The Pennsylvania State University
University Park Campus
AT&T: Our Connected Lives
The Internet-of-Things
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park Campus
AT&T: Our Connected Lives
The Internet-of-Things (IoT)
EDSGN 100
Section 000#
Design Team # 5
Team We Rock
Spring 2014
Submitted to:
Professor Berezniak
College of Engineering
School of Engineering Design, Technology and Professional Programs
Penn State University
25 Apr 2014
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The Pennsylvania State University
University Park Campus
AT&T: Our Connected Lives
The Internet-of-Things
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Penn State University
▪
Dean, College of Engineering
Amr S. Elnashai
▪
Department Head, SEDTAPP
Matt Parkinson, Program Director
▪
Course Instructor
Professor Berezniak
▪
Laboratory Assistants
Ethan Bauer, Aerospace Engineering
Kuralay Muratbekova
AT&T
▪
Christine Goodwin
Locations
Addresses
Other Plan Contributors
▪
Other Acknowledgements
Name and Title
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AT&T: Our Connected Lives
The Internet-of-Things
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SECTION 2.
INTRODUCTION
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
PROJECT BACKGROUND
SPONSOR BACKGROUND
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
SECTION 3.
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
METHODOLOGY
IoT SYSTEM AND GOALS
SYSTEM MODEL
BASIC CONCEPTS
SYSTEM CONTROL
DAY-IN-THE-LIFE
DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING
SECTION 4.
DISCUSSION
SECTION 5.
SUMMARY
SECTION 6.
REFERENCES
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AT&T: Our Connected Lives
The Internet-of-Things
SECTION 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The GoGreen100 is a revolutionary system that will change the way trash and recyclables are
handled forever. It will cut down on waste and pollution, while encouraging responsible trash disposal.
Society will now have a way to safely and easily distinguish their landfill trash from their recyclables. It’s
easier than having rows of different types of environmentally friendly cans lying around against a wall,
and more effective than asking people to think twice before throwing something in the trash, because
this machine thinks for people.
Trash is inserted into the top through a main hole, where it falls to a platform below. Once
there, it will be scanned and looked at by a camera to figure out where the items will be placed. once
decided what kind of waste the item is (landfill, plastic recyclable, glass, etc.), the platform will tilt in the
correct direction of the chute which will lead to the desired bin in which to send the object.
The system will communicate with a home base of operations, most likely the waste
management company in the area, where it can send messages such as needing to be emptied,
malfunctions, and possible tampering with. it will communicate via Wifi, a reliable source that can be
repaired easily if communications goes down. The machine will be powered by solar panels which will
charge a battery when not in use, providing extra energy for when needed. There will be a backup
energy source in case of emergency, and if something goes wrong, the machine will shut itself to
prevent more trash from being thrown in.
Possible flaws include the chance of someone throwing in multiple pieces of trash at once,
which will overload the system and lead to failure. the machine is also not properly equipped as of yet
to handle organic waste, such as compostable materials. such items may lead to damage of internal
systems and would have to be addressed quickly to avoid costly repairs.
The overall goal of GoGreen100 is to create a better way to recycle without asking the general
public to put in extra effort. Relying on the effort of average citizens is a surefire way to lead to failure,
so this machine was invented to take on the responsibility of sorting and recycling objects on its own or
with the assistance of an employee of the waste company.
Reading into this report further, one will find more in depth information on how the system works and
what other failures it may contain, as well as probable reasons for success. Details on how this product
will communicate with outside sources and power itself can also be found within this report. The world
is on the verge of an environmentally friendly turn around, and the GoGreen100 is just another step in
the right direction.
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AT&T: Our Connected Lives
The Internet-of-Things
SECTION 2
INTRODUCTION
2.1
PROJECT OBJECTIVES.
Identify opportunities that leverage real-time connectivity and new and emerging
technologies to collect information that can be used for products and systems
that benefit our lives.
2.2
PROJECT BACKGROUND.
The Internet of Things is a system or scenario in which objects, animals, or people have
provided identifiers and the capability to transfer data that is collected over a network.
This transfer over a network does not require human-to-human or human-to-computer
interaction. Instead the systems will communicate machine-to-machine and would
connect millions of devices throughout the world. Machine-to machine
communication is beneficial in various fields including medicine, healthcare, and
engineering.
2.3
SPONSOR BACKGROUND.
AT&T is a communication company and is entrusted providing a communications
network for millions of people. Their services are located in the United States however,
they have also established an international presence. Their powerful array of network
resources has earned them the title of the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE
network. They are a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, hish speed internet, and voice
and cloud-based services. They also offer mobile internet, the best wireless coverage
worldwide, and the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. Finally, they
offer advanced television services.
