The Problem

At Adafruit, we have a tester for virtually every product we manufacture. With hundreds of fab-made products in our catalog, that’s a lot of testers! When a tester has finished its job and there are no more boards to test, for the time being, it needs to go back home to the tester library. When the bin gets too full, I empty it and return the testers home after their long adventure. Sometimes, I forget to check the bin, and all of the sudden, the bin is brimming with testers.

The Solution

What if I could have someone else (like a robot) keep track of the testers and tell me when the bin is full? That’s exactly what this project will do. Using a FunHouse and an IR (infra-red) sensor, The project will track each time a tester gets placed in the bin with WipperSnapper and AdafruitIO. From there, a service called IFTTT will count the testers and send me an email when the bin has nearly reached its capacity.

Prerequisite Guide:

WipperSnapper is an interface for Adafruit IO, Adafruit's incredibly easy-to-use IoT platform, designed to turn any WiFi-capable board into an IoT device without programming a single line of code.

If you've never used WipperSnapper, click below to read through the Quickstart WipperSnapper guide before continuing.

Project Materials

Adafruit Parts:

X2 Stemma JST cables

Other materials:

• Scotch tape or similar
• Power extension cable
• Zip ties
• Wooden skewer(s) (found at the dollar store)