12 - IoT based sensor operated automatic potion (SOAP) dispenser

Abstract

Previously, there were physically operated hand dispensers that needed to be contacted every time we needed to apply the sanitizer. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the importance of alcohol-based sanitizers has come up. As there are chances of spreading the viruses through contact surfaces, foot-operated dispensers have been developed to avoid contact between hands and hand dispensers. For the virus-infected people, their body temperatures may be high. Therefore, many organizations have been using infrared guns to record their body temperatures before they start working. To record their temperature, a manual presence is required. To replace these manual operations, an automated hand dispenser can be used. An IoT-based automated machine is designed to sanitize the hands with alcohol-based liquid without any contact with the prefilled sanitizer bottle. In connection to that, a temperature sensor is also employed within the dispenser machine to indicate the temperature of the person before they want to sanitize their hands. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most organizations were allowing their clients to work only after checking their body temperature and sanitizing themselves physically. Therefore, to avoid physical contact between the dispenser and people, a device that provides contactless operation has been developed, and further, it does not require any manual presence. While this device uses an ultrasonic sensor along with a temperature sensor to identify the existence of a hand and note the temperature of that hand, a microcontroller is also employed to control the operations. Subsequently, an LCD display is used to indicate the recorded temperature and to pump the alcohol-based sanitizer. A submersible DC motor pump is used, which is operated using a relay from the microcontroller (Granted Patent Ref.: AU 2020102940).