Our team member's portfolio
Team Portfolio
During the first week, the team met with the group advisor to discuss project goals and expectations. Team members introduced themselves, outlined their roles, and established communication channels. We brainstormed ideas that aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on topics that all members could actively contribute to. After evaluating various environmental challenges, the team finalized the project title: "Eco-Wise Smart Solutions Kiosk for Plastic Waste and Recycling." Initial research emphasized sustainability and urban waste management, leading to the development of a clear project concept. Key outcomes included setting the groundwork for collaboration, defining the project's direction, and planning the next meeting.
The second week focused on refining project ideas and narrowing down the scope. The team brainstormed innovative concepts aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Smart Cities, including a smart hand washer, smart waste recycling system, smart locust-scaring device, and metal detector using sensors. After researching current trends in Smart Cities and evaluating challenges such as energy efficiency and urban mobility, the team finalized the project title: "Eco-Wise Smart Solutions Kiosk for Plastic Waste and Recycling."
Key activities included crafting a detailed project description for the idea submission form, which outlined the kiosk’s purpose, functionality, and expected impact on urban waste management. This step solidified the project's foundation and ensured alignment with its sustainability objectives.
The Eco-Wise: Smart Solutions Kiosk for Plastic Waste and Recycling project represents an innovative and practical approach to addressing the critical challenge of plastic waste in urban environments. By combining advanced sensor technology, user-friendly interfaces, and a reward-based incentive system, the Eco-Wise kiosk fosters responsible recycling behavior and promotes sustainable practices within communities. This project aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), by reducing plastic waste and encouraging efficient resource use. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, the Eco-Wise team brings together expertise in architecture, civil, electrical, electrotechnical, software, and mining engineering, demonstrating how engineering innovation can address pressing environmental challenges. The successful implementation of this project will result in a functional prototype that not only showcases technical feasibility but also serves as a platform for raising awareness about recycling and sustainability. The anticipated outcomes, including improved waste management, 20
enhanced community engagement, and actionable insights from user data, highlight the potential impact of Eco-Wise in shaping sustainable urban development. Eco-Wise is not just a project, it is a step toward creating cleaner, greener cities by empowering individuals to participate in a collective effort to reduce plastic waste. With its scalable and replicable design, this initiative has the potential to inspire similar solutions in other communities, contributing to a global movement for environmental stewardship and sustainable living.
In the fourth week, the team concentrated on refining the kiosk's design and developing portfolios on Google Sites. During a collaborative meeting, the team worked on design iterations, focusing on size requirements and material selection for the prototype. My contributions included proposing a design and storage mechanism for the kiosk, which sparked productive discussions around functionality and feasibility.
In parallel, I completed the team portfolio, which outlined the project description, goals, and weekly progress, as well as my personal portfolio, which emphasized my contributions to UI development and proposal writing. These portfolios ensured that the design process and project documentation were well-organized and accessible, supporting the team's alignment and showcasing our progress effectively.
The fifth week was focused on gathering system requirements and finalizing the formal project proposal for the Eco-Wise kiosk. The team concentrated on defining essential system features, including clear user instructions, intuitive guidance, and the integration of a payment system for distributing rewards. Collaborative meetings with colleagues and the advisor ensured that the proposed features aligned with the project's objectives, refining its scope and laying a strong foundation for the development phase.
Simultaneously, the team worked on compiling and structuring the project proposal. The document outlined the project's objectives, methodologies, expected outcomes, and timelines. Careful attention was given to reviewing and refining the proposal for clarity and coherence. By the end of the week, the finalized project proposal was submitted to the group advisor for approval, marking a significant milestone and setting the stage for subsequent phases of the Eco-Wise initiative.
In the sixth week, significant progress was made on the frontend development of the Eco-Wise Smart Solutions Kiosk for Plastic Waste and Recycling. The team focused on refining the user interface (UI) to ensure that it was clear, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Using React, we created a user-friendly interface that simplifies the recycling process for a diverse range of users. Key features such as detailed instructions and an adaptive design were incorporated to provide a seamless experience.
Additionally, multilingual support was added to the kiosk to cater to users from different linguistic backgrounds, ensuring inclusivity. The interface was also optimized for different screen sizes, ensuring accessibility across a variety of devices.
