A Project By:
A Delaware LLC
Prepared By: Luyao Fan, Stephen Itschner, Mohammed Jamali,
Jacob Lafond, and Gregory Mayle
Prepared For: Yenumula V Reddy, PhD
WVU Lane Department of Computer Science & Electrical Engineering
4/24/2013
Special Thanks To:
Powsiri Klinkachorn, PhD
(Technical Mentor)

The following proposal was developed as the result of collaboration between those cited on the title page. Although only one document was produced, we would like to recognize the individual contributions of each author.

Luyao Fan – Test Plan (section 4)

Stephen Itschner – Project Management (section 5), and hardware breakdown (section
3.7)

Mohammed Jamali – Problem Statement (section 1)

Jacob Lafond – System Design (section 3), with the exclusion of section 3.7
 Gregory (“Jordan”) Mayle – Requirements Specification (section 2)
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PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.1
INTRODUCTION
1.2
NEED
1.3
RANKING OF NEEDS
1.4
BACKGROUND
1.5
OBJECTIVE
1.6
STAKEHOLDERS
REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATIONS
2.1
E NGINEERING REQUIREMENTS
2.2
MARKETING REQUIREMENTS
2.3
CONSTRAINTS
2.3.
A ECONOMIC
2.3.
B ENVIRONMENTAL
2.3.
C ETHICAL AND LEGAL
2.3.
D SOCIAL
2.3.
E MANUFACTURABILITY
2.3.
F POLITICAL
SYSTEM DESIGN
3.1
S COPE
3.2
C ONTEXT DIAGRAM
3.3
DEFINITIONS
3.4
INTERFACE DESCRIPTIONS
3.5
SYSTEM FUNCTIONS
3.6
SOFTWARE BREAKDOWN
3.7
HARDWARE BREAKDOWN
3.8
ACCEPTANCE TEST
3.9
USE CASES
TEST PLANS
4.1
COMPONENT TESTS
4.2
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
4.3
INTEGRATION TESTS
4.4
ACCEPTANCE TESTS
4.5
DESCRIPTION OF FAILURE MODES
4.6
SYSTEM RECOVERY
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7
5
5
5
8
10
10
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10
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8
9
9
9
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12
13
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29
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
5.1
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
5.2
PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENTS
5.3
GANTT CHARTS & M ILESTONES
5.4
C ONTINGENCY P LANS
APPENDIX ONE – PROCUREMENT LIST
APPENDIX TWO – PROJECT WEBSITE
APPENDIX THREE – BACKGROUND RESEARCH
A.3.1
S TEPHEN I TSCHNER
A.3.2
G REGORY (“J ORDAN ”) M AYLE
A.3.3
JACOB L AFOND
A.3.4
L UYAO F AN
A.3.5
M OHAMMED J AMALI
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66
78
89
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54
4

There exists a clear divide in the level of comfort everyday consumers take in technological advancement. Acceptance is not uniformly distributed across all aspects of consumer life, and in many cases invention or innovation are not enough to promote acceptance of the product by the end user. Taken as a case study is the current technological state of refrigeration, its technical potential for improvement, and the incentives that will motivate the eventual adoption of a technological improvement in the stereotypically low-tech venue that is home refrigeration.
Overall, the current state of the art in refrigeration and home storage is sorely lacking in terms of originality and innovation. Given the prevalence of these devices, and the current state of technology in other areas, it should be possible to demonstrate a refrigerator which operates more intelligently and optimally by aid of computational power and automated storage. The beauty of knowing storage contents exactly within a fridge will allow for future expansion of features, and will broaden appeal for the adoption of the product to end users and consequently spur sales. Increased sales and market share, in turn, will lead to increased revenue from advertisement sales and sale of consumption data passively harvested over time.
The market for such a refrigerator as the Smart Fridge exists given the projected growth of the home appliance sector. It is set to explode and reach over $14 billion in the United States within the next 4 years. This kind of potential market provides the room for an addition to the manufacturers of refrigerators. Since competition breeds innovation, Home & Larder as a refrigerator manufacturer will lead to a considerable and measureable change in what household refrigerators are capable of.
With all the technologies that are being introduced and spread around the world, every aspect of any electronic device is getting smarter and smarter. There are some issues with storage in modern day refrigeration that many people face; one of these issues is that old items expire without the user realizing. Another issue is that users routinely run short of items in their refrigerators because there is no inventory of what’s stored inside. Running out of groceries when the consumer is in a pinch for time, causes many users to make rash, short-term purchases without looking at the price as closely as they might otherwise. This behavior costs everyday consumers time and money. Throwing away expired refrigerated food that has been inadvertently neglected is another main reason that people waste money in the status quo. Our product will effectively solve these issues and help everyday consumers save money.
“Improving modern refrigeration” is a very broad topic that could encompass many ideas.
With the short time span available to our team, priorities to the needs must be considered in order to focus efforts in the most effective way. Below is a prioritized ranking of the tasks that must be accomplished in order to develop a first-generation prototype unit:
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1. Item recognition: The refrigerator will be able to recognize the object/item waved or placed in front of it. A barcode scanner is used primarily and voice recognition may be added later. A camera may be included to add more accuracy to the recognition system.
2. Self-Sorting: Our refrigerator will have a self sorting mechanism that allows the refrigerator to store items/objects in the most efficient way.
3. Touch screen interface: Mounted on the outside of our refrigerator will be a touch screen platform that allows the user to look up what is inside the refrigerator. It can also be used to input items manually.
4. RFID chip: A RFID chip can be placed on the items bought for a universal recognition system. While the first-generation prototype proposed here will be designed to work with existing goods, most of which are not identified via RFID, a future of smarter refrigerators and changing trends in product inventory methods may mandate the inclusion of RFID technology.
5. Weight sensor: this sensor is going to be used to determine the weight of an item. As the lowest priority feature of the prototype unit, this functionality will be included if time permits.
A group member found an article online about how people may stop wasting food and start saving money. The interesting thing is that the refrigeration method proposed here meets four out of the five points recommended by AUTHOR in ARTICLE.
As for future implementation, we are going to be able to add many features on our touch screen interface. Two of our objectives are getting to now what’s needed in a short period of time before we run out of it and save a unexpected trip to the grocery store, and knowing where to get the cheaper grocery item. This way we get people to save even more on groceries according to an online article about how to save on groceries.
Price wise, we are looking to go below what other “smart refrigerators” cost. A Samsung smart refrigerator costs between $2699 and $3699, and an LG refrigerator costs around $3499.
Our business model will allow us to sell comparable units for significantly less money.
The objective of Home & Larder is to introduce a revolutionary smart refrigerator that’s able to manage and store food automatically, in the most efficient and user-friendly configuration possible. Since the refrigerator will know exactly what’s stored inside, it’s going to be as simple as buying any item at the grocery store, bringing it home and sticking it into a box. The box is smart enough to recognize that item and sort it automatically inside the refrigerator in a convenient way. In place of the usual shelves and bins, the Smart-Fridge will incorporate an automated storage and retrieval system consisting of plastic, leak-proof bins which are managed in a dynamic matrix. The process of storing an item starts with recognition. This can be done in several ways. Lately, Toshiba introduced a camera that can recognize nearly every object. It can differentiate between two different types of apples, it can even differentiate between whether the
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item is organic or not. We will work on getting our refrigerator to have some implementation.
When the fridge knows what’s going to go into it, and the item placed into an open bin, the smart fridge will take that item and move it in a fashion way inside and store it in an efficient way so that most of the space inside the refrigerator gets used.
We intend to sell our product to regular people because it’s an everyday used item.
Refrigerators are used every day all day. People who get our product are people that are looking to save more money each year. Many wealthy people or people who build a new house always look for the latest technologies to put in their homes, and our product is considered one of the most important item in a house. This product may expand its users to restaurants with the improvements of the product.
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Engineering Requirement No. Engineering Requirement Description
1 Refrigerator should be AT LEAST as efficient in cooling as
2 the average modern refrigerator (long-term goal)
Should be able to group food according to similar storage
3 climate conditions (long-term goal)
Must be able to automatically determine the ideal conditions in regards to climate for each food item
4 Must have an automatic, carousel-style storage system to store system grouped food items together
5
6
7
8
9
10
Storage system must be completely automated via software
Software must be as efficient enough to operate without latency on a tablet computer with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB DDR3 memory
Should have a graphical-based user interface that the user can use to interact with the refrigerator. The interface will allow the user to view items in the refrigerator, request to store a new item, and request to retrieve a stored item
Should automatically rinse, with water, fruit and vegetable items for the user (long-term goal)
Should contain a separate, cooled tank to hold milk and dispense the milk through the front door so the user is not required to open the refrigerator (long-term goal)
Must know its own inventory so that, if summoned, can provide a list of items low on stock to the user via the GUI
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12
Should have some sort of cloud-based A.I., so the system can learn from food storage/climate mistakes so as not to make them twice (long-term goal)
Should contain a bar-code scanner to easily identify food items and then use identity to determine storage conditions
13 Should contain redundant and failsafe systems that allow the user to access items stored in the refrigerator manually. Mean
Time before Failure for all components used (long-term goal) should be greater than 175000 hours
Marketing Requirement No. Marketing Requirement Description
1
2
Must have constant access to internet via Wi-Fi or
Ethernet (Mobile data access package eventually available) for fully functional operation.
On average, 8 out of 10 users should be able to perform food storage and retrieval using the GUI without any outside explanation or assistance
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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User must be able to view refrigerator status and inventory via mobile application or internet browser
(long-term goal)
User should be able to change storage conditions for their items and their discretion via the user interface (shortterm goal), and via mobile application or internet browser
(long-term goal)
Mean Time before Failure for all components used should be greater than 20 years (175000 hours) to ensure consumer confidence (long-term goal)
Refrigerator set-up should be fully accomplished in two steps: plugging the unit into a standard 120V, 60Hz power outlet, and then following setup prompts on the touch screen interface.
Should consume less than 355 kW-hours of energy per year
Should provide "Low on stock" alerts for food items that are becoming scarce
GUI should be encrypted and contain firewall to protect against remote attacks and data sniffing
If system attack is detected, refrigerator should go into a simple, old-school refrigerator cooling mode to prevent the attack from spoiling all food contained within
If power is lost, an alarm should sound to alert the user
All food storage and retrieval operations should be completed in under 2 steps from the UI home screen.
Should use most modern materials available to ensure proper function as well as the lowest cost possible
2.3.
A
–
ECONOMIC
The working prototype will be constructed by installing a novel touch-screen interface and custom-fabricated storage and retrieval system into a commercially available refrigerator shell.
At this time, there is no intention to adjust the cooling system included in the shell for the purpose of the prototype. The cost of this will be dependent upon the unit costs of the components involved in the touch-screen interface and storage and retrieval system.. Since the installation will be done by team members, the cost pertaining to the installation is only the time of the members doing the installing. The refrigerator shell will be provided by Dr. Reddy free-ofcharge and is not a factor in the cost. The cost of the electronics needed to implement the design features will depend upon market conditions, as well as quality of other parts used.
2.3.
B
–
ENVIRONMENTAL
First and foremost, the design, hardware, installation, and everything pertaining to the development and build of the refrigerator must adhere to all current EPA laws. The refrigerator
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should be as efficient as technically possible given the features to ensure that it uses the least amount of power possible to store the food ideally. The electricity and environmental costs to operate the refrigerator should not exceed the average electricity and environmental costs of today's refrigerators. Once users are finished using the product, safe and environmental-friendly disposal is required.
2.3.
C
–
ETHICAL AND LEGAL
User information pertaining to food inventory, food storage, name and address, telephone number, IP address, or internet provider stored by the GUI shall not be sold, nor given, to a thirdparty without first obtaining consent from the user.
2.3.
D
–
SOCIAL
The refrigerator as a whole
should be easy to use and require minimum input from the user. All on-screen information should be easy to read.
2.3.E
–
MANUFACTURABILITY
The refrigerator should contain as few custom parts as necessary to ensure parts availability from various vendors. Reducing the number of custom parts reduces the risk and relying on a thirdparty to interpret and manufacture our design. The software the refrigerator uses should be opensource for maximum transparency and so the user can make any changes they deem necessary.
2.3.F
–
POLITICAL
The refrigerator should use the safest Hydrofluorocarbons available today as its refrigerant. The device should also meet or exceed all FAA and ISO requirements.
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The Smart Refrigerator’s software will be how the user will interact with the refrigerator. The refrigerator’s system will read in items that are to be stored, and will have the capability to display to the user the items already stored, if a usual item is missing or low, and possible recipes that could be used with the items stored into the refrigerator. This document will show the role the software plays in interfacing with the user.
Enter Item
Retrieve Item
Scan Item
User Refrigerator
Display Recipes
Display All Items
Table 3.1
3.3.1 Database
Refers to a set of data held in a computer/server.
3.3.2 Developer
Refers to Home & Larder
3.3.3 Refrigerator
The Smart Refrigerator.
3.3.4 Software
The programs and other operating information used by a computer.
3.3.5 User
Any person who uses the refrigerator system’s interface.
3.3.6 User Interface
The means by which the user and a computer system interact.
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The diagram below is a representation of what the user will see and the tasks the user can use when using the refrigerator’s software.
Enter Item
Scan Item
View Items
Manually Enter Item
User
Recipes
Grocery List
Item List
Retrieve Item
List of Possible Recipes
Select Item Wanting to Use
List of Items Missing
Table 3.2
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13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

