Projects – SmallDesign

A history of old projects

An image of a faces mask testing device V0.3. It holds 2 masks, through which fans suck in air. The pressure drop across the masks and particle filtration efficacy are measured and displayed.

Face Mask Quality Testing Device V0.3

Versatile laptop holder for persons who are bed-ridden

Automated lemonade maker

Low-cost projector + computer for rural / semi-urban digital class room (youtube link)

Innovative low-cost frugal seismometer made from optical computer mouse

Outside view of an electronics data acquisition and control unit

A Data acquisition and Control electronics for an Infrared Vertical Profile Radiometer. Developed for SAMEER / IITB.

Solar spices roasting system.

Controller for vegetable drying profile generating instrument

SmallDAQ - Versatile low-cost data acquisition and control system implemented for automation of a Jaggery plant

SmallDAQ - Versatile low-cost opensource data acquisition and control system

Breathe2 Air pollution measurement and communication device

RainCloud – low cost rain measurement device

Control trigger for finger control of a car clutch. This trigger is connected to a powerful servo which overrides the clutch foot pedal, thus relieving leg stress on restless city roads.

Wifi/RS485 controlled 16 channel Digital Input / Output board for driving relays and interfacing inputs from 5-24V.

Wifi/RS485 controlled 16 channel 24-bit Analog inputs board. Each channel can be configured to interface RTD, k-type thermocouples, thermistors, or voltage inputs from 0-5V, or current inputs from 4-20mA, wein bridge sensors, etc.

UI screen for RPi based solar kitchen control system, implemented at Venture Center, Pune.

Raspberry Pi based controller with HMI DI DO analog inputs and temperature measurements

My very first major electronics project - a Raspberry Pi based controller with various DI, DO, analog inputs and temperature measurement (RTD) cards. It hosted a HMI of my own design built on Python QT.

Scientifically designed sanitary napkin incinerator prototype for Vigyan Ashram, Pune. The bio contents are cycled through drying, incineration by gasification processes controlled by an arduino board.

My very first paid electronics project - an arduino based data logger for a solar kitchen project at NCL, Pune. It sent cooking and temperature data via email to the scientists.

Quick prototype of a basic medical ventilator controller. Constructed during the high demand low resources phase of COVID-19. I made this for COEP, Pune.

Active (updated – April 2022)

Commercial projects:
1. Looking for next project.
Socially relevant projects:
1. Citizen Science
  1. Weather station: In collaboration with RRBCEA, Empress Garden, Pune and EarthWatch, India
  2. Seis-mouse-meter (Hackaday link) – A low-cost hack of a computer optical mouse to measure seismic vibrations (prototype #3.1).
2. Assistive Technology:
  1. Arbitrary position laptop/tab holder for a persons with spinal cord injury/bedridden. (blog)
  2. Developing an easy to carry, low cost tactile drawing system for kids with blindness or visual impairments. (proto 1, proto 2, proto 3, proto 4)
3. Education
  1. Low-cost projector + computer for rural / semi-urban digital class room (proto #3 video link)
4. COVID19 – As part of IndiaCOVIDSoS group (funding from The Giving Back Fund, USA)
  1. Open source mask testing device (blog)
  2. O2 concentrator driven and used within an ambulance (pdf proposal)

Completed

Radiometer Data acquisition and Control unit for SAMEER / IITB.
Citizen Science projects:
- Breathe2 air pollution monitoring network (blog)
- RainCloud – low cost rain measurement device (blog) [ not successful]
SmallDAC setups – Low cost opensource and openhardware intended PLC alternatives for low budget scientific and industrial applications.
1. Vegetable Dryer system, Parbani. Maharashtra. Client – Sarvaay LLP, Pune.
2. PPE fabric testing unit. – Client – Texol Engineering Pvt. Ltd., for NMRL/DRDO contract.
3. MSME Jaggery production unit, Wagholi, Pune. – Client – Sarvaay LLP, Pune.
4. Drying Apparatus : Controller for vegetable drying profile generating instrument – Client – Mr. Ameya Kulkarni, BARC/ICT, Mumbai.
5. MSME Jaggery production unit , Loni, Pune – Client – Sarvaay LLP, Pune).
6. Solar powered kitchen setup -Client – NCL’s Venture Center, Pune.
7. Vegetables drying unit: Biomass powered vegetable drying unit – Client – Mr. Pramod Bhurji, Loni, Pune.
8. NCL Old canteen SmallDAq V1 – an Arduino based data logger + email transmission unit for NCL’s solar kitchen setup – Client – NCL, Pune.
Solar thermal spices roasting system – Client – Dr. Vishal Sardeshpande, IIT Bombay.
Low smoke sanitary pad incinerator – Client – Vigyan Ashram, Pabal, Pune.
Automated lemon juicer V1– Client – Mr. Radheshyam Ratnaparkhi, Pune.
Python code for tailored graphical presentation of scientific data – Client – Prof. Francesco Contino, VUB, Belgium

Slow development / shelved / terminated:

Small form-factor silicone valve for water and oil tanks – Client – Zimplistic Pte., Singapore
Online presentation to handout converter based on LaTeX template – Client – Prof. Francesco Contino, VUB, Belgium
Small manually operated rice planter
Vibration powered mobile phone charger
Biomass water distiller – biomass (wood,charcoal) powered water distiller for small rural families