Simultaneously, the team worked on integrating the frontend with the backend, ensuring that data flow and communication between the user interface and the system were efficient. The UI was tested with a small group of users to gather feedback, making it clear that the interface was easy to understand and navigate.
These achievements marked an important step in the development process, as the frontend now offers a polished and functional interface that aligns with the project’s goals of promoting sustainable waste management practices.
In the seventh week, substantial progress was made in finalizing both the backend system and the Bill of Materials (BoM) for the Eco-Wise kiosk. On the backend, we concentrated on refining the system to meet the project’s technical specifications. Key improvements included the implementation of additional features such as detailed transaction logging, API endpoints for reward distribution, and secure user data handling.
The backend system was also integrated with the frontend, ensuring smooth communication between the two components. We conducted API testing to enhance the system's reliability and performance, addressing any issues that arose to improve the robustness of the overall infrastructure. By the end of the week, the backend system was ready for comprehensive testing, marking a critical milestone in the project’s development.
Meanwhile, the Bill of Materials (BoM) was finalized. The team carried out extensive research to identify and source all the necessary hardware and software components for the kiosk, including motors, IoT devices, waste bins, and other materials. The BoM detailed quantities, costs, and suppliers for each item, ensuring the project adhered to both budget constraints and technical requirements. This document was reviewed internally and then submitted to the advisor for feedback and approval, setting the stage for procurement in the upcoming weeks.
These collective efforts in both backend refinement and hardware planning have brought the project closer to becoming a functional and efficient waste management solution.
We developed and tested the Arduino code to handle sensor inputs and control the hardware components, ensuring accurate detection and response during the recycling process. This step was crucial for connecting the physical kiosk with the software systems.
Simultaneously, we worked on integrating the frontend and back-end components. The user interface, created using React, was seamlessly connected with the back-end system to ensure smooth communication and functionality, including real-time updates and accurate reward distribution.
Additionally, we initiated the physical construction of the prototype, assembling hardware components like sensors, bins, and IoT devices. This effort marked the transition from conceptual design to tangible implementation, setting the foundation for testing and refinement in the coming weeks.
In the eighth week, we focused on finalizing the physical prototype of the Eco-Wise kiosk and establishing seamless interaction between the Arduino hardware and the back-end system.
We completed the construction of the prototype by assembling all hardware components, including sensors, bins, and the casing, ensuring a functional and aesthetically pleasing design. Attention was given to ensuring the hardware setup was robust and capable of supporting real-world operations.
Simultaneously, we worked on integrating the Arduino code with the back-end system. The sensors and other hardware components were connected to the back end via APIs, enabling real-time data transfer and processing. This interaction allowed the system to record recycling activities, process rewards, and log transaction details effectively.
By the end of the week, the prototype was fully operational, demonstrating a functional integration between the physical hardware and the software components. This marked a significant step toward testing and validating the system’s overall performance.
In the ninth week, our efforts were focused on documenting the project through a final report and conducting thorough testing of the entire system, including the prototype, website application, and overall functionality.
We collaborated as a team to write the final report, detailing the project objectives, methodologies, system architecture, and outcomes. The report included insights into the design and development process, the integration of hardware and software, and the alignment of the project with sustainability goals. Special emphasis was placed on highlighting challenges faced during the project and how they were overcome, as well as potential areas for future improvements.
Simultaneously, we conducted extensive testing of the Eco-Wise kiosk. This involved:
Verifying the functionality of the prototype hardware, including sensors and reward mechanisms.
Testing the integration between the Arduino system and the back-end for real-time data processing.
Ensuring the website application provided a seamless user experience with accurate guidance and instructions.
Feedback from the testing phase allowed us to make final adjustments and ensure the system was ready for deployment. By the end of the week, the project was well-documented, thoroughly tested, and prepared for presentation.
This week focused on testing the fully integrated prototype, including frontend, backend, and Arduino systems, with an emphasis on the image recognition functionality for identifying plastic bottles. The testing phase ensured accurate classification of bottles, seamless communication between components, and a smooth user experience for the reward system. Additionally, the final project report was completed, detailing the methodology, technical implementation, and alignment with SDGs. With the successful completion of integration testing and documentation, the project is now ready for demonstration, marking a significant milestone in the Eco-Wise initiative.