In January of 2017, I designed and built a small capsule that could be placed in a washing machine and would then text the user when his/her laundry was completed. I decided to call my project the 'Washamacallit' and it quickly gained a lot of interest in my community.

The device was coded using an Arduino UNO board and C++, and the water-tight, machine-safe capsule was constructed out of PVC pipe. The project involved a motion sensor, an SMS sensor (which allows the Arduino board to send and receive text messages through the use of a SIM card), and two battery packs. The device required about 25 minutes for a full charge before it could be used. The device was activated by the user texting the Arduino's provided phone number any message. The motion of the capsule was then measured as the capsule tumbled around inside the washing machine. When the motion stopped (signifying the end of the cycle), the SMS sensor sent the user a text message saying that the laundry cycle was completed.

The project was featured in a news article in the local newspaper, The Roanoke Star, which can be read: here. Local entrepreneurs also expressed interest in the project.

Project Awards:
2nd place, 2017 RVGS Project Forum (Systems Engineering division)
1st place, 2017 Roanoke City Science Fair (Engineering Mechanics division)
2nd place, 2017 Western VA Regional Science in Engineering Fair (Embedded Systems division)