Describing Main/ Major and Minor Parts or Components

Hi everyone... In my last post, I just briefly cited about Smart Spoon. It was like an introduction on my chosen gadget. Now I will go on detail where I will explain the Smart Spoon using the term 'minor/major' part.

Major Part
Without any doubt, the sensors on the spoon are the major part of Smart Spoon. The spoon is equipped with sensors that measure temperature, acidity, salinity, and viscosity, and is connected to a computer via a cable.Data from the sensors will be collected and sent to a built-in temporary storage in the spoon. It is to ensure the precision of data received, at the same time any errors on first reading can be recovered. The sensors evaluate the different properties of the food, and send them to the computer for further processing. There are four sensors on this spoon. They are pH,temperature,salinity and viscosity. Smart Spoon contains zinc, aluminum and gold sensors.





pH: measures the acidity of the food.
Temperature: measures the heat provided and can be used to avoid overheating.
Viscosity: Can describe the fluid's flow in food, either
it is too thick or vice versa.
Salinity: In food it is very important to measure the saltiness of food. This single component can destroy the taste of food if not controlled.
Apart from consolidating measurements that are normally done by an array of equipments into a single spoon, the information obtained can be used to advise the users what their next step should be; for example, it tells the user if there is not enough salt in the brine prepared to make pickles.

Minor Part
The minor parts in this gadget can not be neglected. They include the battery, on/off button, microcontroller, and antenna. These component may sounds simple compare to the sensors, but the Smart Spoon can not be successful without them.

Battery: A rechargeable nickel cadmium(NiCd) or lithium ion(Li-ion) battery can be used in it. Or it can be charged directly through an adapter.The 1.5-2.0 volt battery can last for 2-4 hours with continuos usage.
On/Off Button: A simple, bright, and small button placed on the cylindrical part of the spoon.
Microcontroller: The spoon will be using a silicon chip embedded on a circuit board. This is where all the data received will be gathered and read.
Antenna: In this component,the data collected will be sent to a nearby laptop via bluetooth or wireless connection.

The body of the Smart Spoon is simple. It is about 3cm in diameters at the cylindrical part. Length of the spoon is about 20cm and the width of the scoop is about 6cm. So, this a handy, compact, and simple device.