Smart Bottle Cap Segmentation for Accurate Fluid Intake Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 'smart' water bottles fail to accurately differentiate between fluid consumed by a user and fluid expelled without being consumed, leading to inaccurate tracking of water intake.
Innovation Solution
A bottle equipped with a control unit and weight sensors that distinguish between fluid consumed through a primary cap and fluid discarded or spilled through a secondary cap, communicating this information to a computing device for tracking and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a flow meter is incorporated into the cap to track fluid quantity, then the bottle can communicate water consumption data to a computing device, but the bottle cannot accurately differentiate between consumed fluid and discarded fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The bottle is divided into multiple functional segments: a first cap with a first opening for consuming fluid, a second cap with a second opening for discarding fluid, and a control unit. This segmentation allows the system to track and differentiate between fluid consumed through the first cap and fluid discarded through the second cap, thereby improving measurement precision while preventing information loss about fluid disposition.
2Productivity
If the bottle tracks all expelled fluid, then it provides comprehensive monitoring data, but it includes inaccurate data from non-consumed fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives feedback from multiple sensors including a flow meter that measures fluid flow rate and a sensor that detects whether fluid is being consumed or discarded. This feedback mechanism allows the control unit to distinguish between consumed fluid (where the user is actively drinking) and discarded fluid (where the cap is opened but no consumption occurs), thereby maintaining comprehensive monitoring while ensuring data reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A bottle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a sidewall, at least one cap removably attached to the sidewall, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine whether fluid expelled from the bottle is consumed by a user.