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The diagrams below show how data flows between the user and the system’s software. The first diagram shows the flow of information for the functions they would be using. The second diagram shows how a grocery store would flow information to and from the system.
Scanner
Item’s Barcode
Item information
User
List of items in storage
Item
Item List All Items data
Smart
Refrigerator
Item to be looked up
Item Specific
Recipe Specific Item data
All Items data
List of recipes
Recipe
Organizer
Recipes that could be created Known Recipes
Table 3.3
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Advertisement
Coupon
Coupon
Grocery Store Organized Data
All User consumption
Consumption Data
Individual User
Consumption
Consumption Data
Smart
Refrigerator
Order
Delivery service Grocery list Grocery List
List of missing items
Consumer
Organized grocery list
Table 3.4
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The choice of overall hardware design and involved a progression of thought which evolved over time. Originally, the design methodology included a movable grid of bins. This would allow for maximal packing efficiency, but storage and retrieval times would suffer somewhat as a consequence. With the bin array concept, mechanisms would need to be in place which could mechanically extract a single bin from within the array. While this was not impossible, the technical challenges of doing so would require either an automated arm or other robotic device to manually rearrange the grid. A self-sorting array would involve an innumerable number of parts, which in and of itself is an open invitation to product failure. Such a product would be difficult to clean and would provide little to no access to food in the event of a power outage. Additionally, the technical challenges posed by the construction of a self-sorting bin grid are staggering. In our collective opinion, pursing this option left very little chance of obtaining a working prototypical model within the timeframe available.
Due to the imperfections with the grid-based design, the team began to seek alternative solutions to the self-sorting problem. The solution which won out involved a system of turntables, much like can be seen in certain varieties of fresh food vending machines. The figures below provide a limited illustration of the structure of the self-sorting system. Numerical values used during drafting are a reflection of dimensions found in a fridge form-factor widely available in today’s market. They are based on the generally accepted industry standard dimensions of a
“countertop fridge”, and are designed to fit well in most consumers’ homes.
Figure 3.1 – Conceptualization of Automated Storage Device
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Figure 3.2 – Illustration of individual rotation capable by components
Figures 3.1 and 3.2 illustrate the basic design premise of the internal storage concept.
Taken together, two semicircular storage carousels have a radius of approximately 10 inches, which is taken based on the dimensions of figure 3.3. Due to the semicircular nature of each storage piece and the translational and rotational motion motors will afford to it, the entire system will be able to cycle and self-sort, using each semicircular storage piece as a fundamental unit. What is not illustrated here is the motion which will make this system behave as intended.
Each semicircle is able to move freely up or down the central column. This will be accomplished using a motor-driven chain system. This design prevents collisions, since all pieces will move synchronously with the chain.
Besides movement up and down the central column, rotation will be afforded by this design. When two semicircles come together to form a full carousel (as seen in the figures), they are allowed a full 360 degree rotation about the center column. Also, at the top or bottom of the column, an individual semicircle is able to rotate 360 degrees independently of a mirror counterpart. This gives semicircles that have moved all the way to the top or bottom vertically the chance to rotate and move up or down the reverse side.
This structure means that, given the proper series of vertical movement (up and down the column), and rotational movement (around the central column), any semicircle could be located at any position within the system. Also, any pairing of semicircles is realizable. This is
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important, because a primary advantage of the device is that users need not open the door to retrieve food items. Instead, primary interaction occurs through a storage and retrieval port located on the refrigerator’s face. Using the system described in Figures 3.1 and 3.2, any carousel location within the system can be moved exactly to the height and location of the port, and thus be made accessible to the user for food storage or retrieval in that location.
Figure 3.3 – A case study of dimensions for a typical “countertop-depth” refrigerator
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Failed Add add_Item
Determines a location to store an item, and moves this location to the front
Goal
Successful Add
Input
Item is known, and a location is determined
Item cannot be stored because no location can be found
Expected Output
Item gets stored in given location
Prompts the user that no location is available scan_Item
Scans an items barcode and puts information into database
Successful Scan
Failed Scan
Goal Input
Valid, known barcode.
Barcode is unknown to the database
Expected Output
Information about the item is stored in the refrigerator’s database.
The user is prompted manually input the items information.
Failed input
Goal
Successful input man_enter_Item
User selects to enter the item manually
Input
Item, and information is entered validly.
Item, and information is entered invalidly.
Expected Output
The item is stored and the information is stored in the database.
The user is prompted to input the information again.
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Successful call
Goal
Successful call
Failed call input_Item
User selects item is to be entered
Input
Item can then be scanned.
Item can then be manually entered.
Function fails to start.
Expected Output
The scan_Item is called.
The man_enter_Item is called.
The function stops, and the user is asked to try again.
Goal
Successful display
No items to display item_List
Displays a list of the items in the refrigerator
None
None
Input Expected Output
The items stored are displayed in a list.
Message displaying that the refrigerator is empty.
Goal
Successful retrieval
Failed retrieval retrieve_Item
Retrieves the selected item from the refrigerator
Input
Valid item selected
Item is not currently being stored in the refrigerator
Expected Output
Retrieves selected item from storage.
User is prompted that the item is not currently in storage
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recipe_List
Displays a list of possible recipes
Successful list
Failed list
Goal Input
Items stored in refrigerator
Items in refrigerator not in any recipe
Expected Output
List of all possible recipes is displayed
A message displaying no recipe can be made
Successful list
Failed list
Goal item_Recipe
Displays possible recipes that could be made with selected items
Input
Item wanted to use
Expected Output
A recipe is displayed using the selected item(s)
Item either does not exist in database, or is not in any known recipe
Message saying that no recipe can be found
Successful
Failed
Goal replace_Item
Displays a list of items that need to be replaced
None
None
Input Expected Output
A list of items that have been taken out and not replaced
Message saying no items need replacing
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Successful
Failed
Goal expiration_date
An expiration date is given to an item that is being entered
Input Expected Output
Item with known expiration date Item’s expiration date
Item with no known expiration date
The user is prompted that the item has no know expiration date expiration_date_change
Gives the user the opportunity to change the expiration date
Successful change
Failed
Goal Input
New expiration date
Invalid date entered
Expected Output
Old expiration date gets changed to the new date
User gets prompted that the date entered in invalid
Successful
Failed coupon
Gives grocery stores the chance to advertise coupons based on consumers habits
Goal
Coupon
Input Expected Output
Gets displayed to the user
Consumer does not agree to have consumption habits tracked
No coupon gets displayed
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consumption_tracker
What the consumer consumes will be tracked and logged in different charts and graphs
Successful
Goal Input
Item consumed
Expected Output
Consumption information gets tracked
Failed track
Failed track
Consumption does not agree to be tracked
Item consumed does not get tracked because items nutrition information is unknown
None
Item’s information does not get added
Failed expiration_date_warning
When items are set to expire within a week the refrigerator will give the user a warning
Goal
Successful
Input
Item’s expiration date
Expected Output
Gets displayed to the user
Consumer does not agree to have consumption habits tracked
No coupon gets displayed
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Consumer
Grocery List
Grocery Delivery
Service
Insert Item Scan Item
Retrieve Item
Coupon
Advertisements
Expiration Date
Individual
Consumption Track
All User
Consumption Data
Recipe
Item Specific
Recipe
Table 3.5
Grocery Store
Physician
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Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Grocery List
Consumer
The Smart Refrigerator keeps track of items that have been retrieved from storage. These items get placed into a list that can be seen by the user.
The user selects the grocery list function
Displays a list of items to be replaced
Grocery Delivery Service
Consumer, Grocery Store
Using the grocery list that automatically gets created by the refrigerator; the user can place an order from select grocery stores for their delivery service.
The user selects the grocery list function, then selects place order.
Places an order to the selected grocery store for their delivery sevice.
Grocery store does not offer service – Then this option will not be available
User does not have the ability to make orders
(Possibly they do not have a profile with the grocery store, not registered) – This option will not be available.
Insert Item
Consumer
The Smart Refrigerator allows the user to insert an item
The user selects that they want to insert an item.
The Smart Refrigerator then prompts the user to scan the items barcode, or if manual item input is necessary.
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Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Scan Item
Consumer
The Smart Refrigerator has a built in barcode scanner that can scan a barcode, and recognize a food item.
The user selects that they want to insert an item.
Informs the user to scan the items barcode.
Retrieve Item
Consumer
The Smart Refrigerator can automatically retrieve an item in storage for the user. It will locate the item and move it to the front of the refrigerator.
The user selects which item(s) they want to retrieve from the refrigerator
Locates the item, and rotates the shelf so that the item is located at the front of the refrigerator.
Item is not in storage – Item will not be able to be retrieved.
Coupon Advertisements
Consumer, Grocery Store
The Smart Refrigerator will be able to display advertisements to the user.
The grocery store sends the advertisements indirectly to the refrigerator.
Displays the coupon to the screen on the refrigerator
Expiration Date
Consumer
The Smart Refrigerator keeps track of item’s expiration date.
When the user inserts an item into the refrigerator. An adjustable expiration date is added to the item.
Displays a list of items that will expire soon
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Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Use Case
Actor
Description
Stimulus
Response
Exception
Consumption Track
Consumer
The Smart Refrigerator keeps track of the users consumption. When items are taken from the refrigerator it gets tracked, and added to the consumption tracker.
The user removes an item from the refrigerator.
Displays a list of items that have been consumed, as well as other nutritional information
All user consumption data
Grocery store, physician
The Smart Refrigerator keeps track of the users consumption. When items are taken from the refrigerator it gets tracked, and added to the consumption tracker. This data gets sent to Home
& Larder who will then add all the data from all users together for use by grocery stores and physicians
User’s consumption information gets tracked.
Information gets sent to Home & Larder’s system
Recipe
Consumer
The Smart refrigerator will look up recipes that can be made from the items in the refrigerator.
The user selects the look up recipe function
Displays a list of recipes that can be made.
Item Specific
Consumer
If the user wants to make a recipe that includes a specific item, then this will allow the user to look up recipes that include the desired item.
The user selects the specific item and the look up recipe function.
Displays a list of recipes that can be made, or are a few ingredients short.
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Testing Plan
1.
Component tests a) Turn on the refrigerator for one day to see if it can keep foods frozen or not. b) Use some heavy food to see if the bin is durable or not. c) Check if the table works or not. d) Test the microphone system and see if it can clearly get want the user said or not. e) Use some food to see if the RFID support can read the bar code or not.
2.
Failure mode analysis a)
If the refrigerator can’t froze the food any more.

Check the set temperature to see if it is too high or not. If so, set a lower temperature.

Check if the user put too many food and make it crowd inside the refrigerator.

Check if the user put too many hot foods inside the refrigerator. If so, take the food outside the refrigerator.

If the user open and close the door of the refrigerator frequently. If so, stop doing that.

If the user put the refrigerator in the area where can exposed to direct sunlight or near a heat source.

If there are enough space for the refrigerator radiating.

If the user close the door of the refrigerator or not.
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
Check if the seal on the door of the refrigerator damage or deformation. If so, change the seal. b) If the refrigerator does not work.

Make sure the power is on and the door of the refrigerator is closed.

Check if the plug is securely plugged in.

Check if the voltage is too low. c)
If the bar code reader doesn’t work.

Make sure the power is on.

Make sure the bar code reader connect with the table.

Make sure the bar code can be read.

Make sure the table already downloads the data for all the bar code.
3.
Integration tests a) First, use a wooded box with the same size of the refrigerator and put all the things inside the wooded box. And all the basic tests will be done in this wooded box.
1) Connect the bar code reader with the table and see if it can get the correct item name and correct size just based on the bar code.
2) Connect the microphone system with the table see if it can get the word or not.
3) Connect the table and the carousel-type multi-level storage system to see if the software can control it to stop in the correct place or not.
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b) Second, use some common foods what user usually put in the refrigerator to see if the software system can read the bar code and get the correct size bin or not. Also check if the hardware system is firm or not.
1) If the bar code reader can read the bar code correct.
2) If the bar code reader can get the correct size of the item based on the bar code.
3) If it can turn to the correct size bin or not after knowing the size of the item.
4) If the cycle can turn to the correct bin when the user want to get one item out. c) Third, try to add some food by the LED display, to see if the system work or not.
1) Can we add or cut the quantity of the food easily?
2) If it can uploads or downloads the data from the computer, the phone and the cloud. d) Fourth, try to say some name of the food and test the microphone. e) For a customer who would like to save time in putting away their groceries, try if it works when the user want to open the door and do it by themselves.
4.
Acceptance tests a) Use this refrigerator for at least two week.

