Executive Summary

One thing every family does every day, is that they wash clothes and
dry their clothes. To achieve the best efficiency of the drying of clothes, people
hang their clothes outdoor to expose them to flowing air and sunlight which
speeds up the process. But it will not always be sunshine out there, rain might
come unexpectedly and the clothes that were intended to be dried get all wet
again. Nowadays, all members of a family might be working or studying during
the day and it is very normal that the house is empty, there may not be
anyone to keep the clothes back indoor when it rains. People then need to
wash the cloths all over again because the rain is acidic. We find this is a
waste of time, water and energy.
So we started this project that can can retrieve the clothes back indoor
before it rains. We uses a LDR ( Light dependent resistor) sensor to detect
when the sky is getting dark, the system retrieved the clothes back indoor to
prevent them from getting any wet. We cannot deny that there is chance when
it rains when the sky is still bright, so we will include a rain sensor in the
system and the clothes will be retrieved indoor when rain is detected.
Besides, we uses a timer so that when the sky is dark we can retrieve the
clothes back and when the sun comes out the system send the clothes out in
the sunlight again. The system can be controlled manually that we can uses a
switch to either retrieve the clothes indoor or send them out. A DC motor will
be used to perform the actions of retrieving the clothes in and out. Beside, we
will be using a solar powered back up power supply in case electricity run out.
By doing this project, we

Introduction

In this era of globalization, people seldom stay at home due to working hours
daily from 9 to 5. Even women nowadays have been working more than men
and they tend spend lesser time at home. In this way, house hold chores such
as drying clothes is seldom done when nobody is at home because no one
will keep the clothes when it suddenly starts to rain. When women come
home after work, it is already evening and several people do not like their
clothes to be hang outside at night, because in the middle of the night it might
rain, and we want to save them from waking up in middle of night can keep
the clothes. And when it comes to the weekend, the clothes are accumulated
and they are washed and dried at once. When it suddenly starts raining, they
may not be able to keep them all at once; some of the clothes may get caught
in the rain. A housewife may not be at home all the time too. Some may forget
to keep the clothes and they will be all wet outside when it starts to rain.

Problem Statement
Busy housewives cannot manage to keep the clothes into the house
when it is raining especially when they are not at home.
Many women nowadays work from 9 to 5. They hang the clothes
outside before they leave the house for work and come back at night.
When it rains and no one is at home, the clothes will be wet and need
to be washed again.
Families who stay in flats may not have space to hang their clothes.
Therefore, some hang the clothes by using a rod connected to their
window. When it rains they may not be able to keep all the shirts in
time.

Literature Review
1. Rain Sensor on windshield.
A rain sensor, also sometimes referred to as a rain switch, is a sensing device
activated by the presence of rainfall. They are typically located near the
mounting point of your rear view mirror on the top of your windshield. Rain
sensors will typically have a wire going from the sensor up towards the top of
the windshield. While looking for a rain sensor on your car, it is also important
to be aware of the other possibilities of electronics on your windshield that
could have wires coming from them. These would include options like an
electrochromic mirror (auto dimming), or even a light sensor.
The most common types of modern rain sensors use the total internal
reflection principle. An infrared light is beamed at 45 degrees into the
windshield from the interior, and the amount of light reflected back into the
sensor is monitored. If there is rain on the outside of the windshield, less light
is reflected back into the sensor, and if in auto mode, your windshield wipers
will automatically engage.

