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Sensors and Actuators Selection

The document describes a project to design an access control system for a university campus. It will use various sensors like QR code scanners, temperature sensors and cameras to check employees and faculty for masks, temperature and identity. It will then use actuators like motors and pumps to operate gates and automatic hand sanitizers depending on the sensor readings.

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Raffout Maillim
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32 views

Sensors and Actuators Selection

The document describes a project to design an access control system for a university campus. It will use various sensors like QR code scanners, temperature sensors and cameras to check employees and faculty for masks, temperature and identity. It will then use actuators like motors and pumps to operate gates and automatic hand sanitizers depending on the sensor readings.

Uploaded by

Raffout Maillim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MECHATRONICS SYSTEMS DESIGN

SPRING 2021

Project Description
A University’s highest priority is providing a safe and healthy campus environment for its students and employees.
Protocols and guidelines have been put in place toward ensuring this is achieved, ranging from limiting the number of
persons on campus, to frequent COVID-19 testing. Campus access is restricted to only critical and pre-screened employees
and faculty, as approved by HODs and Ashesi’s Executive Team. The goal of the project is to follow and apply the
mechatronic design process in order to design an access control system to be utilized at the university’s main access
entrance. The system should only give access to critical and pre-screened employees and faculty; only employees and
faculty who are wearing masks, employees and faculty must not register a temperature greater than 37.5 degrees Celsius
and they must have been hand sanitized. It is also desirable that the system has a security feature to identity employees
and faculty. The system should allow access to both employees and faculty who are driving vehicles and pedestrians.

Instructions
Students are to work individually to perform the following task;

▪ Select sensors and actuators for the main subsystems of the access control system based on the system
specifications and the conceptual design. Just your selections.

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 1
Sensors
A sensor is a device which produces a signal relating to the quantity being measured. For the project description the
sensors that will be selected will be based on the criteria below.

• The temperature ranges.


• Size
• Voltage range
• Discrete or analog output
• Response speed
• Sensing range
• Repetition accuracy

For the project, there are two main systems: the vehicle system and the pedestrian system. For these systems, sensors
will be used for facial scanner, QR code reader, auto-sanitizer and auto-temperature measurement system. However,
special sensors will be used to detect the vehicles’ position and the number of pedestrians in the satisfaction room.
proximity sensors, position sensors, inductive sensors, flow sensors, optical sensors, and vision sensors. The sensors
that will be used are mainly proximity sensors, position sensors, inductive sensors, optical sensors, and vision sensors.

The table below details the selected sensors for the project.

Sensor Type Specific Sensor Justification and Description


Optical Sensor QR Code Scanner Non-contacting sensors. Works by detecting
reflected light illuminated by an illumination
system in the scanner. Will be used to read QR
codes of faculty and employees’ data.
Proximity Sensors Ultrasonic Proximity Sensor Non-contacting sensors. Works transmitting and
receiving high frequency waves. Able to detect
the presence of nearby objects without any
physical contact. Will be used to detect the point
at which the vehicles enter the driveway. It will
also be used to detect the point at which the
vehicles will cause the gate to open and close for
the vehicles.
IR Proximity Sensor will be used to detect a hand near the nozzle of
the hand sanitizer. It will also be used to control
how the hand-sanitizer dispenses.
Position Sensor Potentiometer Converts analog information into a voltage
through a resistor. Allows minimum input
requirement and ensures accuracy. Will be used
as an internal feedback sensor to measure the
angular displacement of the gates.
Light Sensor IR Sensor Non-contacting sensors. Works with near infrared
light. Used to detect hand position to switch the
automatic sink on.
Vision Sensors Color Camera Non-contacting sensors. It able to detect all
shapes and colors of objects. Used to detect the
faces of people and recognize those wearing nose
masks. Also used to detect the number of people
in the satisfaction room for pedestrians.
Temperature Sensors Infrared Temperature Sensors Non-contacting sensors. It measures temperatures
of bodies by its radiation. Will be used to measure
the temperature of pedestrians and drivers.

Actuators

Actuators covert energy to mechanical motion. The actuators that will be used in this project are mainly the electric
actuators. Electric actuators are chosen because they are clean, can be easily controlled and can operate indoors. The
table below summarizes the actuators that will be picked for the two main systems.

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 2
Actuator Type Specific Actuator Justification and Description
Switching Devices Autofocus actuators Embedded in the facial recognition
scanners. Ensures the images are
sharp for easy recognition.
Diodes and transistors These are embedded in devices such
as QR code readers, and temperature
sensors. The enables the output of
the sensed data to be realized.
Drive Systems DC Water Pump It is controlled by a voltage from a
sensor. It has a good linear torque-
speed operation. Used to pump
water or the sanitizing gel out from
an automatic water sink or the
automatic sanitizer, respectively.
Brush type DC motor It has good linear torque-speed
operation. Used to control the
angular motion of the pedestrian and
vehicle gates.

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 3

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