To see if the carousel-type multi-level storage system can stop at the correct bin or not.

To see if the carousel-type multi-level storage system can control by the software in the table. And do the correct thing.
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b) Get feedback from real user and make some change based on the feedback form the users. Then do the integration tests again.
5.
Description of failure modes a)
If the refrigerator can’t froze the food any more.

Check the set temperature to see if it is too high or not. If so, set a lower temperature.

Check if the user put too many food and make it crowd inside the refrigerator.

Check if the user put too many hot foods inside the refrigerator. If so, take the food outside the refrigerator.

If the user open and close the door of the refrigerator frequently. If so, stop doing that.

If the user put the refrigerator in the area where can exposed to direct sunlight or near a heat source.

If there are enough space for the refrigerator radiating.

If the user close the door of the refrigerator or not.

Check if the seal on the door of the refrigerator damage or deformation. If so, change the seal. c) If the refrigerator does not work.

Make sure the power is on and the door of the refrigerator is closed.

Check if the plug is securely plugged in.

Check if the voltage is too low. d)
If the bar code reader doesn’t work.
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
Make sure the power is on.

Make sure the bar code reader connect with the table.

Make sure the bar code can be read.

Make sure the table already downloads the data for all the bar code. e) If the users hear the sound such as stream water or boiling water, this is the sound of the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerator, it also happened when the refrigerator stop work. f) If the users hear a crisp sound, it might be the sound caused by the injection molded part expansion or contraction. g) If the users hear the sound of the compressor turn on and off. It is the sound when the compressor running. The sound is louder than usual when the compressor turns on and off. h) If the users found some water near the door of the refrigerator. It is caused by the rainy season, during that season the air humidity is higher than usual. This is called condensation phenomena, such as there are drops on the outside of the cup which full of ice water. i) If the users feel warm on both sides of the refrigerator. This is caused by the temperature in the room. There is no impact foe the food inside the refrigerator.
This always happen in summer and when the user turn on the refrigerator. j) If the user hear some abnormal noise.

If the ground flat or not.

If the refrigerator touch the wall or other item. If so, move the refrigerator away from the item or the wall.
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
If the attachments of the refrigerator put in correct place or not.

If the water tray falls off from the compressor. If so, put it back.

If the refrigerant lines inside the compressor of the refrigerator touch each other or not. If so, make them not touch each other. k) If the refrigerator can’t stop by itself in summer.

Check if the user put too many hot foods inside the refrigerator. If so, take the food outside the refrigerator.

Check the set temperature to see if it is too high or not. If so, set a lower temperature. l) If the user open and close the door of the refrigerator frequently. If so, stop doing that.

The area outside the refrigerator poorly ventilated, or the condenser cooling is not sufficient. m) If the user close the door of the refrigerator or not.

Check if the seal on the door of the refrigerator damage or deformation. If so, change the seal. n) If the defrost water overflow inside the refrigerator or outside it on the ground.

If the drainage holes are blocked. If so, clear the things inside the drainage holes.

If the water tray falls off from the compressor. If so, put it back. o) Odor inside the refrigerator.

If there are any spoiled foods inside the refrigerator.

If the user need to clean refrigerator.
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
If the odorous foods are kept under seal. p)
If the microphone input can’t get what the user said, try to say the word again and say it louder. q) If the bar code reader can’t read the bar code.

Try to move the item closer or farther.

If it still can’t read try to use the microphone input.
6.
System Recovery a) To reset the carousel-type multi-level storage system, there will be a button one side of the refrigerator to reset it. b) For the system recovery, try to reset the system and reload the data for the user’s computers, phones or cloud.

The user has to connect the table with the internet.

The system has to update the data by itself after every time the user put in something and take out something.

The users have to set up their user name and password for download and upload their data on the cloud.
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PROTOTYPE FRIDGE
STORAGE SYSTEM INTERFACE DEVICE RECOGNITION SYSTEM
MOTOR
ASSEMBLY
PHYSICAL
TURNTABLES
DEVELOP UI
CONTROL
MOTORS
BARCODE
RECOGNITION
VIA UPC

SELECT
MOTORS
FOR
CIRCULAR
ROTATION

SELECT
SYSTEM TO
INTERFACE
MOTORS
WITH
TURNTABLES

DEVELOP
DIGITAL
CONTROLLER
TO OPERATE
VIA USB

IDENTIFY
COMPATABLE
PRE-MADE
TURNTABLES

ORDER PARTS
AND INTEGRATE
INTO MOTOR
ASSEMBLY

DEFINE USER
INTERACTIONS

SKETCH FRONT-
END LAYOUT

IMPLEMENT
FRONT-END UI

DEFINE
COMMAND
INTERFACE FOR
MOTOR
CONTROL

DEMONSTRATE
MOTOR
CONTROL VIA
INTERFACE
DEVICE

TRANSLATE
USER INPUT TO
MOTOR
COMMANDS

DETERMINE
HOW TO CALL
EXISTING
BARCODE
READING
FUNCTIONALITY
FROM A
SECOND
PROGRAM
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Stephen Itschner
Activity
Invoke software operations to interface with motor controllers
Select motor and drive system to be used
Design and implement the user interface
Translate user commands to motor control commands
Hours Spent
10
5
15
30
Gregory Mayle
Activity
Select tablet computer to be used as interface device
Design controller to operate motors remotely
Translate user commands to motor control commands
Select physical turntables suitable for final installation
Luyao Fan
Activity
Design controller to operate motors remotely via commands from a PC
Physical integration between motorized storage system and interface device
Hours Spent
2
20
30
5
Hours Spent
20
10
Duration (weeks)
1
1
2
3
Total Hours Spent: 60
Duration (weeks)
0.5
2
3
1
Total Hours Spent: 57
Duration (weeks)
2
1
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Integrate turntables with the motorized storage system and system control system (mount to motor drive system)
Support translation from user commands to motor control commands
Jacob Lafond
Activity
Invoke existing barcode reader functionality from within a custom 3 rd party application
Invoke software operations to interface with motor controllers
Integrate the translation of motor control subroutines with front end software operations
Mohammed Jamali
Activity
Design DC power system for fridge motors and interface unit using standard AC as input
Design controller to operate motors remotely via commands from a PC
Support incremental testing of subsystems and integrations
Support documentation of design process
10
15
Hours Spent
10
10
35
Hours Spent
7
20
15
15
2
3
Total Hours Spent: 55
Duration (weeks)
1
1
2
Total Hours Spent: 55
Duration (weeks)
1
2
5
5
Total Hours Spent: 57
50

August:
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September:
October:
52