2. Retractable Awning
Retractable patio awnings are a popular and convenient way to protect you
and your possessions while you are sitting outside, having a barbecue, or
hosting an outdoor party. You can enjoy the weather and breeze but without
the hot sun in summer, or an inconvenient shower of rain.
Retractable awnings mean that you can move it in and out. The awning rolls
up into the cassette that protects it from the weather when not in use. Canvas
types work similarly to roller blinds with spring tension. Aluminum types roll up
into the cassette, pushed by arms on the sides of the window.
Both manual and motorized systems usually come in canvas, but
occasionally, aluminum. There are a variety of awnings available and they
work in different ways.
Some types of awning have posts or poles to hold it out. These can be a
danger as people, especially children can run into them. Some have support
arms that take the weight of the canvas and hold it high so people cannot run
into it.
Motorized awnings use a motor to wind the awning when you push the button,
like a garage door. The motor is housed in a case or cassette that is attached
to a wall. Dont worry, these also come with a manual override for if there is a
malfunction or you lose power. When the button is pushed, the motor spins
quietly in the direction it needs to go to open or close the awning.
Some brands of motorized awning come with weather detector sensors and
will automatically roll up if they sense wind, or unroll if they sense sun.
The problem with motorized awnings is that they can be high maintenance
and need repairs a lot more often than their manual counterparts.
The canvas used in retractable awnings is resistant to sun and fading, it also
has some waterproofing which protects anything under it from showers. New
canvas is fairly maintenance free but in time can crack and tear, needing
replacement. Always wind up your awnings in windy weather as they can tear
and the arms can get damages, causing a high repair bill.

3. LDR ( Light dependent resistor) Sensor

An LDR is a component that has a (variable) resistance that changes with the
light intensity that falls upon it. This allows them to be used in light sensing
circuits. The most common type of LDR has a resistance that falls with an
increase in the light intensity falling upon the device (as shown in the image
above). The resistance of an LDR may typically have the following
resistances:
Daylight
= 5000
Dark

= 20000000

You can therefore see that there is a large variation between these figures. If
you plotted this variation on a graph you would get something similar to that
shown by the graph shown above.

The circuit shown above shows a simple way of constructing a circuit that
turns on when it goes dark. In this circuit the LDR and the another Resistor
form a simple 'Potential Divider' circuit, where the centre point of the Potential
Divider is fed to the Base of the NPN Transistor.
When the light level decreases, the resistance of the LDR increases. As this
resistance increases in relation to the other Resistor, which has a fixed
resistance, it causes the voltage dropped across the LDR to also increase.
When this voltage is large enough (0.7V for a typical NPN Transistor), it will
cause the Transistor to turn on.
The value of the fixed resistor will depend on the LDR used, the transistor
used and the supply voltage.

Scope of The Study

Objectives of The Study

Methodology

Start

Turn on LDR sensor,

Light sensor, Timer

Is it time to retrieve in or out

In

No
Out

Retrieve In

Retrieve Out

Yes
Is it dark outside?
No
Yes
Is it raining?

End

Design of the study

i. The prototype will be assembled as shown n the block diagram in Figure 1.
ii. In order to achieve the objective ii, the timer is turned on, and the system
will retrieve the clothes in and out according to the time set by the user.
Iii. In order to achieve objective iii, the LDR sensor is turned on, so that it can
detect the brightness of the surrounding.
Iv. In order to achieve objective iv, the rain sensor is turned on, to detect if
there is rain.

Block Diagram:
Figure 1

Grand Chart

Budget

Risk Assessment

Description of risk

Possible

Probability

Severity

Consequences
Raining before the sky

LDR sensor cannot

gets dark.

detect the change in

Contingency
Plan

Rain sensor used

Solar powered

proximity and the

clothes get wet.
Power cut out.

Motor and sensor

may not be able to
work as there is no
power supply

back up.

R&D process may cause

Higher cost if the

a lot of failure and

prototype

or cheaper clothes

retrying

clotheshorse spoil

line.

Insufficient knowledge on

System does not run

sensors and motors used

the way as we

Uses second hand

Researches and
consult lecturer.

desired.
Insufficient knowledge on

Unable to perform

programming.

correct logic or

Researches and
consult lecturer.

instruction.
Overvoltage.

Sensors or motors

Perform

used might be

overvoltage

spoiled.

protection and
simulate the circuit
before building
prototype.

References