SmartCooler | Devpost

App

Inspiration

With Summer being the season everyone looks forward to, picnics are at their peak. The need to constantly buy ice to protect your cold items from melting, it's essential to have a sustainable way to keep your food cool and save your pockets every time.

What it does

SmartCooler is an innovative application designed to complement our coolers. Our coolers utilize a unique mechanism powered by electricity and solar energy, ensuring your beverages and snacks stay refreshingly cool without the need for ice. Say goodbye to purchasing ice for picnics and dealing with the mess it creates. With SmartCooler, you invest in a long-term solution that guarantees a hassle-free outdoor experience, making picnics simple, clean, and eco-friendly.

How we built it

On Figma, we designed the application prototype SmartCooler that would allow users to link their coolers with their phones using Bluetooth. We then engineered the app using React Native for seamless visibility on both IOS and Android. Employing Tinkercad, a computer program, we digitally created mock sensors and motors using Arduino, enhancing functionality and innovation.

How SmartCooler Works

The SmartCooler uses a special liquid (refrigerant) that can change from liquid to gas and back again to keep drinks and snacks cool. It has solar panels to get energy from the sun, and its battery can also be plugged into a wall for power. It also consists of condenser and evaporator coils. The refrigerant enters the expansion device and as it passes through the evaporator coils, it absorbs heat from the cooler while a fan blows cold air over the drinks and snacks. Then the refrigerant goes through the compressor where its temperature is now raised. As it goes through the condensation coils, it releases heat to the atmosphere or through a heat sink designed to maximize heat dissipation, ensuring efficient cooling. This re-transforms the refrigerant to a liquid state. This process repeats and a temperature sensor keeps an eye on the temperature inside the cooler. If it starts to get too warm, it warns the compressor to pump more refrigerant and keeps nice and cool. This takes the hot air out as it absorbs This means you can have refreshingly cold drinks and snacks without the hassle of buying ice or dealing with the mess it creates, making picnics and outdoor gatherings simple, clean, and eco-friendly.

Challenges we ran into

Building our first iOS/Android app presented challenges in structuring and coding. Despite the initial difficulty and having no prior knowledge of React Native, we managed to program the application from scratch within the time frame. Additionally, adapting our prototype ideas to Arduino in Tinkercad posed challenges, yet overcoming these obstacles fueled our growth and innovation.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We take pride in our accomplishments at Ellehacks, particularly our adept use of React Native. Additionally, we highlight our implementation of Tinkercad, showcasing our ability to plan and create potential components for SmartCooler. This comprehensive approach resulted in the seamless integration of both software and hardware sections for SmartCooler

What we learned

During the development of SmartCooler, our team acquired valuable skills in React Native, enabling us to build a user-friendly and cross-platform mobile application. Additionally, we delved into the world of hardware integration using Tinkercad and Arduino, enhancing our proficiency in designing and implementing innovative solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). These newfound skills have not only enriched our technical capabilities but also paved the way for the successful creation of a seamless and eco-friendly SmartCooler experience.

What's next for SmartCooler

To transition SmartCooler from prototype to reality. Inside the cooler, a temperature sensor will relay real-time temperature data to the smartphone app via a Bluetooth module, enabling users to monitor the cooler's conditions remotely. The temperature sensor is already built via Arduino. Moreover, we will allow for batteries to be incorporated for more efficient use. By combining these elements seamlessly, SmartCooler will emerge as a tangible solution empowering users to effortlessly manage temperature, monitor status, and ensure sustained functionality.