November:
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Several problems could potentially arise with the above proposal, which would necessitate that we deviate from the actions proposed in this document. Below is a list of possible exigencies and the steps we plan to take if we encounter them.
1.
Failure to obtain needed parts due to budget constraints a.
We will respond by researching and obtaining alternative parts at a lower price point
2.
Slippage in the overall timeline (behind schedule) a.
We will respond by seeking to find the cause of the delay. If it is due to personnel tasking problems, workflow will be redistributed
3.
Slippage in timeline (ahead of schedule) a.
We will respond by beginning to implement several of the “desirable” features listed in this document as long-term goals
4.
Little to no assistance from Subject Matter Experts or project advisor a.
We will respond by seeking help from others who are knowledgeable in the designated area. This process will continue until an appropriate substitute is found or the problem is solved
5.
Decreased work output from one or more team members for no adequately explained reasons a.
We will respond by seeking punitive grade adjustments for the individual in question as remuneration for the lost productivity
6.
Refinement of the concepts proposed within this document following formal submission a.
With appropriate permissions, we would like to maintain the right to deviate from the points proposed in this document if verifiably superior concepts evolve during the course of design
7.
Failure to obtain a working product on schedule a.
We will respond by presenting a proof of concept device in the absence of a functional prototype. In the event that we cannot provide a deliverable of any kind, we will accept the judgment and consequences from Dr. Reddy, the program instructor
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As a rough estimate, the items listed below will need to be procured prior to experimental build. However, this list is preliminary at best and a formal version will be documented at a later date.
Tablet
Turntables
Motors
Gears
Motor Drivers
The project website is a wikisite, managed by the Lane Department. It serves both a collaborative and informative role, with several subpages. It can be found at the URL below. https://seniordesign.lcsee.wvu.edu/2013springee480-gp02/
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Executive Summary
There exists a clear divide in the level of comfort everyday consumers take in technological advancement. Acceptance is not uniformly distributed across all aspects of consumer life, and in many cases invention or innovation are not enough to promote acceptance of the product by the end user. Taken as a case study is the current technological state of refrigeration, its technical potential for improvement, and the incentives that will motivate the eventual adoption of a technological improvement in the stereotypically low-tech venue that is home refrigeration.
Overall, the current state of the art in refrigeration and home storage is sorely lacking in terms of originality and innovation. Given the prevalence of these devices, and the current state of technology in other areas, it should be possible to demonstrate a refrigerator which operates more intelligently and optimally by aid of computational power and automated storage. The beauty of knowing storage contents exactly within a fridge will allow for future expansion of features, and will broaden appeal for the adoption of the product to end users and consequently spur sales. Increased sales and market share, in turn, will lead to increased revenue from advertisement sales and sale of consumption data passively harvested over time.
Over the years, it is surprising how many things have advanced as technology has advanced. What is possibly even more surprising, though, is how many things have not changed to keep pace with advancing technology. On one extreme, computing and hardware seems to follow Moore’s Law, becoming obsolete in two or three years. On the other extreme, low-tech solutions pervade our culture. These are things like pencil-and-paper, notched keys for mechanical locks, doorknobs, and shoelaces. In some respects, we as a culture seem to segregate and compartmentalize our acceptance of modern technology. We happily accept the nextgeneration computer or multimedia player; those are well-established roles we are used to having technology fill. But when a product comes along that expands this role outside of its currently accepted limits, the initial reaction is always the same: “We don’t need it. We don’t want it.
Stop, you’re scaring us”. This is not a new observation. Nathan Rosenberg said in 1972 that “in the history of diffusion of many innovations, one cannot help being struck by two characteristics of the diffusion process: its apparent overall slowness on the one hand, and the wide variations in rates of acceptance of different inventions, on the other” (Rosenberg, 5).
Consider the inception of the mobile, or “cell”, phone. In its beginning, the concept was trivialized repeatedly, and the number of times “niche market” or “novelty” was used to describe the product is astounding. And yet, over the years, the possession of a mobile phone has largely moved from the exception to the rule. This is a common trend in technology, and we can see countless other examples of products that have been introduced which in some way expand the limits technological integration with daily life. The result is a society that picks and chooses socially acceptable technology, and is quite subtle in its hypocrisy. We demand – expect, even – the latest and greatest in smart phones, televisions, and computers, while at the same time are perfectly content with other everyday items remaining in the Stone Age.
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According to Hall and Khan, this paradox has to do with diffusion of technology.
Although innovators may continually invent and improve upon existing products, it is not until the technology receives widespread adoption that anyone’s life is affected. This concept is important to trying to understand why some technologies are adopted while others are rejected.
Diffusion is defined as “the cumulative or aggregate result of a series of individual calculations that weigh the incremental benefits of adopting a new technology against the costs of change”
(Hall and Khan, 3). To paraphrase, new technology is only accepted once the majority of consumers perceive a benefit of adoption that outweighs the inconvenience.
So, returning to the paradox of technological adoption with this context in mind, it is possible to infer some important points that might be influential in the decision to adopt or not to adopt a technology. Firstly, it is important to note that technology is an “absorbing state” – in other words, once a new technology is adopted, there is a very low probability that it will be “unadopted” in favor of old technology. From an economic perspective, this behavior is perfectly reasonable. Adopting a new technology involves an investment by the end user, which may be a dollar cost for the privilege of using the technology, time investment required for use, and other inconveniences encountered due to adoption. The user is not able to recover this investment by abandoning the adoption (Hall and Khan, 5). A key point to take away from this discussion is that hypocrisy exists in the rates of technological adoption because inventors and innovators are not able or willing to 1) create a product that will benefit a large number of users in the long run more than it inconveniences them; or, in the opinion of the author, 2) successfully convey the advantages of the product in an honest and convincing way, so as to motivate the adoption investment required from consumers. Regardless of the source and root cause, normative analysis cannot be ignored concerning the state of innovation (or, rather, the state of adoption): there exists a clear hypocrisy in technological levels across everyday life.
Nowhere is there a more glaring example of this hypocrisy than in the bland household fixtures that people interact with on a daily basis. For some reason, closets, storage organization devices, refrigeration, and dishwashing appliances seem more like version 2.0 of the 1940’s than something worthy of gracing the cover of Wired . Still, industry leaders in house-holding seem content to keep intact the basic premise of operation (Neanderthal-level shelves, bins, and drawers), opting only to improve and expand upon existing concepts. This way of thinking is as stagnating as it is naïve. If other industries had been able to get away with simple improvements instead of real, game-changing innovation for as long as appliance makers have, we would all still be using payphone booths with padded benches and mood lighting.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. One needs only to compare the refrigeration units from 1950 and the units being produced today to observe the lack of innovation and the sad state of technology to which everyday devices have been relegated.
Household refrigeration became popular in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. During and before this time, food preservation and cooling were accomplished using ice. The term “ice box” was quite literal, as households would have ice (either naturally harvested and shipped, or manufactured by an artificial, steam-powered mechanical process) delivered daily. Delivered ice was chunked up and placed in the top compartment of an insulated box. As the ice melted, it would cool the lower compartments and keep whatever was inside of it below room temperature.
Cutting-edge technology at this time was the mechanical, closed-system refrigerators we know today, which do not require the addition of ice in order to function. Warm winters in 1889 and
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1890 limited the supply of harvested ice and made the process of mechanical refrigeration more popular as an alternative. Household refrigeration first appeared as a mainstay in 1900, and occupied more than one room – compressors in the kitchen were driven by motors in a separate room via a belt system. In 1926, GE came out with the first hermetically sealed refrigeration compressor for home units. By the 20’s and 30’s, ice cube trays were introduced, which was the first glimpse at consumer freezing.
Post WWII refrigeration units benefited from lessons learned in mass-production, and several features were added, such as automatic defrosting features, styling, and storage space.
During the 1970’s, efficiency and environmental concerns ruled the market and design, which began the trend which continues today. Manufacturers became obsessed with improving the efficiency of refrigeration and reducing environmental impact – everything was designed to use less energy, and ozone-damaging CFCs were replaced by other, more environmentally-friendly coolants.
While all this advancement is well and good, from a consumer perspective there are two objectives to refrigeration: efficient storage, and effective preservation. While it’s generally nice and economical that a refrigerator is able to do more with less energy, it doesn’t actually add any value to the consumer where the primary task of the unit is concerned. Today’s fridges do a great job of the second objective – effective preservation – but have completed only token gestures towards improving the way in which a consumer is able to store perishables (namely,
“improving” the design and layout of shelves and bins). Despite this, refrigerator manufactures are trying to integrate new technology. Unfortunately for the consumer, its focus is misplaced.
For example, Samsung added a touch screen display that is app-enabled to the front of its cutting-edge model, touted as “Smart Fridge”. So, thank God, consumers can now send tweets from the front of their refrigerators. Although it’s an interesting advancement, it is most certainly not innovative, and is totally out-of-touch with what mainstream consumers expect their fridges to do.
Consumers are intelligent enough to recognize the Samsung product for what it’s worth with respect to the value it adds to the actual task of refrigeration: nothing. What are important in a fridge are the efficiency of storage and the effectiveness of preservation; all of the rest are novelty features and are totally expendable. The end result of not understanding this is a unit which is touted as “cutting-edge”, and yet performs the actual task of storing the food that’s entrusted to it with all the intelligence of a rock (or, in the case of the Samsung twitter-fridge, that of an ADHD monkey).
The time is ripe for real innovation that is actually in-touch with reasonable consumer expectations. The ability to tweet from your fridge is unnecessary (many have insinuated that it is borderline ridiculous), but more important is the picture it paints of the current state of the market. Manufacturers are totally out-of-touch with the needs of everyday households, and
“technologically advanced” has been reduced to adding a few trite buzzwords to the description and inserting social media plugs. Imagination is gone from the fridge marketplace and nobody is focusing on improving technology where it counts - the core functionality and basic operation of an everyday refrigerator.
Perhaps this is because nobody in the corporate status-quo perceives the problem. If that’s the case, manufacturers aren’t doing their research – even on the secondary objectives like
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energy efficiency. A whopping seven percent of the energy usage of a given fridge goes right out the door, quite literally. As soon as the user opens a typical fridge, all of that cold air spills out onto the floor, and the fridge has to work doubly hard to replace it. The problem is compounded by the organization of the food within a typical refrigerator. If someone can’t find what they’re looking for, the door stays open longer, the compressor works harder, and energy usage increases. What’s the sense of saving pennies and dimes by improving insulation if dollars are spilling onto the floor because consumers can’t find their items once they open the fridge door?
Even more wasteful from an energy perspective is the case where the user just doesn’t remember what’s inside. There is no choice but to open that door and take a look. And if someone still isn’t sure what item they want, even more energy gets wasted as they ponder their selection. Worse than that, refrigerators tend to become tightly packed with food. This means that food goes to waste because manufacturers and designers can’t get together to come up with a more innovative storage mechanism than traditional shelves and bins.
The final nail in the coffin condemning the status-quo of house-holding is that of technological availability and technical ability to move to the next generation of food storage and preservation. The shortcomings mentioned above could easily be forgiven if the technology required to remedy them was not within easy reach. However, this is far from the case today.
Improved organizational systems are a mainstay in modern warehousing, having replaced the traditional shelving system years ago for many online and mail-order companies. Today, computer systems manage inventory and ensure that storage and retrieval are completed with maximum efficiency. An automated and well-organized warehousing system is paramount to maintaining profit margins in today’s distributed distribution economy, and efficient storage was paramount to making that possible. Despite the fact that all of the algorithms and designs have been developed, implemented, and tested, it seems that nobody has attempted to make them smaller in scale and available to the average consumer.
However dire and under-utilized the current state of refrigeration seems, it would be remiss to point out a problem without clearly articulating the potential solutions. First, a longterm vision will be shared for the future of truly innovative household storage, with a focus on refrigeration in particular. Secondly, the timeframe of the design process will be considered in order to focus efforts in a meaning and tenable way. Clear goals and objectives will be defined for the design and fabrication of a prototype unit which demonstrates improved storage functionality, primarily as proof-of-concept for integration into modern household use.
Ideally, we would be able to design a very feature-rich refrigeration unit. Essentially, this would be to exploit the seminal virtue of automated storage: that the system has a real-time knowledge of inventory. This would allow for a plethora of design applications, from dieting control (I can’t let you eat that cake, Dave), to mobile apps that would allow you to browse the contents of your fridge from anywhere in the world. The vision is a storage device that is intuitive to use and also highly efficient. Because storage is automated (you simply drop your food items off at your fridge and it takes care of the storage), items could be packed more efficiently and closer together. Items would be less likely to be forgotten and the user could be politely reminded when produce is expiring, as opposed to having the food rot quietly in the back of a crisper. In short, the long-term expandability of a consumer-scale automated storage device is limited only by imagination and available development time.
