Introduction: The “You Got Mail” will help people know when there is mail in their mailbox. When people go up their driveway they may miss that there is mail in their mailbox. People that are in a hurry may forget or not even remember that it is mail day. There is currently a mailbox that lights up your address but that is only the surface of what I am doing. My mailbox will allow you to see when you have mail. When going up your driveway for example you need to know that there is mail in your box. This mailbox will eliminate wasted time on checking for mail when there is nothing in your box. It can also be dangerous for some people to go to their mailbox. This can save people’s lives. This attachment will be on the back of the mailbox. This mailbox will help you see that you have mail.
Objectives: The goal is to make people spend less time checking for mail when there is nothing there and to reduce the amount of people that get injured while going to their mailbox. Also taking in consideration the electrical things could fail or not work but they could also get damaged. If the “You Got Mail” breaks then you could go a couple of days without realizing it because you might think you just have not gotten mail yet. It still needs to allow the mailbox to function how it was always intended.
Design Strategy: The first approach is to make a pressure plate but thinking more on it that would not work because the mail would be too light to activate the pressure plate. The following idea was to have a motion sensor or light sensor to tell a light bulb to turn on.
Plan of Action:
Create a attachment to the mailbox that will attach to the back of the mailbox
Build a arduino board that has a photoresistor attached that will turn on a light bulb
Test the product to see if it works
If it does not work then relook and check wires
If it does not work then rethink idea
Verification:
Testing Procedures: The test procedure includes putting on safety glasses then wiring the arduino board so that it allows for a photoresistor to work and then that photoresistor will power or activate a light bulb when a bright light appears. The code for the photoresistor will be put into the board or sent to it.
Tolerance Analysis: The mailbox needs to be able to tell the homeowner that there are things in their mailbox and for this to happen the attachment needs to turn on at the right time. The important thing is that the attachment doesn't break and that it works. The mailbox light needs to be able to show the user there is mail in their box. The mailbox attachment should not stop or confuse the delivery driver.
Cost and Schedule:
Cost Analysis:(10/hour) * “You Got Mail” 5 hours= $50
Schedule: The “You Got Mail” will be completed in that time frame. Then the hours it takes to make it will take 5 hours and the person making it will be paid 10 an hour.
Bibliography:
Circuits, & Instructables. (2023, May 19). Light sensor (photoresistor) with Arduino in Tinkercad. Instructables. https://www.instructables.com/Light-Sensor-Photoresistor-Arduino-Tinkercad/
Mailbox lighting tips. Warehouse Lighting. (n.d.). https://www.warehouse-lighting.com/blogs/lighting-application-suggestions/mailbox-lighting
Docs.arduino.cc. (n.d.). https://docs.arduino.cc/learn/starting-guide/getting-started-arduino/
Seifert, D. (2020, December 22). Ring’s mailbox sensor is one of the nerdier smart home gadgets I’ve tested. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/22193709/ring-mailbox-sensor-review
Sense smart mailbox alarm, SMA11. X. (n.d.). https://www.x-sense.com/products/x-sense-smart-mailbox-alarm?srsltid=AfmBOopgz6EUFzxmxBm_JDgE3IDXfyopo6yRCZBA1qfGzmK3PPwyo8Mz