2.4
PROJECT DESCRIPTION.
IoT and M2M systems have the potential to affect our lives in a wide
variety of ways. We are being asked focus on Digital Life. Digital Life is
a new and emerging lifestyle that leverages real-time connectivity and
new technology in an effort to collect information within a closed
system like a home and report it elsewhere. This also focuses on
problems in our everyday lives and seeks to solve them with
innovative technologies. Some problems to think about include
effective integration, service delivery, and usability.
SECTION 3
METHODOLOGY
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AT&T: Our Connected Lives
The Internet-of-Things
3.1
Iot SYSTEM AND GOALS.
They are big, they are noisy, and they are harming the environment. The traditional
garbage trucks that we see each week have undergone very little changes over the decades.
The large majority of them are still using diesel fuel and emitting harmful pollutants into the air
at a rate that is equivalent to about 325 cars. To make matters worse the trucks idle outside of
homes as the trash is loaded into the compressor. Greener alternatives have been discussed
such as electric-powered trucks, but what if there was a simpler solution? What if the number
of trips of trash trucks could be vastly reduced?
The GoGreen100 Smart Trashcan is an example of an IoT system that will provide realtime data to trash companies and enable them to plan their trash pick-up system more
efficiently. The trashcan will be equipped with the capabilities of identifying and separating
trash, monitoring trash levels, and then contacting the appropriate trash company when it is
full. This will eliminate the idling of garbage trucks at trashcans that are only partially filled. The
companies will know exactly when and where their services are needed. The concept idea is
currently being applied to public facilities, but could be slightly altered and applied to use in
private residences in the future.
The overall goal of the GoGreen100 is to provide a greener and more sustainable future
through the updating and revision of our waste disposal system. We will achieve this goal first
by reducing the pollutants that are being emitted by garbage trucks. The trash companies will
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The Internet-of-Things
use the real-time data that they will be collecting to achieve this. The other aspect of the
GoGreen100 that will ensure a greener trash process is the proper separation of garbage and
recyclables. The current garbage cans attempt to do this through the use of labels but it is
largely ineffective. Human nature and stubbornness prevents people from taking the time to
walk the extra distance to place their bottles in the proper recycling bin. Our trashcan takes this
into account and has the ability to identify the pieces of trash and then separate them into their
proper categories: plastics, glass, metal, paper, and trash. The trashcan does the extra work.
Not you.
3.2
SYSTEM MODEL.
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The Internet-of-Things
3.3
BASIC CONCEPTS.
Power Source
The GoGreen100 Trashcan’s primary goal is to promote a greener waste disposal system.
Therefore, it will be equipped with photovoltaic cells on the outside of the structure. The solar
cells will collect the energy from the sunlight and use it to power the system. However, solar
energy is unreliable and highly dependent on the weather so it will also have a backup
rechargeable electric battery. This will ensure that the trashcan is always functioning and
processing the trash as it enters the can. One final precaution to avoid the overflow of the
trashcan is the automatic closure of the entry hole in the event of a power failure. A small
standard motor will be responsible for closing the hole when the power begins to fail. The
garbage company will be immediately alerted so a maintenance team can be sent to fix it.
Item Identification
As trash enters the GoGreen100 a motion sensor located on the inner rim of the trashcan
will detect it. This will immediately activate a camera with image intensifiers.
The image intensifiers will enable it to identify the trash in the dark environment of the inside of
a trashcan. Essentially the image intensifiers are the same things used in night vision cameras.
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The energy of the electrons collected from the small amount of light available will be increased
and produce an intensified version of the image through a phosphor screen.
After entering the system, the trash will land on a platform made of durable plastic that can be
easily maintained. The camera will capture an image, export it to an external database using a
wireless network, and compare it to images stored within the database. It will use the same
software facial recognition systems use and use nodal points to identify the object. After
successful identification the platform will pivot on an automated ball and socket joint in one of
five directions: towards 1. Plastics 2. Glass 3. Metals 4. Paper 5. Miscellaneous trash. The trash
is then disposed in their proper bins.
The miscellaneous trash is for things that either do not fit one of the other four categories or
cannot be successfully identified. The images of the unidentifiable items are sent over a wireless
network to the garbage companies where they can be manually identified and entered into the
database. This will enable the GoGreen100 to successfully identify them in the future. The
means our smart trashcan will continue to become smarter.