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That being said, it is important to realize that an “okay” short-term prototype is better than a full-blown design with all the bells and whistles that is too complicated to make in a reasonable amount of time. In order to make the long-term vision a reality, we have to compromise features and functionality based on the time, money, and resources we have available today. As such, this project will focus on implementing the basic, core functionality of an automated storage system, as a proof-of-concept system. Thus, it is intelligent to rank functionality, from core (non-negotiable) to expandable (somewhat more frivolous and based on the successful implementation of the core).
On the most basic level, there are two non-negotiable functions our proof-of-concept device should be capable of achieving. The first function is the ability to scan and recognize typical refrigerator items. Since it would be impossible to create a database for all possible fridge items, it is acceptable if the system learns over time and gains the ability to do this in the long run. Secondly, it is essential that storage and retrieval of items is automated. If we are able to create hardware and software capable of 1) recognizing food to be stored in a fridge, and 2) automatically handling the storage and retrieval of the food in a black-box style, then we will consider the project to be a success as a proof-of-concept, beta-test style device.
As such, there is a well-defined order of objectives which must be written in a clear and un-ambiguous fashion. The first objective involves the recognition of food items to be stored in a fridge. The food identification system should be capable of identifying any ten randomly chosen food items from a test population of thirty food items, chosen by a disinterested third party. The system is allowed to train for twenty rounds, and be corrected by the user in the case of any mistakes. The twenty-first time that ten random items are selected from this population, however, the system is expected to identify all ten without error on the first try, without user intervention.
This objective ties directly into the idea of cloud-based adaptive image processing, which is something that we would very much like to make a reality in the long term. Since it would be nearly impossible to compile and maintain an exhaustive database for all food items stored by the typical fridge-user, the system will need to be able to learn recognition traits over time. If this is done in an isolated system, where the fridge starts with a blank slate and then learns over time with individual users, users will become fed-up with repeatedly correcting their fridge. Instead, a cloud-based system in which a sort of swarm intelligence takes place would be preferable. This way, one refrigerator could learn from the collective mistakes of all refrigerators. Over time, the total number of identification mistakes should converge to zero, provided that the user base is by and large cooperative. This is a reasonable assumption, because by correcting classification errors the user is gaining a better experience overall.
The second objective refers to the hardware and mechanics of the automated storage system. The automated storage system must be capable of storing at least ten items with volume no larger than two square feet and weight not to exceed five pounds. The system should be able to identify any of the items within storage and make the item selected (and only the item selected) available for retrieval to a user outside of the system. It should take no longer than ten seconds from the time an item in storage is selected to the time that the item is available to the end user. An additional constraint for this prototype is that the items must be stored independently from one another, and must disassemble easily for maintenance, cleaning, and emergency access.
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As a summary, we can compile an objective tree (or table), to better organize the objectives involved in production:
Objective Category
Identification
Identification
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Engineering Requirements
Should be able to identify ten randomly selected items from a test population of 30 such items
The randomly selected items should be those that can be reasonably expected to be found in an average household refrigerator
Each item must be stored independently
Justification
This will provide a small-scale test of whatever classification algorithm we choose to employ
This will provide the highest quality test metric for the application for which it will eventually be deployed
Capable of storing 10 items
Items must have a volume of less than 2 square feet
Items must weigh less than 5 pounds
System must be able to identify, recall, and reproduce an item upon demand
System must be able to make a stored item available to the user within 10 seconds
System must disassemble to allow user to access contents manually in case of malfunction
If food items are stored independently, this will lead the way for future optimization concerning cooling of foods
As a proof-of-concept, 10 items should give a good idea of basic operation parameters and allow for future optimization
System cannot be reasonably expected to handle bulky items during the prototype phase
Heavy items risk breaking the prototype storage system
If the user asks for an item, the system needs to be able to provide it reliably
Long retrieval times will be a serious detriment to end product acceptability
A breakage in one part of the system shouldn’t preclude access until a service representative can arrive
If we have time and available resources, we will incorporate one or more of the following: refrigeration (actually cooling the food items), expansion to include frozen foods, automated storage system cleaning, algorithm enhancement to the storage system to optimize storage and retrieval speeds, tweaking of the hardware to include quieter and smoother operation, testing the user interface with a variety of different users and making adjustments to improve intuitive operation, in that order.
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In the long term, we will be able to improve upon the design up until the point that there is a working, impressive product which can be shown to venture capitalists and other investors.
While the above summarizes the technical requirements of the project, it is also important to note the affordability and cost effectiveness of a high-tech device such as the automated refrigeration unit. According to leading retailer Best Buy, consumer refrigerators sell for prices anywhere between nine hundred dollars for a basic unit all the way up to three thousand dollars (or thereabouts). So, while it’s fair to say that a few of our automated intelligent refrigerators would sell at higher price points, it’s not going to become mainstream technology using the typical business model. Ideally, the smart fridge should be mainstream technology, which means that the price will need to be well within the price range of typical refrigerators. Because of this constraint, we are content to take a loss on the sale of the actual physical unit.
Without making profit on the fridge itself, the business plan must expand to include other needs and stakeholders. In most situations, selling a unit below the cost of production would spell disaster. However, by lowering the price, we are also expanding the demand and the user base of our product. This user base will become our largest asset in a digital, information-hungry age. In short, the stage is set perfectly for Home&Larder LLC to become the world’s largest consumer consumption data collection and handling firm. Since our products will require internet access to enjoy their full functionality, it would require minimal modifications to send back non personally identifiable information about the consumption habits of households. Gone are the days when market research firms will survey participants to determine eating habits; we can effectively eliminate response bias by collecting real data directly from the population. This data has a high potential for commercialization, with numerous commercial and government organizations interested in finding out what people eat. With optimization, metrics, and statistics, we will be able to collect and sell key marketing insights such as consumption by region, user type, family size, and also correlations in consumption between multiple food items. This data will give key insights to the restaurant and food production industry, and allow firms from across the industry to better cooperate (especially in the case where complimentary products are involved). For example, our data could answer the question “what types of people are most likely to consume 18 count eggs”. We are also looking forward to interesting and unexpected food consumption correlations.
The data collection aspect of the business ties directly in to the other important monetizing feature of the company: targeted advertisements. The fridge is considered by many to be the central hub of the home, and as such it is a prime opportunity for advertisements to reach their audience where they live. Imagine the joy of supermarkets determining that they can send coupons directly to the fridge-front of thousands of potential customers. Or cereal manufacturers that can create kid-friendly advertisements to promote breakfast cereals. Restaurants can tout their convenience instead of cobbling together leftovers. In short, we believe that we have a viable and extremely profitable business opportunity by the virtue of the sheer volume of user base that will be attracted by the next generation design and innovative, helpful features of refrigeration.
Of course, some consumers may prefer not to be bothered by advertisements. For those, we are considering adopting something similar to an Amazon Kindle style pricing scheme. If ads are upsetting, simply buy a higher-priced unit to cover hardware costs, or choose to pay a monthly subscription service in lieu of the revenue Home&Larder would be making off of the
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sale of advertisements. On the other hand, there is no plan to allow a user to opt out of data collection services.
Of course, this is all based upon stakeholders and our interpretation of their desires. As an exercise, it may be informative to attempt to identify the interested parties and their stake in the product. In general, stakeholders in the final product can be grouped into four categories: end users, advertising firms and businesses, consumer consumption data buyers, and environmental regulation and activist organizations (such as the EPA).
End users are the easiest group to identify. These are the people who typically use refrigerators, and constitute the vast majority of the American public. Their stake in the game is the desire for a system which is capable of preserving food in the most efficient way possible. As mentioned earlier, this task is broken up into two parts. The first and most fundamental part is effective preservation, and is the element which the current market has cornered quite well. The second part is effective and efficient storage. This is not always very well done, and the
Home&Larder LLC automatic storage system should take the hassle out of storage, organization, and inventory for the end user.
The main problems affecting end users are economical, ecological, and cultural. From an economic standpoint, the end user wants a system which will save them money on food and electricity. Also, the end user oftentimes feels bad about environmental impact when he or she considers food waste and energy use. Hence, the end user will hopefully find the prospect of being able to precisely store, retrieve, and inventory foodstuffs to be appealing from an economic and environmental perspective, given that it should aid in reducing food spoilage and energy loss. Culturally concerns are the biggest thing that could hinder long-term acceptance of the product. Users who are not naturally tech-savvy may have a hard time adjusting to a computer interface in order to store and retrieve food. Also, the concept of traditional refrigeration has been engrained for generations and the burden of proof lies upon us to demonstrate that the system is effective, reliable, and meets every day needs. Failure to do so will only serve to reinforce the cultural product loyalty to traditional form-factor refrigerators.
Another large concern among the end users is privacy and ad tolerance. In the past several years, everyday people have become more and more resistant to the collection of personal metrics, such as usage data. The general sentiment sometimes is that this constitutes an invasion of privacy. Home&Larder is counting on overcoming this sentiment by touting the fact that 1) data is in no way personally identifiable, but rather is collected in aggregate, and 2) the features and price-point of the system, along with potential food and energy savings, make the minor incursion/monitoring worthwhile. Concerning ad tolerance, H&L will offer alternatives either as a monthly ad-block subscription fee (to compensate for lost advertising revenue) or as a lump-sum amount when purchasing the unit. Again, the hope is that the low price, feature set, and concept of the unit will attract purchasers regardless of the minor inconvenience of advertisement.
Advertising firms and businesses interested in product promotion will be one of the bread-and-butter revenue sources for Home&Larder. This group is motivated by a single commonality, and that is the desire to promote a product and increase sales or promote their brand. The market for high-quality advertising that aids firms and businesses in increasing sales is well-moneyed, but very crowded. Home&Larder will be competing with television, radio,
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newspapers, and billboards for advertising dollars within the market. The burden falls on
Home&Larder to demonstrate that targeted advertising opportunities delivered to kitchen refrigerators is a good investment towards increased sales. Because this group of stakeholders has been an age-old target for businesses looking to generate revenue, those involved may be somewhat jaded about the ability of a new advertising opportunity to do all that is promised.
Consumer consumption data buyers are the third group of stakeholders in the
Home&Larder equation. Along with advertising firms, this group represents the revenue source of Home&Larder. The group has a very specific goal, and that is obtaining consumption data and other insights about American households, whether for public policy or economically motivated rationale. The ideal product for this group is 1) highly accurate, 2) representative of the population of interest, and 3) easily data mined for useful information. In the status quo, this market is dominated by market research firms, who attempt to approximate this data by means of surveys and case studies, and by customer loyalty programs which track purchases and infer consumption data. The case that Home&Larder will have to make to them is that our data is better aligned with their metrics of interest than are any of that provided in the status quo. This is a tenable argument if and only if H&L is able to successfully solicit the buy-in of end users.
Without a wide user base, the accuracy and representativeness (traits 1 and 2 for data buyers) will suffer. On the other hand, a broad user base will allow us to present with confidence the accuracy and representative nature of our data. The third metric, data mine-ability, will either be developed in-house via statistical software or outsourced to a specialized analytics company, such as IBM, to provide the best usability to customers purchasing our data.
Third stakeholders in the development of these units are environmental action and regulatory groups. One of the primary subsets of this group is the US Environmental Protection
Agency, or EPA. The EPA is concerned with energy usage, eco-friendly production and operation, and responsible disposal of products such as refrigerators. Metrics such as EnergyStar and other qualifiers were put in place to further the goals of this set of stakeholders, and
Home&Larder must convince this group that all aspects of our company – from production and operation all the way to disposal – will not harm the environment in any measure more than traditional refrigeration. In fact, we believe that we will be able to perform better than traditional refrigeration (since energy isn’t lost through opening doors), but we will need to present data and submit to testing in order to validate this.
To summarize, the needs of all of these stakeholders and our individual project objectives will need to be carefully weighed. While all of the stakeholders will need to be pleased in one way or another, H&L will have to determine the optimum tradeoff between satisfying end users’ demand for fewer advertisements and satisfying advertisers’ demand for increased promotional opportunity.
Overall, we feel that the current state of the art in refrigeration is sorely lacking in terms of originality and innovation. Given the prevalence of these units, and the current state of technology, it should be possible to demonstrate a refrigerator which operates more intelligently and optimally by aid of computative power and automated storage. The beauty of knowing storage contents exactly will allow for future expansion of features, which will hopefully broaden appeal to the end users and spur sales. Increased sales and market share, in turn, will lead to increased revenue from advertisement sales and consumption data collection.
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References:

