, Colin has worked in industry on several projects related to software for telecommunications equipment and database systems, and is proficient in the C++ programming language. Colin also has experience working with microcontroller hardware, and has specialized in the areas of analog electronic circuit design, VLSI circuit design, and Networking. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 9

14 Shaun Jackman Chief Technical Officer Shaun is a technology enthusiast, and indeed a technophile. He has enjoyed tinkering with electronics and computers since the days when the Apple ][e reigned supreme. Shaun has taken this passion for gadgets with him into his current role as CTO at Home Gizmos Corp. Here, his previous experience with embedded engineering in a small company, and continued status as a fifth year scholarship Computer Engineering student at Simon Fraser University allow him to provide technical direction for new product development. Cameron Kenny Senior Project Manager A fifth year student in the electronics option, Cam has had work experience in the black art of RF design, as well as other important skills required for product validation. Through these experiences and many others Cam has had experiences in a number or areas including the development of functional tests, circuit design and custom software design. Using these and other skills, Cam has made his mark by being able to sit down and solve complex projects once the specifications have been laid out. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 10

15 9. Conclusion The key to producing a successful product does not lie simply in the invention of new technology. Efficiently merging new and existing technologies in a usable, practical, and cost-effective way make a successful product. The goal of our company is to produce a prototype that meets that description. The Smart Fridge system will give people who do not enjoy shopping the freedom to spend time on other pursuits, and that extra time for recreation and relaxation can go a long way to creating a healthier, more fulfilling life. It is our hope that the design, scheduling, and funding information provided in this document will illustrate how we expect to create a working prototype by December of 2002 that could potentially be a marketable product. Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 11

16 10. Resources 1) Introduction to Barcodes 2) How a barcode reader works 3) A1 Barcode Scanners 4) Atmel AVR Microcontrollers 5) IGA Copyright 2002 by Home Gizmos 12