EAL - the Shoe Dryer

The Shoe Dryer, is a school projekt in which we are making a shoe dryer. We will be using an Arduino MEGA, two computer fans and a DHT11 humidity sensor. The dryer can dry three types of shoe: Child shoes, running shoes and boots.

The projekt is divided into two parts. The first part is about industri 4.0. Here we'll make a SMART CONNECTION between Arduino and a software that can show, data sent from the Arduino real time. For that we have chosen to use Node-RED, in which we'll make a user interface that show live data from Arduino.

The second part will be logging data into a database. To do so, we are using a Wamp server and a Visual Studio application to control the Arduino and receive/send data from/to the Wamp server.

Step 1: Cutting the Box

The design of the box is drawn in Autodesk Inventor. Then the drawing is converted to .DXF and cut in wood and plexiglass by a laser cutter. The box is put together by hand and glue. We borrowed laser cutter and materials from FabLAB (https://www.eal.dk/fablab).

Step 2: Node-RED

Node-RED is a flow-based programming tool (https://nodered.org/about/), that we used to make a user interface that allows us to see live data (temperature, humidity and program choice) from the Arduino board and it is also possible to remote control the Arduino. Node-RED uses a html page to display the live data from the Arduino. This and the controls happen through serial port connection.

Making a program in Node-RED is roughly drag and drop functions, with some javascript attached to make the page where we show our live data work properly.

Step 3: Arduino

The arduino is the controller for the Shoe dryer. We are using an Arduino MEGA 2560 (https://www.arduino.cc/), two computer fans and a 12v battery. To mesure temperature and humidity in the shoe we're using a DHT11 temperature and humidity module.

The 12v battery is needed, because the Arduino only outputs 5v and the fans need 12v. To get this working, we're using two normaly open relays. These relays will receive a signal form the Arduino and then deliver 12v from the battery to the two fans.

The code itself contain description and comments, and can be downloaded on this page.

Step 4: Visual Studio

Visual Studio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Visual_Stu...)is a integrated development environment (IDE), where you can develop anything from a webpage ore a app to databases ore computer programs.

We used Visual Studio to create a application which can control the Arduino while sending/receiving to/from a local database. The program is written in C#, and the code download contain descriptions and comments. But the meaning of the code, is to create a program, in which we can control our shoe dryer, while sending data from the Arduino and to a local database and receive the other way around.

Step 5: WampServer

WampServer is an easy way to make a Local server(Database). We use WampServer to make a SQL database, in which we store and retrieve data from the Arduino via Visual Studio.

The database which we create, can only be accessed locally

Everything is premade so if you cant code you can still add tables with columns and rows by using the interface. From there its just one line in Visual Studio and you have a connection. Very beginner friendly.