Wearable (Prototype) – Weather Watch

By Jaime Chu, Bob Rudolph

The idea for Weather Watch first came to light when we saw Wristify, a technology which came from the MIT labs. We wanted to recreate the idea as a proof of concept and then find a different and unique application for it, rather than just for personal cooling and heating. Instead, with this project we want to create awareness. We marketed the project as a general reminder of the cold Pittsburgh winters, but really we wanted to remind others that there are less fortunate children out there who are starving during these cold times. Sending a hot pulse about every thirty seconds signified the death of two children who died from malnutrition in the world. We are quite fortunate to be where we are in this world with heating and cooling, and things to help us survive these cold winters, but just keep those hungry children in the back of your mind. Read more about the aid for starving children cause here.

Implementation:

Using a peltier cooler from Pololu, we were able to generate hot and cold temperatures with a 11.1V Li-Po battery. When a voltage is applied across the device, a difference in temperature will build up between the two sides, making one side hot and one side cool. In our initial proof of concept we were able to create a cooling sensation on one side of the cooler and use a large heat sink to draw the heat away from the other side. Using a fan also helped us cool the heat sink faster, making the cold colder.

When a voltage is applied in the opposite direction, the hot side becomes cold and vice versa. In order to apply this knowledge, we used a DRV8835 Dual Motor Driver to control the direction of the current. This gave a larger range of temperatures from cold to hot, rather than just cold or just hot.

Download code here .