Designing an Arduino Uno-Based Automatic Clothes Folding Device

Study Case Designing an Arduino Uno-Based Automatic Clothes Folding Device as a Technological Innovation for Small Business Enterprise Laundries Michael Kurniawan (2018123456) University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States kurniaml@mail.uc.edu Abstract Laundry workers are required to fold large quantities of clothes in a short time and with neat results. Based on these requirements, an innovation is needed to assist both households and small-scale laundry businesses in the garment folding process. This study aims to design and create an automatic garment folding device based on Arduino Uno. Arduino Uno is a microcontroller commonly used in the creation of electronic system prototypes due to its ease of programming and use. The creation of an Arduinobased module requires the design of an electronic circuit schematic that serves as a guide in the tool assembly process. The circuit must be designed before construction begins. Servo motor testing was conducted by rotating the angle from 0° to 180° to ensure performance. The test results showed that the three servo motors used functioned properly. This automatic clothes folding device can help households and small laundry businesses in the United States fold clothes quickly, efficiently, and neatly, saving time and energy. The time required to fold a short-sleeved T-shirt is 3.56 seconds, while for a short-sleeved shirt it is 3.66 seconds. Keywords: Arduino Uno, Automatic Clothes Folding Device, Laundry Business INTRODUCTION In the laundry service industry in the United States, workers are required to fold large quantities of clothes quickly and with consistent results. Therefore, technological innovation is needed to simplify the garment folding process, both for household needs and for small and medium-sized laundry businesses. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 1 Study Case This research focuses on the development of an Arduino Uno-based automatic garment folding machine to increase the productivity and efficiency of small businesses (Small Business Laundry). This device functions as an automatic folding board that replaces the manual method previously done by hand. This research aims to contribute scientifically to the development of microcontroller-based automatic tools and to educate the public on the application of simple automation technology to increase the productivity of small businesses. In the United States, Small Businesses are defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as independently owned businesses with annual revenues and a number of employees below certain limits. For example, micro businesses have assets of up to approximately $50,000, with a maximum annual income of $300,000; small businesses have assets of up to $500,000 with an income between $300,000 and $2.5 million, while medium-sized businesses can have assets of up to $10 million and an income of up to $50 million per year. Arduino Uno (Figure 1) is an Atmega 328-based microcontroller board. Arduino Uno has 14 digital input/output pins, of which 6 pins can be used as PWM outputs, as well as 6 analog input pins, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. To run this microcontroller, simply connect it to a computer via a USB cable or to an external power source such as a DC adapter or battery [2][3]. Arduino Uno is a microcontroller that is often used in electronic prototype development because it is open-source and supports integration with various sensors, actuators, and other additional devices. Arduino is not just a tool, but also a physical computing platform that includes hardware, programming languages, and an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that allows users to write, compile, and upload code to microcontrollers [4]. Figure 1. Arduino Uno MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 2 Study Case Various types of Arduino boards can be used as needed, such as the Nano, Uno, Mega, Yun, Micro, and Pro Mini series. The main differences between these series lie in their memory capacity, number of input/output pins, and additional features included. The basic equipment for this Arduino project includes a USB data cable (Figure 2), jumper cables (male-to-male, male-to-female, and female-to-female), and a breadboard for assembling electronic circuits [5]. A study by K. Umurani et al. shows that data acquisition systems using Arduino boards produce accurate and economical performance [6]. Figure 2. USB Data Cable for Arduino [5] A microcontroller is a mini-computer on a single chip used to control electronic hardware. In the past, control systems required many components such as ICs, TTLs, and CMOS, but now they can be replaced by a single microcontroller that is smaller and more efficient [7]. LED (Light Emitting Diode) (Figure 3) is an electronic component that emits light when a forward current is applied. The color of the light depends on the type of semiconductor material used, such as gallium, arsenic, and phosphorus [8]. Figure 3. LED [9] Power Supply (Figure 4) functions to convert AC (Alternating Current) from an electrical source into DC (Direct Current) used by electronic devices. This device is known as a DC Power Adapter in industrial and household environments in the US [10]. Figure 4. Power Supply MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 3 Study Case A servo motor (Figure 5) is a rotary actuator with a closed-loop control system that allows for high-accuracy angle position control. Servo motors are widely used in robotics, precision manufacturing, and industrial automation systems. Servo motors are divided into DC servos for light applications and AC servos for industrial applications with higher power requirements. AC servo motors are typically available in two-phase configurations for low power and three-phase configurations for high power [11]. Figure 5. Servo Motor [11] Servo motor applications cover a wide range of fields, including: 1. Robotics: Controlling the movement of robot arms and joints. 2. Manufacturing: Regulating the movement of CNC machines with precision. 3. Aerospace: Regulating surface control on aircraft. 4. Electronics: Controlling focus and zoom on digital cameras. 5. Automotive: Used in power steering systems for precision control [12]. Figure 6. Servo Motor and Device Installation [12] The Arduino Buzzer (Figure 7) is a component that converts electrical energy into mechanical vibrations that produce sound. It is commonly used as a sound indicator for alarms, keypads, or damage notification systems on electronic devices such as computer motherboards. This buzzer operates at a voltage of 3–12 volts and can be connected directly to Arduino if the power is below 5 volts. If using 12 volts, a booster circuit such as a 2N2222 transistor is required as a driver circuit [12]. