Introduction: DIY Arduino| Touch-less IoT Hand Sanitizer Dispenser Using NodeMCU & BLYNK
Hello folks,
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 hits the world dramatically, the use of hand sanitizers have escalated. Hand sanitizers can help reduce our risk of catching certain infections. Hand sanitisers can also protect against disease-causing microbes, especially in situations when soap and water aren’t available. They’re also proven to be effective in reducing the number and type of microbes.
The mainly cause of COVID-19 spread is when virus-laden droplets from infected person get inhaled by other persons. Recent studies shows that you can get this virus also by touching surfaces or objects contaminated by the infected person and after that touching your face and nose can easily make you a target of it.
This gives me a motivation to make a touch-less IoT based sanitizer Dispenser. This Dispenser have most of the required features. The project is based on cloud platform called BLYNK platform so useful data be can logged about the people sanitizing there hands regularly. So its become a fun to sanitize hands for people to just use some gadget while at the same time doing the precaution measures.
The most Advanced Features in this project are:
- Automatic Hand triggered dispenser
- Fluid Level Detection (so the dispenser can be refilled)
- Log Record of People using Dispenser (Count people)
- Make Analysis of data
Supplies
- Bottle
- nodeMCU ESP8266
- DC water pump 5 volt
- Wires
- Bread board
- Hose water PVC pipe
Step 1: Create Dispenser From Scratch
This project can be made from cheap used components available at your home. So the first step is to get a water bottle that will be used as dispenser tank. For this purpose I am using a plastic water bottle.
Once you have chosen your bottle next you have to get a water Hose pipe mostly used for water level that can be easily available. you can also use medical disposable sterile infusion drip tube. You have to cut it 1/3 time the size of bottle. Next you have to make a whole right at the center of bottle lid. Attach one side of the pipe with the Motor and put it in to the bottle. The other side can be taken out from the bottle lid.
The Dispenser structure part is ready.
Step 2: Making Circuit (Put Components on Bread Board)
This is very task you just have to put the components at right place as shown in the schematics.
- The circuit includes NodeMCU esp8266 the controller of our project.
NodeMCU is an open-source firmware and development kit that helps you to prototype or build IoT products. It includes firmware that runs on the ESP8266 Wi-Fi SoC from Espressif Systems, and hardware which is based on the ESP-12 module. The firmware uses the Lua scripting language. It is based on the eLua project and built on the Espressif Non-OS SDK for ESP8266.There are tons of online tutorials from which you can learn about NodeMCU.
- The next component is IR sensor which detects the presence of hand
The Infrared Obstacle Avoidance Sensor has a pair of infrared transmitting and receiving sensors. The infrared LED emits Infrared signals at certain frequency and when an obstacle appears on the line of infrared light, it is reflected back by the obstacle which is sensed by the receiver.When the sensor detects an obstacle, the LED indicator lights up, giving a low-level output signal in the OUT pin. The sensor detects distance of 2 - 30cm. The sensor has a potentiometer which can be adjusted to change the detection distance.
- DC 5v mini water pump
Step 3: Create Blynk Accound and Download Application
you can download the Application from google store. once the application is downloaded scan the QR code provided. The application will be copied to your cell phone. A Authentication code by Blynk will be sent to your email.
Step 4: Upload the Sketch
open the sketch provided in the description and change the following parameters to your own:
SSID:
PASS:
Authentication token
Upload the Sketch