Briley, George. "A History of Refrigeration." ASHRAE Journal. 46.11 (2004): n. page. Web. 6 Mar.
2013

Friedberg, Suzanne. Fresh: A Perishable History. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press, 1996. eBook.

Ewer, Cynthia. "Chill Out! Cut Energy Use in Refrigerator and Freezer." Organized Home. N.p.. Web.
6 Mar 2013.

Hall, Bronwyn, and Beethika Khan. "Adoption of New Technology." New Economy Handbook: Hall
and Khan. (2002): n. page. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.
 Nathan Rosenberg. Explorations in Economic History, 1972, vol. 10, issue 1, pages 3-33
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The refrigeration industry has remained unchanged for nearly 50 years. Refrigerators have simply been given face lifts and been marketed as the newest and greatest thing. However,
Home & Larder believes there is a great need for innovation and technology to hit the refrigeration market. The team is committed to providing consumers, and possibly business, with the most convenient refrigerator ever developed. With its automatic food recognition, proprietary climate control for food products, and the LCD screen that acts as the control center for the user, the Smart Fridge will spark and ignite the stagnant refrigerator industry.
The market for such a refrigerator as the Smart Fridge exists given the projected growth of the home appliance sector. It is set to explode and reach over $14 billion in the United States within the next 4 years. This kind of potential market provides the room for an addition to the manufacturers of refrigerators. Since competition breeds innovation, Home & Larder as a refrigerator manufacturer will lead to a considerable and measureable change in what household refrigerators are capable of.
A smart refrigerator is also hugely marketable given the current consumer needs of do-itall devices that maximize ease-of-use and provide as much convenience to the user as possible.
The innovation to the industry Home & Larder plans to provide is not only on the technological side, however. The team feels the chemicals acting as modern refrigerants need to be scrapped and something new needs to be engineered to minimize environmental and health effects. PFCs are, to say the least, not so good for the environment. They have well known and documented birth and health defects in humans and it is a wonder that no advances in chemical engineering have led to an alternative. PFCs are EPA controlled substances, some of which have been banned. Home & Larder is committed to making a change in the way chemicals are used in refrigeration.
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The idea of refrigeration is thought to have been around since 2500 BC, when the Old
Kingdom of Egypt used evaporative cooling by fanning water jars and thus aiding evaporation
(Evans). This would cool the contents within the jars. The Chinese furthered refrigerator development in 1000 BC when they used ice and snow to cool their products such as wine (W.
Whitman). This method of cooling goods lasted for nearly 3000 years, as the refrigerator didn't benefit from innovation and technology until 1823, when Faraday discovered that certain gases, when under pressure, will condense as they cool. This break-through then made its way into refrigeration 35 years later when Ferdinand Carre, a French inventor, created the first mechanical refrigerator which used liquid ammonia, and as the liquid dripped, it quickly evaporated which produced cooling. Today's modern refrigerators still use this basic concept of evaporation to produce cooling and keep food fresh.
Refrigeration technology has evolved since Ferdinand Carre's idea of liquid evaporation, but only in terms of electronics and efficiency; the premise is sadly, still very much the same and lacking innovation. Modern refrigeration simply removes heat from an enclosed space to lower its temperature (Bellis). This is done via liquids evaporating and absorbing heat in the process.
The liquid used is referred to as the refrigerant and there are several common refrigerants used currently. As the refrigerant moves through the evaporating coil in a refrigerator, the air surrounding the coil gives up its heat to the coil. Obviously, as the air gives up its heat, it becomes cooler. This cooled air is then pumped into the refrigerator at a much lower temperature than it was before. This process is then repeated until the temperature inside the refrigerator is at the desired level (typically 34
0
to 38
0
). This cooling technique results in a rather undesirable phenomenon of causing the temperature to steadily rise as you move toward the bottom of the refrigerator. Ideally, the bottom portion of the refrigerator should have the ability to drop its temperature to match the temperature of the very top portion to keep from having to store certain items in certain locations, thus causing storage inefficiency.
The evaporator contained in the refrigerator absorbs heat into the refrigeration system. In order for this absorption to occur, the temperature of the evaporator must be cooler than the ambient air temperature of the refrigerator. Because most freezers in modern refrigerators are between -10 o F and 5 o F, the evaporator must be cooler than these temperatures which will cause significant amounts of frost to form on the evaporator, which then needs to be removed. In order to remove this unwanted frost, a defrosting mechanism is contained within the refrigerator.
Freezers, often part of household refrigerators, are a more modern idea. Frozen food didn't become very popular until around World War II, as freezers weren't common for low and middle class families. This was mainly due to the fact that freezers were new to consumers and as with all new technology, the price was high. As technology does, however, the price steadily dropped and now freezers are an integral part of home food storage. Many consumers today
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actually have standalone freezers, as the frozen food they store is far too much for the typical freezer space allotted in modern day refrigerators.
Today's refrigerators contain water dispensers that cool water to just above freezing temperatures and dispense it out of the front door with the push of a button or lever; all without having to open the door. They can produce up to ten pounds of ice a day, which like water, can be dispensed with a mere digital signal generated from a button or lever push. Lighting has also been added to refrigerators, from incandescent early on, to modern day LEDs, so that when a door is opened, the light source illuminates allowing the contents to be easily identified day or night. These innovations are some of the big, yet somewhat unimaginative, ways that refrigerators have been effected by modern technology. In a time when most items in daily use
(cell phones, cars, etc.) have nearly doubled what they are capable of, the refrigerator has merely added features. Rather than innovate, refrigerator design has just added enough neat features to try and convince consumers they need a new model, rather than try to completely revolutionize the industry. Today's technology needs to be used to bring needed features to a product nearly every consumer has.
Our team is set on revolutionizing the refrigerator industry. Refrigerators should be benefiting from the same technology as cell phones and computers. Refrigerators should be considered "smart". They should be able to learn things and use that knowledge to become more efficient. The Smart Fridge by Home and Larder is what we have come up with for the revolutionizing of the unimaginative aforementioned refrigerator industry. A smart refrigerator isn't simply a refrigerator with a touch screen on it, however. It isn't a refrigerator that you just simply slap a LCD on, throw on a few absurdly useless and completely out-of-place Android apps, and say, "There, it's a new and innovative smart fridge."
The Smart Fridge is a refrigerator that is actually smart by definition; it has the capacity to learn. With Home and Larder's design, the refrigerator will know its inventory. It will know when it is low on items, and it will know how much food is being wasted every year. How will it know this? Before the user stores their newly purchased groceries in the refrigerator itself, they will scan the item on the refrigerators built-in UPC scanner. With this information, it can access a universal database and make recommendations on food storage in regards to the appropriate climate conditions that the scanned item should be stored at. For instance, cheese does not need to be, nor should be, stored at the same temperature or humidity as celery. Then why do
"modern" refrigerators do this? They're making mistakes and not learning from them. This is leading to up to half of all food produced in the United States and throughout the World every year being wasted through poor management, according to a 2009 United Nations report
("Environmental"). Now, asking the Smart-Fridge to save half of all the food produced in the
World is absurd, but the point is that there is much needed room for improvement.
The techniques the Smart-Fridge will use to cut back on food waste is as simple; when the user scans in their items, it will keep track of how much of that particular item they consume.
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When the user wants an orange, they will ask the Smart Fridge for an orange and it will retrieve them one (more on this retrieval process later). Since the Smart-Fridge has access to a universal food database, it will know how long the oranges can safely be stored before becoming spoiled.
Once this amount of time has elapsed, the Smart Fridge will compare the amount of oranges left to the amount of oranges consumed and recommend purchasing a smaller quantity while out shopping next time. This idea isn't just for oranges, obviously, it's for every item stored in the
Fridge.
With the ability to always know its own inventory, the Smart Fridge can use this feature to provide additional features to the user. It can recommend a recipe given what ingredients are contained inside the refrigerator. This can be done by Home & Larder accumulating recipes from all over the internet into one common database and providing these recipes to users via the externally embedded LCD screen that acts as the control center for the refrigerator. It can also provide health-minded users with the caloric content of items they are removing from the refrigerator to eat so users can see if what they are eating is in sync with their current diet. This information quickly available to the user could help reduce obesity in the United States. This feature, along with the waste tracking information available from the refrigerator to reduce food waste, makes the Smart Fridge a healthy and environmental friendly tool.
As mentioned previously, the Fridge will also have the capacity to automatically store and retrieve items for the user. This will be done without the need for the user to open the actual refrigerator door. They will interact with the Smart Fridge through an externally mounted LCD screen and place their food items in a bin that is accessible from the outside. The Smart Fridge will then take the item into its control and begin the automatic storage process. While the Fridge is storing these items, it will also group all of the like items together in terms of proper climate conditions for ideal storage using multiple levels of circular shelving divided into sections. The algorithm used in the software contained within the Fridge will learn where each item is stored as it stores it and guide the motorized storage system in placing the items where they need to be.
This will allow the Fridge to cool all of these items similarly at ideal climate conditions like the proper humidity and temperature to maximize freshness. All of this autonomy will alleviate the user from the worst chore of grocery shopping; actually putting the groceries away - a great marketing feature and one consumers will want once they are told they need it and should have it.
With the externally embedded LCD screen as the main control and means of communication with the Smart Fridge, many features are possible. An implementation of a screensaver while the Smart Fridge has been idle for a given period could possibly display the upcoming weather forecasts for its users so that they are aware of the climate not only inside their fridge, but outside their home, as well. There are no constraints in having the Smart Fridge house a small, digital TV tuner with an RG-56 connection, or HDMI, in the back of the unit so users can run their cable to the fridge and watch their favorite shows while cooking or moving
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about in the kitchen. Many consumers today already pay to have an extra, small TV placed in their kitchen for this exact reason, so the Smart Fridge will eliminate that extra cost to the user.
A feature that is not slated for the concept and prototype build, but is slated for the final production unit, is inventory monitoring. Since the Smart Fridge knows its inventory via the embedded UPC scanner, it will be able to warn the user when items are getting low and expiring.
Out at the grocery store and forgot to make a shopping list? Not a problem. Simply log onto the
Android or iPhone and app and generate a shopping list. This added convenience is provided by no other refrigerator on the market currently. It will give the user the huge convenience of always knowing what they have in their refrigerator at any given time. They can also generate a list of products expiring within a user-defined amount of time. For instance, if the user wants to know what is expiring in the next two days, they have access to that information from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection or cellular data coverage.
A further possibility for the Smart Fridge is to possibly implement other companies technologies into the refrigerator in order to increase features and functionality. For example,
Toshiba recently developed and image processing unit for use in grocery stores that can automatically recognize a food item with the use of its internal camera, eliminating the need for food packaging to house a barcode. Once this technology develops enough to where it is fast enough to recognize food items instantly and always be aware of its surroundings, users could simply just pull the food out of their grocery bags, and place it in the automatically storage system. The Smart Fridge will have already correctly identified the food item. This is just one example of the expandability and adaptability of the Smart Fridge design and proof that the possibilities that lie within are endless.
RFID is a technology that can also increase the usability of the Smart Fridge in the future.
As the Smart Fridge hopefully becomes the best selling refrigerator in the US, food manufacturers will want to develop their items to be as compatible as possible with the refrigerator that most people have in their homes. Cheaper than the Toshiba recognition system,
RFID chips could be implemented into food packaging and once products are placed in the selfsorting bin of the Smart Fridge, an RFID scanner will recognize the unique radio frequency of the item and determine its identity. The radio frequencies supported by RFID would, however, need to be expanded to accommodate such a large number of food products and provide each with their own unique frequency.
The marketability for refrigerators, and therefore the Smart Fridge, is huge for two big, mutually inclusive reasons; everyone wants one and everyone has one. This isn't necessarily true for just middle and high income families, either. Over 99% of families living below the poverty level own refrigerators (Reininga). Refrigerators today are at a price point that isn't out of reach for even the lowest earning families in the United States. Even the used market of refrigerators is alive and well according to the Department of Energy, considering 27 million refrigerators made
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before 1993 are still in use today by Americans. To better show the sales market of refrigerators, take a look at the chart below of refrigerator sales in the United States from 1998 to 2009:
This graphic shows a large concern for the Department of Energy and environmentalists; only roughly 30% of refrigerators in use today are Energy Star compliant. This is largely because only three out of every ten refrigerators manufactured and sold today are Energy Star compliant, according to a 2009 US Department of Energy report on the refrigerator market profile. Not because of the large use of older refrigerators manufactured before the Energy Star rating was developed. The need for a modern, Energy Star compliant refrigerator is huge, and the Smart
Fridge is dead set on being Energy Star compliant even with all the autonomy and innovative features.
In today's market, consumers want their items to "do it all". Just look at the best selling cell phones today; their miniature computers that can fit in the palm of your hand. Many of which out-spec laptops that are just two or three years of age. The market is there for a revolutionary design, especially considering the fact that there are 27 million refrigerators in use by American families that are as old as men in the middle of their mid-life crisis at 30 years of age. A product that offers the buyer the features and benefits over their old refrigerators as much
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as modern smart phones did over their traditional counterparts is there and consumers need it - they just don't know it yet.
The actual marketing on a revolutionary refrigerator design is everything. People do not know that they need things until they are told that they do. If you asked someone in 2000 if they thought their cell phone needed to provide them with directions to the closest hotel while driving, they would think it was a ridiculous question. Now, good luck trying to market a cell phone that doesn't have some sort of GPS and turn-by-turn navigation. The point is, once people see and understand how much the refrigerators in their home are lacking in innovation and the potential that lies within them, they will be in the market for something new and refreshing. The way they work doesn't need changed, per say, as not much can be done in that regard. However, the way refrigerators do what they do and what else they're capable of doing needs investigated.
There are currently no designs that offer all of the features of the Smart Fridge. The closest offering is a recent development by LG called 'ThinQ'. The ThinQ contains a bar-code scanner that will keep track of expiration dates much like the Smart Fridge plans to do, but it lacks the waste management feature by tracking the amount of each item actually consumed. It does not make purchasing recommendations based on previous usage and will do zero to curb the current world-wide food wasting epidemic. The main feature it lacks, however, is the automatic storage system. The ThinQ still requires the user to manually put away and store their groceries and does nothing to maximize its ease of use. The main goal of the Smart Fridge design plans to bring this automatic storage to the along with most of the most useful features available in the ThinQ. It also plans to do this at a much lower price point, considering the ThinQ comes in a $3499, putting it out of reach of most middle-income and lower families. Ideally, the Smart