Load Detection
After the disposal of the trash into their proper bins, the trash levels will be monitored
and the information will be sent to the garbage companies. Single point load sensors will be
located under each bin to detect the force being applied by the trash and convert it to easy-toread weight measurements. As a bin reaches its capacity it will notify the appropriate garbage
company. The trucks will know exactly when and where they are needed.
Communication System
The GoGreen100 Trashcan relies heavily on a wireless system to communicate with the
item identification database, to send real-time updates from the load sensor and to notify the
garbage companies when a bin reaches its capacity. We have chosen to rely on a Wi-Fi wireless
network to accomplish these tasks. The essentials that influenced this decision were the range,
power consumption, and data rate. The range had to be large so that the trashcan could access a
wireless router that would be located nearby. Wi-Fi has a range of 100 meters, which is
significantly larger than Bluetooth and ultra wideband. Next we studied the power consumption.
The GoGreen100 operates mainly on solar power so the less power consumed by the wireless
network, the better. Unfortunately Wi-Fi uses a more power than other networks like ISA100.11a
and Zigbee. The deciding factor was data rate. It is essential that GoGreen100 can export the
images and identify the item efficiently to prevent trash delays. Wi-Fi has a much higher data
rate than Zigbee and ISA100.11a. This might result in more power consumption than desired,
however, it will provide the GoGreen100 with the fast and reliable wireless network it needs to
operate at its highest level.
3.4
SYSTEM CONTROL.
External control of the GoGreen100 Trashcan should be unnecessary and is impractical.
Each trashcan would have to be monitored by a person throughout the entire day who would be
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The Internet-of-Things
responsible for observing the trash item and manually identifying which bin it should be placed
in. Instead, the system relies heavily on the use of sensors and machine-to-machine
communication. The only part involving human interaction is the notifications it will be sending
to the garbage company and the manual inputting of unidentifiable objects into the database.
The interfaces that will be used include software-to-hardware as well as hardware-to-hardware.
There will be interaction between the camera and the databases and computers as it tries to
identify the items. Then the sensors will communicate data to the computers located at the
garbage companies. These interface interactions ultimately drive the processes taking place in
the trashcan.
Although impractical to try to manually control the trashcans for extended periods of time, they
will be equipped with a manual control option. This option will enable the trash companies to
close trashcans on rare occasions when the trashcan is experiencing problems. It will also allow
them to input items into the proper categories in the GoGreen100’s database. This would be
necessary if the company notices consistent misplacement of trash into the wrong bins. They will
need the ability to override the database and correctly identify where items should be going.
The wireless connections between the GoGreen100 and the garbage companies will definitely be
vulnerable to hacking. We will need to build Wi-Fi firewalls to prevent the corruption of the
database. These Wi-Fi firewalls are commonly called Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems and
they provide full-time protection form hackers. This will drive up our cost because to implement
such a system we must install a central server and sensors near the trashcans. However, such
measures are necessary to ensure the safety of our networks. The only people that will have
access to the trash records and data being transmitted will be the garbage company that is
responsible for emptying that specific unit.
In addition to hacking, the GoGreen100 will also be vulnerable to theft. The units contain a large
amount of hardware that can be used in private residences or sold for money. Each trashcan will
need some sort of GPS tracking device that will be able to locate missing parts in the event of a
theft.
3.5
DAY-IN-THE-LIFE.
There will be a time in this world where the GoGreen100 is such a necessary item in
today’s world that many people won’t be able to picture life without. Imagine a world where the
havoc of trying to separate trash and recyclables is over. Instead, major cities will have their
streets lined with countless machines, safely and effectively separating people’s trash from their
recyclables.
One year from implementation, there will be a high demand for these items, as many
companies will want to have this product lining their hallways and street corners. Every
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The Internet-of-Things
company will pay good money to improve their environmentally friendly look. Landfill size will
decrease in growth. Pollution will be reduced a considerable amount. People will see a rise in
recycled plastic. Overall, the ideas are that it will be a successful year for the GoGreen100.
After the first five years, society will see a sharp increase in recycled goods as well as a
reasonable decline in waste. City streets will be decorated with these machines, running off
nothing besides solar power. In five years the technology will have evolved to the point to where
the machines will be cheap to manufacture and in high demand.
The world, which contains loads of people looking for ways to reduce their carbon
footprint and “go green” will relish in the chance to treat the environment better. The best par tis
they don’t have to do anything other than put their trash in the GoGreen100. Water bottles,
newspapers, aluminum foil, and hot dogs will all be placed in the same can.One of the major
concerns for the GoGreen100 would be the fact that many people will throw away more than one
piece of trash, which will overload the system, causing failure to properly sort the trash from the
recyclables. This may be a serious flaw that, if not fixed, could cause the product to ultimately
fail on the open market.
