Spring 2021
Handwashing Timer
Mission
During the spring of 2021, COVID-19 remained a major concern, especially on college campuses. Practicing good hand washing was essential for protecting oneself and stopping the rapid spread of the virus. The CDC recommends that people spend 20 seconds washing their hands with soap and water. The aim of this project was to devise an engaging mechanism that would serve as a 20-second timer, ensuring users knew exactly how long to wash their hands.
Vision
While brainstorming, my team discovered that our most engaging and visually interesting ideas all revolved around the carnival theme. Consequently, we decided to construct a miniature Ferris wheel. This Ferris wheel would rotate and play carnival music for a 20-second duration, activating automatically when the user steps up to wash their hands.
Mechanical and Electrical Components
We designed the Ferris wheel using Illustrator and laser-cut acrylic. A simple pulley mechanism was utilized to rotate the wheel. The electronic components included an ultrasonic distance sensor, a piezoelectric buzzer, and a DC motor.