Fridge will be designed so as to come in somewhere between $2600 and $3400. This is a wide range, but the decision to manufacture parts in house or purchase them through a third-party has not yet been made.
Also, the ThinQ markets itself as part of a group of smart, in-home appliances. It is lacking the marketability as being a self sufficient, standalone unit and suggesting to its consumers to spend even more money and purchase the compatible, technologically equivalent washer, dryer, and stove. While this seems like a smart idea, it can cause consumers to feel there is no need to purchase the actual ThinQ refrigerator if they cannot afford to have the ThinQ washer and dryer as well. The Smart Fridge can market itself as a standalone user and take advantage of this error in the ThinQ's marketing strategy by assuring its users that the refrigerator is all they need.
The goal is to beat this $3500 price point while at the same time adding more features to the buyer. This will be difficult to do, as most of the cost relies on external vendors and the ever fluctuating prices of electronics. However, there is a way to minimize the cost to the consumer; data mining. Home & Larder could, possibly, afford to sell the Smart Fridge at a small lost and then recoup this lost revenue by selling the data the Smart Fridge collects. With the end user's
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permission, H&L can provide a list of products to a third party that contains valuable information such as what user's are buying, how much they are actually consuming what they are buying, how long it stays in their refrigerator, and so on. This is not only beneficial to food manufacturers, but also environmental groups. Green groups focused on decreasing waste can have access to the vital information regarding exactly how much food consumers throw out a year and what types of food this is. They can determine the most wasted food products and urge manufacturers of that product to develop a more eco-friendly packaging solution. This is just one small example for use of this information.
The Smart Fridge is ideally to be sold the same way refrigerators are typically sold today.
Retail outlets such as Sears, Lowe's, and Best Buy would be considered the "Big Three" of retail locations that Home & Larder would eventually like to secure. Sears is the biggest name in refrigerator sales, as Kenmore is the number one brand in appliances with a total of 19% of the overall refrigerator market share (King). Kenmore, being Sears' private label, benefits from its highly competitive pricing throughout Sears' retail locations. This will make it tough for the
Smart Fridge to cut into these sales given its relatively high price point, but if the Smart Fridge can be placed on the sales floor next to the comparable Kenmore model, of which there is not, then consumers will see that there are the marginal benefits are there in terms of spending a little more. Convincing Sears' to sell the Smart Fridge should not be a difficult task, either, even with the fact it would compete with its private label appliances. The US refrigerator market is booming, and expected to become even larger. The industry is projected to increase at a CAGR of 3% while reaching a market value of $14.4 billion by 2016 (King). This shows that although nearly 100% of all homes today have refrigerators, consumers are still looking to either replace or add more refrigerators in their home.
Getting away from the consumer market a bit, the Smart Fridge design offers virtually no constraints on scalability. There is no reason to believe that the Smart Fridge design cannot be adapted to fill a void in the commercial market. Companies, such as restaurants, would love to have the ability to track the produce they have on hand with the press of a button. No longer would they need to pay an inventory manager to constantly track their on-hand counts and place orders; the Smart Fridge could do all of this automatically. It has the capability of automatically knowing via the internal software how much of something is stored inside, and could trigger itself to place an order when an item gets too low on stock. This could save a small business owner or restaurant roughly $35,000 a year, depending on how much they actually pay an employee a year to do things the Smart Fridge can do for free.
The Home & Larder team realizes that the cost of this large, commercial Smart Fridge could be burdensome to some small business owners and current business owners who would need to invest capital to update current refrigerators. Therefore, the plan is to again sell the unit at a small loss and recoup that loss with selling the data the Smart Fridge collects. This would allow the distribution centers that supply these businesses with their food products to become more efficient by showing them how much food is wasted and how long certain food is stored.
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They can then use this information to develop new, more efficient practices in their distribution tendencies. Given the size of some the distribution centers in the world today, even a 1% increase in efficiency could lead to millions of dollars saved annually, and tens of millions saved throughout the refrigerators life-cycle. This benefit provides the buyers with a return on their investment.
Stepping aside from the features and benefits the Smart Fridge brings to the table, the
Home & Larder team believes a goal for the future is to also change the way the industry designs the cooling systems used in refrigerators, air conditioners, etc. Currently, the chemical(s) used in refrigeration are highly toxic to the environment and humans. Given the strides being made in chemical engineering, there is no reason to believe that a substitute for these dangerous chemicals cannot be developed. There is on-going research in the refrigerant sector, however,
Home & Larder is committed to ensuring, to their fullest extent, that the research is well funded and the researchers are highly motivated.
The adverse effects to the environment caused by refrigerators are a cause of concern.
Common refrigerants, such as R-134a and R-123, are all either Chlorofluorocarbons,
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or Hydrofluorocarbons ("Fundamentals"). The dangers of these various fluorocarbons are not well known, however studies have shown not so favorable effects on the environment and in humans. They are shown to cause severe damage to the immune system of humans, especially small children (Grandjean). They have also been shown to increase the risk of cancer (Bonefeld-Jorgensen) and cause issues in female fertility, such as delayed time to conception (Fei). And while not human tissue, Hydrofluorocarbons were shown to cause enlarged livers, low birth rate, and low fertility in rats (US).
The EPA, in a report on PFCs, stated (in an article that specifically stated not to quote nor cite) that in addition to posing these threats to humans, refrigerants (PFCs) are also extremely stable. The structure of the chemicals makes them very hydrophobic and oleophobic. This, combined with a long half-life, mean refrigerants can remain in the ecosystem for a very long time. Due to these characteristics, the EPA is currently evaluating the potential need for a regulation of PFCs under the Toxic Substances Control Act. It may be too late for the next generation, however, as PFCs are passed onto infants in the womb of their mothers, whom have already been exposed to the PFCs.
To say refrigerators pose a dangerous threat to humans is a bit paranoid and asinine, however, if something were to cause a rupture in the pressurized system of a refrigerator, leading to the leakage of the contained refrigerant, the results could be devastating. Most carpets in homes are protected by chemicals containing PFCs, which children are much more exposed to
PFCs than adults due to their constant crawling and generally being low to the ground. Because of this, children age three to eleven, are shown to have higher PFC contamination in their blood serum than adults (Kato). A refrigerator leaking refrigerant into a house that can accumulate into carpet molecules, couch fibers, and other items often in use by children, would increase their
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already too high exposure to PFCs; thus seriously increasing their chances for health issues
(Harrad). Also, a recent Harvard study has shown PFCs in the blood of infants to cause a lowered immune system response to vaccinations (Kato).
It is also unclear whether or not refrigeration needs to even be mechanically done the same way it is today. Mohammed Bah Abba, a farmer in Nigeria, patented the pot-in-pot refrigerator in 1995 as a way to save most the tomatoes, spinach, and aubergines harvested in the area from being wasted ("Shell"). These pots could keep the produce cool by evaporative cooling, much like the ancient Egyptians used. Wet sand is placed in a porous outer pot, and a smaller pot is placed within this sand. The inner pot can lined with a non-homogenous liquid to increase efficiency. The evaporation of the wet sand contained outside the inner pot, pulls heat from the pot and cools whatever lies within. This is ancient technology that Abba is using and it causes absolutely zero harm to the environment; an exponential increase in decreasing the impacts of PFCs on the environment.
All in all, Home & Larder firmly believes the refrigeration industry is in need of innovation and great minds. Products on the market today lack the features and benefits users are looking for and are way behind the curb when it comes to what is available in terms of technology. Refrigerators today operate the exact same way they did 50 years ago, which is a problem. Not only to the environment, but also as an inconvenience to consumers who are everyday looking for their everyday possessions to do more and more. Cell phones have benefited greatly from technology and are now a do-it-all device that fits in your pocket. While not trying to condense the size of a refrigerator to pocketable, Home & Larder is trying to revive innovation in the home appliance sector.
The market for such a refrigerator exists and consumers are practically begging for it.
With the refrigeration industry in the United States projected to reach $14.4 billion by 2016, it is more than clear that consumers are looking for new refrigerators. They are looking for something that will maximize convenience to them and have as many features as possible. The Smart Fridge provides this convenience with its proprietary food cooling and self-sorting mechanism to automatically sort and store food inside the refrigerator itself. This need for convenience is not true in just refrigeration, but with any product on the market. Users always want features and they always want to upgrade. The frequently aforementioned cell phone market would be dead if users were happy with what they have now two years into the future; they want newer and better.
This is for everything, not just personal electronics.
Innovation, as stated earlier, does not need to be constrained to simply features and technology; ideas and mechanical operation need change, as well. The refrigerants used today are simply unacceptable in terms of their economical impact on the environment and their dangers to human health. Scientists and chemical engineers working on this problem need to be properly and better funded to ensure the desire and drive to come up with new chemicals and
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ways of refrigeration are developed. Home & Larder is not only committed to bringing you the most technologically advanced refrigerator on the market, but the most economical one as well.
Whitman, William C., William M. Johnson, and John Tomczyk. Refrigeration & Air
Conditioning Technology . Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning, 2005. Print.
Bellis, Mary. "The History of the Refrigerator - and Freezer." The History of the Refrigerator - and Freezer . Inventors Guide, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
"Fundamentals of Refrigeration - Common Refrigerants." Fre-ed.net
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Abstract
Refrigeration has been around for thousands of years, and has been necessary in the aid of food preservation. Originally using the evaporation process of water to absorb heat, or using ice in a closed area, to the introduction of the electric refrigerator in the early 20 th
century.
The Intelligent Refrigerator’s purpose is to change the way people view the refrigerator.
For many years the refrigerator has remained unchanged. While the world around it has gotten smarter, with the emergence of smart phones and smart TVs, the refrigerator has remained its simple design.
Recently Samsung’s Smart Refrigerator introduced the refrigerator to the market of smart products. But the Samsung’s refrigerator is still not where it potentially could be. The
Intelligent Refrigerator attempts to recreate some of the great features of Samsung’s refrigerator, while adding features that will completely change the refrigerator for the public.
The Intelligent Refrigerator will include features like an automated storage and retrieval system, a barcode scanner to recognize items, automated shopping list, and recipe generation that will not only help make people’s lives a little easier, but will help reduce the amount of food people waste by letting food expire, ultimately saving people money.
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Background
Refrigeration is the process of lowering the temperature of an enclosed space, or a substance, by removing heat (Inventors). Before refrigeration systems people needed to find ways to preserve their foods, such as meats and produce. They would use ice or snow found locally or from mountains and store the ice along with the foods in cellars. Early forms of cellars were holes dug in the ground, lined with straw or wood and filled with the snow or ice (Peak
Mechanical Ltd.).
In areas where ice and snow were difficult to find, year round, like in India and Africa, people would have to be more creative with their food preservation techniques. Many people used methods of salting, pickling, drying, spicing, and smoking their food (Peak Mechanical
Ltd.). Because of this people’s diets did not consist of much fresh foods, they typically consisted of bread, cheese, and salted meats.
Dairy products like milk and cheese were especially difficult to keep fresh, and despite people best efforts they could not prevent rapid spoilage. At this time people were not aware and did not understand pasteurization which led to bacterial infestation to be widespread (Peak
Mechanical Ltd.). During warm months it was not uncommon for people to die of ‘summer complaint’ due to spoiled food. (Peak Mechanical Ltd.).
In India they recognized this need, and implemented an idea that evidence first showed up around 2500 B.C. in the Old Kingdom of Egypt. It was an evaporative cooling system. Where a liquid vaporized quickly and raises its kinetic energy. This increase in energy is drawn from the immediate surroundings of vapor, which will cause to surroundings to cool (Peak Mechanical
Ltd.). This idea will later be called a pot-in-pot refrigerator whose design came from a Nigerian teacher, Mohammed Bah Abba, in an attempt to create a cheap and easy way for people of
Africa to cool their foods (Warren Mclaren). The pot-in-pot refrigerator uses two different sized pots, one inside the other, with sand between them and uses water mixed with the sand. When the water evaporates the temperature of the inside pot decreases because of the heat absorbed in the evaporation process.
In the 19 th
century ice became high in demand, as it was used in refrigeration. This led to the creation of the ice box; similar to the modern electric refrigerator used today. The ice box was a large wooden box that would store food that had to be kept cold, though not using coolant.
It was named an ice box because it required the use of blocks of ice, similar to coolers used today
(Wisegeek). An ice box was a similar size to the modern refrigerator, but slightly shorter. Every day, similar to the milk man, the ice man would deliver the blocks of ice and place it directly in the ice box. This type of refrigerator was the most popular and affordable choice up to the early to mid-20 th
century.
In 1805 Oliver Evans designed the first refrigeration machine, but never built it. An
American physician, John Gorrie, built Evans’ design in 1844 to make ice to cool the air for his yellow fever patients (Inventors). The first practical refrigeration machine was built be Jacob
Perkins in 1834, using ether in a vapor compression cycle (Inventors).
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Although the technology existed it was not introduced to the public for in home use until
General Electric Monitor Top Refrigerator in 1927, which is considered to be the first widespread in home electric refrigerator. Although it was not a widely popular product because of its high price, $300-$500 compared to a new 1927 Model T Ford at $380 (Railway Village).
Soon it was determined that the refrigerators were using toxic gases; methyl chloride, ammonia, and sulphur dioxide as refrigerants (Peak Mechanical Ltd.). There were incidents where the methyl chloride leaked out of the refrigerators causing fatalities, which led to companies researching less dangerous methods or refrigeration (Peak Mechanical Ltd.). The research lead to the discovery of chlorofluorocarbons (Freon), which quickly became the standard used in compressor refrigerators (Peak Mechanical Ltd.).
For decades after the introduction of the electric refrigerator, and its change to Freon, the refrigerator has remained relatively unchanged. Some of the major changes that have occurred have come in the form of the design. From the freezer being located on the top to side-by-side to freezer located below the refrigerator. But the basic features of the refrigerator have remained the same.
One of the major issues of the modern refrigerator is they are set to a specific temperature, and this temperature attempts to be consistent throughout the entire refrigerator. But the different foods stored in a refrigerator have different ideal storage temperatures. The average temperature setting typically is around 40ºF. But for many fruits this could be too high or it could be too low. For fruits and vegetables their ideal temperature can range from 30ºF to 70ºF for items that are refrigerated. As well as meats have a specific range to be consistent to remain fresh.
Since the average refrigerator does not have a way to adjust the temperature many items tend to spoil faster than they can be eaten. The average family of four tends to throw away about
122 pounds of food each month (Groovy Green). Which is about a third of all edible food that they buy per year, that turns out to be about 30 billion pounds of food a year (in the US), 11 billion of which are fruits and vegetables. The average family of four wastes about $600 a year
(WiseGeek).
The Intelligent Refrigerator attempts to combat food wastes by implementing features that will either extend the shelf life of items, or by reminding the user of the items being stored.
The Intelligent Refrigerator will possibly be able to save people hundreds of dollars a year by cutting down on wasted food.
Technological Advances
The advancements in technology recently has allowed for many opportunities for appliances to take advantage. Things like phones have taken off in the last ten years from a
