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Project Ideation
Project Ideation
1- Tell us about the purpose of your project. Which problem does it solve? Why do you care about this? What were you inspired by? Include images and videos of similar projects
1- Tell us about the purpose of your project. Which problem does it solve? Why do you care about this? What were you inspired by? Include images and videos of similar projects
#Idea
Smart Kitchen Device
Field: Health & Everyday Life
Smart Kitchen Device
Field: Health & Everyday Life
Brief:
NutriScale is a smart kitchen scale that helps you not only measure food weight, but also gives you simple diet advice and recipe suggestions based on what you’re weighing. It’s made to make healthy eating easier while cooking.
Problem:
Most people find it hard to control food portions, which affects their health, especially if they’re trying to lose weight or manage a condition like diabetes. And most regular kitchen tools don’t really help with that.
Why I Care:
I care about this because I know how tough it is to eat healthy every day. We all want to stay fit and eat right, but it’s hard to keep track of everything. I wanted to create something practical and simple that actually helps in the moment.
Inspiration:
I got inspired by the idea of turning everyday tools into smart helpers. I’ve seen smart scales before, but I wanted to design something that looks good, is easy to use, and gives helpful, real-time feedback, mixing
2- Describe the project idea and general features. How would it work?
2- Describe the project idea and general features. How would it work?
The project is a smart kitchen scale
It works like a regular food scale, but with extra features that help users eat healthier.
The idea is simple: once you place food on the scale, it measures the weight, then gives you basic nutritional info, portion recommendations, and even recipe suggestions depending on what you’re weighing.
It uses built-in sensors, a small display screen (or can connect to a phone app), and a simple system that gives feedback right away, without making things complicated.
The device is meant to be easy to use in everyday cooking, especially for people who care about eating balanced meals or managing a specific diet.
It’s compact, affordable, and designed to be helpful in real time while preparing food—not something that feels like a chore to use.
3- Sketch your project: You may use pen and paper or a simple sketching tool like Microsoft Paint or Photoshop
3- Sketch your project: You may use pen and paper or a simple sketching tool like Microsoft Paint or Photoshop
Smart Scale Idea
Project Planning
Project Planning
4- Describe the Technical Modules that your project consists of
4- Describe the Technical Modules that your project consists of
Construction Parts
Laser-cut body & top plate, load cell mount, display frame; 3D-printed buttons & small detailin
Input
(Sensing, Tactile Input, and/or Graphical Input)
Load Cell + HX711 (sensing), push buttons (tactile)
Action
(Physical and/or Graphic)
Display weight, nutritional info, portion suggestions on LCD/OLED
Brain
Arduino UNO
Power Management
Li-ion battery + charging module, 5V adapter
5- Create a cardboard prototype of your project, demonstrating the project face as well as internal movements and mechanisms. Include a demo video and photos of the prototype.
5- Create a cardboard prototype of your project, demonstrating the project face as well as internal movements and mechanisms. Include a demo video and photos of the prototype.
Scale Cardboard Design
Container
6- Categorize your project’s User Features into: Minimum, Complete, and Nice-to-have features. List the required action and input components per feature.
6- Categorize your project’s User Features into: Minimum, Complete, and Nice-to-have features. List the required action and input components per feature.
Minimum Features: are the least amount of features that would demonstrate the coverage of all the technical modules and their complete integration
Complete Features: are the set of features that will complete your original project objective and vision
Nice-to-have Features: are the extra set of features that will make the project cooler, yet they need extra time, effort, and/or resources to finish
Minimum User Features
Feature 1:
Display food weight on screen
Action: Show weight on LCD/OLED
Sensing: Load Cell + HX711
User Input: Power on/off button
Feature 2:
Select food type from a simple menu
Action: Update displayed information
Sensing: None
User Input: Navigation/selection buttons
Joystick Module
Complete User Features
Feature 1:
Display basic nutritional values (calories, protein, carbs, fat)
Action: Show nutritional data on LCD/OLED
Sensing: Load Cell + HX711
User Input: Food type selection
Feature 2:
Show recommended portion size
Action: Display text/icon recommendation on screen
Sensing: Load Cell + HX711
User Input: None (based on measured weight)
Nice-to-have User Features
Feature 1:
Send data to a mobile app via Bluetooth
Action: Transmit data wirelessly
Sensing: Load Cell + HX711
User Input: None (app receives automatically)
Feature 2:
Suggest recipes based on weighed ingredients
Action: Display recipe on app or screeى
Sensing: Load Cell + HX711
User Input: Select food type from menu
7- What are the required electronic components and materials for the project?
7- What are the required electronic components and materials for the project?
Component/Material
Amount
Link
8- What are the project tasks and its time-frame?
8- What are the project tasks and its time-frame?
Task
Sub-Tasks
From:
To:
Research & Design
Research components and existing solutions
Sketch design ideas and layouts
Plan interface and user experience
Define technical requirements and workflow
10-sept
12-sept
Electronics Setup
Connect sensors to Arduino
Build and test the circuit
Check sensor accuracy and response
Troubleshoot wiring or hardware issues
13-sept
16-sept
Software Development
Write Arduino code for sensor data
Program displays output (weight, values)
Add logic for calculations (e.g., nutritional data)
Test software with hardware integration
17-sept
19-sept
Prototype Construction
Design casing/structure (CAD modeling)
Manufacture parts (3D printing, laser cutting, etc.)
Assemble physical housing with electronics
Mount display, buttons, and sensors into casing
20-sept
20-spet
Integration & Testing
Combine electronics, software, and prototype structure
Perform regular testing after each stage
Identify bugs and fix them continuously
Ensure stable and reliable system performance
21-sept
21-sept
Final Demo
Prepare the complete working prototype
Showcase all main functions
Highlight design and usability features
21-sept
21-sept
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