3.6
DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING.
Companies like GE, Apple, and Cisco Systems all have the ability to build the
GoGreen100. They have access to some of the best scientists and designers in the world who can
create this product so it is not only effective, but also user-friendly and appealing to the eyes.
These companies, Apple in particular, have shown particular skill in marketing new products to
consumers and having them become huge successes. The GoGreen100 would also be a source of
huge profits for whomever won the bidding war to design and build it. Apple could compare it to
the iPhone, with phrases like “maverick, first of its kind, innovative, and creative”. Whichever
company ended up building this product would be labeled as one of the most creative and
environmentally friendly companies of the 21st century.
SECTION 4
DISCUSSION
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<DISCUSS: Your results; process used, provide comments on results; explanation how
implementation of your proposal can be applied in a broader context; etc.>
From our research it determined that the GoGreen100 would revolutionize the way the
world currently recycles. By placing the GoGreen100 on the streets of a city such as State
College it automatically increases the number of students who will recycle without them even
realizing it. It decreases the amount of trash going into landfills and decreases the amount of
emission going into the air by the trash trucks from idling in front of trash cans that do not need
to be emptied. By having the signals sent to the trash company to notify them when the trash
can is full or needs maintenance allows for an overall healthier environment.
The process used as described in detail above can basically be simplified down into a
few steps. The trash is inserted in the GoGreen 100. The trash can scans and recognizes the
material the product is made out of an automatically sorts it into the correct category of metal,
glass ect. A signal is then sent to the trash company when the trash can is full or when it needs
maintenance. During this time the trashcan automatically closes to prevent an overflow of
trash.
Implementation of this proposal can be applied in a broader context by taking the
technology from the public industry to the private one as well. The GoGreen100 could be scaled
down to a smaller size and placed in individual homes and businesses. These smaller versions
would work the same way and could be emptied into larger receptacles for collection all while
keeping the various recyclables separated.
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SECTION 5
SUMMARY
By using the GoGreen 100 not only will the emissions from garbage trucks be reduced
but also things that can be recycled will automatically be done so instead of being thrown in the
landfill. Other benefits of our design include notifying trash companies when the trash can is
full in order to limit the amount of trips the trash trucks must make as well as to avoid emptying
only partially full cans. The benefits of implementing this design overall would be a more
environmentally friendly city and eventually world.
The strengths of this design is the fact that items are sorted directly as they are put into
the receptacle which not only cuts down on time it also allows people to not have to worry
about placing their recyclables in the correct container or placing them incorrectly. The largest
disadvantage of the design is the cost. Due to the amount of technology as well as the cost of
solar panels ect. it costs more to create and maintain than the cost of a normal trashcan.
However, the fact that it is environmentally friendly and saves time for the trash companies
makes up for this increase in cost because it increases the efficiency of the trash system.
Although currently the system is designed for location on city streets in the future it
would be doable to expand the technology to personal residence homes. This way it could
drastically decrease the amount of waste placed in land fillls and reduce emissions from the
constant rotation of garbage trucks.
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SECTION 6
REFERENCES
Works Cited
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“What is a Load Cell? How do Load Cells Work?” Loadstar Sensors. Load Cells –Loadstar
Sensors, 2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.loadstarsensors.com/what-is-a-load-cell.html>
Bonsor, Kevin. Johnson, Ryan. “How Facial Recognition Systems Work.” HowStuffWorks,
2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-techgadgets/facial-recognition1.htm>.
“How Night Vision Works.” Sofradir EC, 2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.hownightvisionworks.com>.
“Weight Sensors – How Weight Sensors Work.” AZoM.com. The A to Z of Sensors and Sensing
Technology, Ltd., 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://www.azosensors.com/videodetails.aspx?VidID=9>.
“Solar Energy 101.” SolarWorld.com. SolarWorld Americas, 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.solarworld-usa.com/solar-101/how-solar-panels-work
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network1.htm>.
“ISA100.11a Technology Standard.” Nivis.com. Nivis Wireless Sensor Networks, n.d., Web. 23
Apr. 2014. <http://www.nivis.com/technology/ISA100.11a.php>.
Amland, Brendan. “Transform America’s Polutting Garbage Trucks to Cleaner Natural Gas.”
Forcechange.com, 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://forcechange.com/7170/transform-americaspolluting-garbage-trucks-to-cleaner-natural-gas/>.
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The Internet-of-Things
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