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simple cell phone that can make calls and send texts to smart phones that can do just about anything a normal computer can do. TV’s have even made the technology jump, adding the ability connect to your TV from a phone or computer, and gives the TV internet access.
The refrigerator has just recently begun to get into this market. Samsung has recently released their Smart Fridge, which has Wi-Fi capabilities. The refrigerator is equipped with a 10inch tablet on the door which comes pre-loaded with applications that can be useful (Natasha
Baker). These applications include a not taking application, Evernote, which can be synced with a smart phone. This app can be useful in creating a shopping list, where the user can create a list in Evernote that is a shopping list and they can access this list on their smart phone.
The refrigerator also has a grocery manager app that will keep track of what is going into the fridge, fresh and leftovers (Andrea Smith). This is done with a drag and drop of items on the screen. It will also allow the user to set expiration dates on both fresh and leftover foods, and will pop up notes displaying what foods will expire in a day (Smith).
The refrigerator also comes with the Epicurious app that will find a recipe, using the ingredients inside the refrigerator (Smith). This app will use the grocery manager app to know what ingredients the user currently has, and will search for recipes that can be complete.
Samsung has also partnered with Unilever. So if a coupon that is relevant to the user, it will appear on the screen.
Independent cooling zones have begun to be introduced in refrigeration. This creates sections within a refrigerator that have different cooling temperatures. So for a fruit such as grapes whose ideal storing temperature is about 31-32ºF (Engineering Tool Box) and meats whose ideal temperature is about 38-40ºF (Meat Safety) will not be stored at the same temperature, but instead closer to its ideal temperature. This can help increase the life of meat and vegetable by up to 5 times longer (Appliances Online).
So far the independent cooling zones technology has primarily been used for wine coolers, because different types of wines call for different optimal storing temperatures. And the
Samsung Smart Refrigerators and models similar to them have yet to incorporate the independent cooling zones. As well as the refrigerators are limited to only know what the user has input manually. So if the user does not manually input everything they get at the store the refrigerator will not include those items in their recipes.
Needs
The Intelligent Refrigerator will attempt to put all the existing features, as well as new technology, into one refrigerator. The average modern refrigerator has remained unchanged, relatively to the technological advances of average products around it. And the Intelligent
Refrigerator will attempt to change the way people see their refrigerator similar to the way Smart
Phones changed the way people see cell phones.
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One of the major features of the refrigerator is the way the user will retrieve an item from the refrigerator. Currently the only way of retrieving an item is to open the door, and reach for the item and pull it out. This can be tricky, especially for items located in the back of the refrigerator. The Intelligent Refrigerator will incorporate an automated retrieval system. This means that the refrigerator will retrieve the item for the user, getting rid of the problem of attempting to locate a desired item.
Similar to the automated retrieval feature the Intelligent Refrigerator will include an automated storage system. Currently storing items in a refrigerator can be difficult, especially if there are many items to be stored or if the item is being stored in the back. This feature will move the storage location for the item to the front of the refrigerator for easy storage.
Currently the only way for Samsung’s Smart fridge and similar models to know what items are being stored is to use a drag and drop application that will remember what the user has put. This feature can be very useful, but only if the user actually takes the time to input all the items they just entered into the refrigerator. In an attempt to make this easier, the Intelligent
Refrigerator will use a barcode scanner. This way it will be much faster and easier for the user to put the item into the refrigerators system.
For items that do not have barcodes, such as fruits and vegetables and leftovers, the
Intelligent Refrigerator will also include a manual input feature, similar to the drag and drop feature of the Smart fridges. Also if possible an object recognition software may be used, so then the user will not have to scan an item they can just hold it up in front of a camera and the refrigerator will recognize the item and store it.
After scanning the item and storing it into the system. The Intelligent Refrigerator will create a list of all items stored into the refrigerator. This should cut down on the user not remembering what is in the refrigerator. A major factor in food spoilage is because of the fact that people just forget what is in the refrigerator, especially if it is in the back. But by creating a list of all items, the user will not forget what is in the refrigerator.
Another major factor in why people throw food away, is because people will forget when an item expires. Foods that have a longer shelf life tend to get forgotten and will pass their expiration date before being consumed. Items such as salad dressings could sit in the refrigerator and ultimately get thrown away because people forgot it was there. The Intelligent Refrigerator will include an expiration date warning. This will tell the user that an item may be about to expire. With this in the salad dressing example, the user may see that it will expire and they may decide to use that dressing instead of another so it will not go to waste. This will also help with fruits and vegetables where some people may not know about how long they may last, or that they still have them in the refrigerator.
Using an application similar to the one Samsung’s Smart refrigerator uses the Intelligent
Refrigerator will create recipes from items stored in the refrigerator. This application is very useful because people tend to not know exactly what they could make with the items in their refrigerator.
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Also the Intelligent Refrigerator will allow for the user to ask for recipes that include certain items. So if a person has chicken, and they know it might be expiring soon. They could ask for recipes that they can make with chicken, so they can avoid throwing the chicken away.
This feature will help in reducing the amount of food that gets wasted by giving recipes that might include food that will expire soon.
The Smart refrigerators use a feature that will allow the user to create a list, but the list can only be manually created. The Intelligent Refrigerator will include a feature that will automatically create a list of items that are not currently being stored but were.
The Intelligent Refrigerator will also include the ability to generate either a text message or an email to be sent to the user telling them items added to their shopping list or if an item is about to expire. This will help cut down on letting food expire because that would add another way the refrigerator will prompt the user about expiring food. Also it will help in people remember what items they need to replace, it is easy to forget if you are out of milk or eggs, but the refrigerator will help by sending alerts to the users phone.
One of the most contributing factors to food wastes is that most foods are not being stored at their optimal temperature. If foods, such as fruits and vegetable, were stored at their ideal temperature setting then they could last significantly longer. The problem is that refrigerators do not have a way of regulating the temperature of certain areas. The Intelligent
Refrigerator will use independent cooling zones to cool area to an item’s ideal temperature.
Currently if a person were to put lemons and peaches in the refrigerator they would most likely be stored in the same place. The problem with this is that the ideal storing temperature for lemons is 52-55ºF and the ideal temperature for peaches is 31-32º (Engineering Tool Box), which is significantly different. This would most likely lead to both expiring before they would if stored correctly. For both lemons and peaches they would be stored at the wrong temperature, considering the average temperature of a refrigerator is about 40ºF. By using independent cooling zones, both lemons and peaches, as well as other produce, could be stored at their ideal temperature.
Ranking of Needs
1.
Automated retrieval using carousel.
2.
Automated storage using carousel.
3.
Barcode scanner.
4.
Manual input ability.
5.
Item list.
6.
Recipe generation.
7.
Shopping list generation.
8.
Item specific recipe generation.
9.
Expiration date warning.
10.
Voice recognition.
11.
SMS/Email based shopping list alert.
12.
SMS/Email based expiration date alert.
13.
Independent cooling zones.
14.
RFID use in item input.
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15.
Object recognition for item input.
Objectives
The Intelligent Refrigerator has to be able to perform many actions in order to be considered successful at the completion of the prototype. One of the main functions the refrigerator must be able to perform is the automated retrieval and storage. The storage system will be performed using a carousel type multi-level shelf with movable dividers. When the user attempts to input an item, the refrigerator will locate an open space on the shelf and rotate that space to the front of the refrigerator for the user to place the item on the shelf.
The retrieval system is similar to the way the item gets stored. The user will tell the refrigerator which item(s) they would like to retrieve from the refrigerator. The refrigerator will then locate the item on the shelf, and rotate that item to the front of the refrigerator for the user to the remove.
The system will need to be able to handle multiple requests to remove items. Therefore if items are located on different shelves, multiple shelves must be able to rotate at the same time.
Also the system would need to know when an item is taken off the shelf, especially if another requested item is located on that shelf. This would require the use of weight sensors, that would recognize when the item was removed, then rotate the shelf to the next item.
A few more specification pertaining to the storage/retrieval system is that it should only take a maximum of five seconds to find and rotate the item/position to the front of the refrigerator. This is because if it takes too long then people would most likely get annoyed when attempting to retrieve and store many items at once. Also the shelves need to be able to be hand turned in the event of a power outage. So that people will still be able to access their food.
The barcode scanner is also necessary for the completion of the Intelligent Refrigerator.
The barcode scanner will be the primary way the user will be able to enter an item into the refrigerators database, and storage system. When the user attempts to enter an item into the refrigerator, they must scan the barcode, which is universal to all items that include a barcode, the scanner will read the barcode, determine the item, and enter the item’s information into the database. If an item does not have a barcode, such as fresh produce or leftovers, then a manual input option must be available, with a large enough database that almost all options are available.
The manual input option should be very simple to use, either a simple drag and drop or a way to type the items name.
A list of all items currently being stored in the refrigerator is also a must. In order to retrieve an item from the refrigerator, the user must select an item from a list of items current in storage. The list should be simple and easy to read, and should separate foods into like categories. Instead of just putting foods in the order they arrive, the list should be created by putting meats, fruits, vegetables, leftovers, condiments, and liquids all together in an easy to read categories.
The refrigerator will generate recipes by using the items known to be currently stored in the refrigerator. In a similar fashion as the Samsung Smart Refrigerator, the application will have a list of know recipes, and compare the recipes to the items in the refrigerator. And the
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refrigerator will give back a list of recipes that can be made with the items stored in the refrigerator. The item specific recipe application will be performed when the user asks for recipes to be found that could be or are close to being able to be made that include the given item.
The refrigerator will create a shopping list when the user removes an item from the refrigerator, and it does not get replaced within a set amount of time, it then gets considered needs to be replaced, and gets added to the shopping list. It remains in the shopping list until the item gets placed back into the refrigerator.
When an item gets added to the refrigerator there are two different ways for the expiration date warning to be done. One way is for the refrigerator to have a known set of approximated expiration dates for given items. So when the item gets added to the refrigerator, an approximate expiration date is given to that item. Or the user can enter the expiration date of the item. And when the item’s expiration date nears the refrigerator will give the user warnings so that the food will not go to waste. The problem with this is that in the estimated date the date could be significantly off and could be ineffective. But the manual input the user may not actually take the time to enter the expiration date of all items they place into the refrigerator.
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Objective Tree
Intelligent
Refrigerator
Software Hardware
Shopping List
Generator
Recipe
Generator
Specialized
Recipe
Generator
Expiration Date
Warning
Automated
Storage
Barcode
Scanner
Automated
Retrieval
Manual
Input
Voice
Recognition
SMS Shopping List
Warning
RFID
SMS Expiration
Date
Warning
Stakeholders
Object Recognition
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This product has many stakeholders. The biggest stakeholder is the consumer.
Considering this product is intended to eventually be a product to be sold, the consumer is the largest stakeholder. Almost all features of the Intelligent Refrigerator will be tailored for the consumer. If the product fails to meet the consumer’s needs or interests then the products will fail. Therefore the features in the refrigerator must be able to be used by the average person.
The features must be easy enough that anyone can be able to use them without a problem.
If the applications are too difficult to use then people simply will not find a reason to use them, the whole purpose of the applications are to make people’s lives easier.
One of the other main purposes of the Intelligent Refrigerator is to reduce the amount of wasted food. That means that the features used in the Intelligent Refrigerator must do this. The application that alerts the user that an item is about to expire must actually help in causing less foods to reach the expiration date without being consumed. One of the main selling points for the refrigerator is that it can help reduce food wastes which will in turn save the consumer money, but if the consumer does not find that they are actually reducing waste, then the product will not be very successful.
Reducing the amount of wastes affects many other stakeholders. Grocery stores will be affected because people will consume less perishable foods because they will not be forced to throw out and replace foods that have expired. But this could also be beneficial to grocery stores for the same reason. If people buy fruits, such as grapes, and actually consume them before they expire because of the warnings. Then they might be more inclined to replace them, instead of forgetting about the grapes for weeks or even months before discovering them and replacing them.
Grocery stores have more at stake with the refrigerator than just sales based on expiration dates. If the refrigerator is ultimately successful then the grocery stores could work with the refrigerator’s company to create features and applications that would be beneficial for both.
There could be applications that would advertise certain grocery stores coupons, based upon the individual refrigerators users shopping habits. Also with grocery stores that offers a delivery service, where they deliver food to your house, there could be an app that would use the grocery list that gets created by the refrigerator and use that for their delivery service.
Another stakeholder can be other companies that produce refrigerators. If the Smart-
Fridge idea takes off in the consumer market, then other companies will have to take notice.
Then they will have to determine if it is worth their time to try and compete with the Smart-
Fridge if they determine this to be the future of refrigerators.
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References
What technologies are available in modern refrigerators?
Retrieved March 3, 2013.
From Appliances Online: http://www.appliancesonline.co.uk/advice/refrigerators/buyingguide/what-technologies-are-available-in-modern-refrigerators.aspx.
Natasha Baker (2013). Smart refrigerator runs apps for shopping lists, recipes . Retrieved
March 5, 2013. From Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/21/us-app-refrigeratoridUSBRE90K0PX20130121.
Andrea Smith (2013). Samsung Smart Fridge Dishes Up Recipe Ideas and Coupons .
Retrieved March 5, 2013. From mashable.com: http://mashable.com/2013/01/12/samsung-smartfridge-recipes/.
Warren McLaren (2006). Mohammed Bah Abba And His Pot-in-Pot . Retrieved April 7,
2013. From treehugger.com: www.treehugger.com/kitchen-design/mohammed-bah-abba-andhis-pot-in-pot.html
History of Refrigeration.
Retrieved April 7, 2013. From peakmechanical.ca: www.peakmechanical.ca/history-of-refrigeration.html
What is an Ice Box?
. Retrieved April 7, 2013. From wisegeek.com: www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-ice-box.htm
Optimal temperature and humidity conditions for some common fruits and vegetables.
Retrieved April 7, 2013. From engineeringtoolbox.com: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/fruits-vegetables-storage-conditions-d_710.html
The History of the Refrigerator and Freezers. Retrieved April 7, 2013. From inventors.about.com: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrefrigerator.htm
Storing Meat in Your Refrigerator. Retrieved April 7, 2013. http://web.extension.illinois.edu/meatsafety/refrigerator.cfm
From web.extension.illinois.edu:
How Much Food Does the Average American Waste?. Retrieved April 7, 2013. From wisegeek.com: http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-food-does-the-average-americanwaste.htm
How Much Food Does The Average American Family Throw Away Each Month?.
Retrieved April 7, 2013. From groovygreen.com: http://www.groovygreen.com/groove/?p=3055
The 1927 General Electric Monitor Top Refrigerator. Retrieved April 7, 2013. From railwayvillage.org: http://www.railwayvillage.org/ge1927refrigerat.html
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