Summary of Connected coffee Machine
The article discusses a hacking project aimed at enhancing an individual cup coffee machine with smart features. It proposes using a light sensor to detect cup presence and an RFID reader to identify cups, facilitating coffee consumption tracking. The system intends to collect usage statistics, control coffee dispensing through a backend server, and enable access to data via a mobile or web app. While the project is in early stages and requires debugging, it envisions improving coffee machine management and possibly gamifying the refill process.
Parts used in the Connected coffee machine project:
- Light sensor
- RFID reader
- RFID tags (attached to cups)
- Button (to request coffee)
- Backend server (for statistics and control)
- Mobile or web application interface
Quite a lot of coffee is consumed at work but real statistics are missing. For the coffee machines with a can it can be interesting to have a visualization with coffee left in can, water in machine, time left until machine is finished, estimated time until can is empty. This would probably require a modified coffee can so is not very straightforward (pressure pad on the bottom of the can, fluid meter,…). For the other coffee machines statistics like number of cups made might be of interest (for cleaning, stocking, …).
Perhaps make a game out of it: get bonus points to get that last coffee that makes the next one needing to refill the water reservoir or empty the tray.
For my hacking project, I assumed a coffee machine for individual cups..
Goals:
- know whether there is a cup or not: using a light sensor (if a cup is on top of it ~ less light) Why? The rfid reader reads the ID when a cup (with rfid tag) moves over the sensor. Hence when you take away the cup, we are not informed about that.
(Why? The rfid reader reads the ID when a cup (with rfid tag) moves over the sensor. Hence when you take away the cup, we are not informed about that.)
- know which cup is at the machine: read out rfid identification
- keep statistics: should be done in the back-end
- push a button to try to get coffee, and let the server then decide whether you get some coffee, with our without warnings
- access statistics with a mobile app or web app
I could only work for an hour or so, hence I didn’t manage to reach all goals with the code supplied below (it needs some debugging too, sorry).
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