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 4 Study Case Figure 7. Arduino Buzzer [12] Previous research has shown that an automatic clothes folding system based on ultrasonic sensors and an Arduino Uno microcontroller is capable of folding clothes efficiently, even equipped with an automatic spraying system and UV lights. The average folding time is around 5 seconds for clothes weighing a maximum of 400 grams [14]. Another study by Regitha Yulinar used a weight sensor (load cell) in an Arduino Mega-based automatic folding system. The device is capable of folding clothes weighing a maximum of 15 grams with an average time of 10 seconds per garment [15]. Previous research using a spring-based manual system showed an average folding time of 7 seconds, while the traditional method required 5 seconds, proving that automatic folding devices are more efficient [16][17]. Research by Akfi Yurkha Kusuma [18] reported an average folding time of 7 seconds for long-sleeved shirts and 6 seconds for shorts. In addition, Arduino boards have also been widely used in the control of Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines applied in various industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and precision manufacturing [19]. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 5 Study Case RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This research was conducted at the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, over a period of six months. The materials and equipment used in this research are described in Tables 1 and 2 below. Table 1. Research Materials Table 2. Research Equipment MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 6 Study Case The tool design process involved a series of stages, including design, component selection, and assembly. The tool design (Figure 8) was used as the basis for manufacturing and component selection. Figure 8. Research Tool Design Plan The working principle of this tool is as follows: when clothes are placed on the folding board, the sensor detects the presence of clothes and sends a signal to the servo motor. The servo motor then moves from left to right, right to left, and down to up to fold the clothes automatically. An infrared (IR) sensor is used to detect movement and temperature changes in objects as triggers for the system. The steps for making an Arduino Uno-based automatic clothes folding device are as follows: 1. Develop several tool design concepts. 2. Create a preliminary device design. 3. Prepare the necessary materials and components. 4. Assemble the device according to the design. 5. Write and program the Arduino code. 6. Test the device to ensure it matches the design and expected performance. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The design in this study covers two main parts, namely hardware and software development. To support the design and implementation process, several supporting tools were used, such as a soldering iron, solder, multimeter, laptop, and screwdriver. The main materials used in this study included Arduino Uno R3, MG995 servo motor with 7 kg torque, 5V 3A power supply, jumper cables, acrylic sheets, bolts, a 12 mm switch, a buzzer, a folding board (plastic type), an AC/DC socket, a plug connector, and an infrared sensor (IR) as shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 7 Study Case Figure 9. Main Components 1 Figure 10. Main Components 2 This tool has dimensions of 60 x 70 cm with a thickness of 1 cm and a side width of 22.5 cm, made of plastic. Main component number 1 measures 60 x 70 cm with a thickness of 11.7 cm, made of plywood. The initial stages of tool production began with preparing all tools and materials, followed by cutting the plywood according to the design plan. After that, the acrylic was cut and shaped before the assembly stage. The process of manufacturing and assembling the automatic clothes folding tool can be seen in Figures 11 to 15 below. Figure 11. Servo circuit assembly MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 8 Study Case Figure 12. Acrylic sheet installation Figure 13. Servo motor connection Figure 14. Circuit system integration Figure 15. Final appearance of the automatic clothes folding device The next stage is the preparation of the circuit schematic (see Figure 16). The schematic was created using an Arduino-based module to simplify the design and troubleshooting processes. This schematic serves as the main guide in the creation of electronic circuits and assists in the process of identifying errors during system maintenance or testing. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 9 Study Case Figure 16. Schematic of the automatic clothes folding device Next, the clothing folding system was tested five times to determine the average time required for the device to fold clothes automatically. The time calculation began when the infrared sensor detected an object until the entire mechanical folding process was complete. The types of clothing used in this test were short-sleeved shirts and short-sleeved T-shirts, as shown in Figure 17 and Figure 18. Figure 17. Short-sleeved shirt being tested Figure 18. Short-sleeved T-shirt being tested The average time test results for both types of clothing are presented in Table 3 below. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 10 Study Case Table 3. Automatic Folding Time Test Results CONCLUSION Based on the results of the research and discussion above, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. The creation of an Arduino Uno-based automatic clothes folding device consisting of components such as an IR sensor, servo motor, buzzer, power supply, and on/off switch has been proven to assist with household chores and support small business enterprises (SBEs) in the laundry sector in folding clothes more neatly, efficiently, and in a time- and labor-saving manner. 2. The average time required for the device to complete the folding process is: • 3.56 seconds for short-sleeved T-shirts • 3.66 seconds for short-sleeved shirts Thus, this Arduino-based automatic clothes folding device can function effectively and can be further developed for household and small business applications in the United States. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 11 Study Case REFERENCE MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 12