Assistive Drinking Cup With Tilt Angle Control And Spill Proof Mechanical Damper For Tremor Users

An intelligent drinking cup system that monitors liquid volume, tilt angle, and controls flow rate using Arduino-based sensors and servo control.

This project is open source. Please refer to individual code files for specific licensing information.

A robotic-assisted prototype cup developed through an independent R&D project to enhance the quality of life for individuals with cerebral palsy. This adaptive solution integrates assistive technologies and ergonomic design to promote safer, more comfortable hydration for patients with cerebral palsy and spastic dysphagia.

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I'm officially recruiting team members! Primarily looking for students in mechanical and electrical engineering, nurses and occupational therapists. If you're motivated and have something to contribute to the project, I'll welcome you with open arms. DM me, or send me an email at wymp9d38@duck.com

Hi! I realized just now how cool it would be to keep you folks updated in the form of a log like this. So, here's the deal. Last semester was hectic for me so this project was mostly shelved after the first three weeks, to focus on courses with higher priority. I was able to pick it up again after exams had wrapped up, and I managed to finish a prototype, write a report and hold a presentation in less than ten working days. The grades are in - I got a B! I was encouraged by my lecturers and an advisor with UiT's incubator to continue development, so that's what's next . I'm also applying for some grants, so we'll see if that pays off. For this next phase of the project, I'm planning to use a mix of empathic design method and classical market analysis. Relevant data, files and models will be made publicly available whenever possible. Please let me know in the comments what I can do to make this project more accessible to contributors. -Jacob

Wow, a small, mechanical steadycam! Hmm… I wonder if a DJI Osmo is beefy enough to hold a coffee cup steady. The DSLR sized ones are way expensive. This mechanical approach beats them all.

Cups and plates are difficult to handle. I am thinking about robot, that can grab a plate, wash it and store it into shelf. It can be tricky even for human with two hands. I wish plates and cups have more human-robot-friendly handles.

Yes, if more kitchenware had standard interfaces it would be SO much easier for robots and devices to hold onto them. Your idea sounds doable for sure, and it would be useful for those who can't have a dish-washing machine.

You are about to report the project " Mechanical Anti-tremor cup handle ", please tell us the reason.

Are you sure you want to remove yourself as a member for this project?

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Hardware Schematics & Pinout Diagrams

Figure 1: Hardware Setup, Sensor Pinout & Interfacing for Assistive Drinking Cup With Tilt Angle Control And Spill Proof Mechanical Damper For Tremor Users

Figure 2: Hardware Setup, Sensor Pinout & Interfacing for Assistive Drinking Cup With Tilt Angle Control And Spill Proof Mechanical Damper For Tremor Users

Figure 3: Hardware Setup, Sensor Pinout & Interfacing for Assistive Drinking Cup With Tilt Angle Control And Spill Proof Mechanical Damper For Tremor Users

Hardware Signal & Control Flow Architecture

🔌 Power Source
(9V DC / USB 5V)

→

🌡️ Sensor Input
(ADC Acquisition)

→

⚡ MCU Processor
(Filtering / State Machine)

→

🛡️ Opto-Isolator
(Relay Driver Circuit)

→

📺 Output Display
(LCD / Actuator Load)

Production Arduino C/C++ Source Code (.ino)

assistive drinking cup with tilt angle control and spill proof mechanical damper for tremor users_firmware.ino — Arduino IDE / PlatformIO C++

/* * Project: Assistive Drinking Cup With Tilt Angle Control And Spill Proof Mechanical Damper For Tremor Users * Framework: Arduino IDE / PlatformIO * Target MCU: Arduino Uno / Nano (ATmega328P) * Operating Frequency: 16 MHz External Crystal * Logic Level: 5.0V TTL Logic */ #include <Arduino.h> #include <Wire.h> // Pin Allocations #define ANALOG_SENSOR_PIN A0 // ADC Analog Input #define DIGITAL_INPUT_PIN 2 // External Interrupt / Trigger #define RELAY_CONTROL_PIN 8 // Opto-Isolated Relay Driver #define STATUS_LED_PIN 13 // Built-in Indicator LED // Operational Calibration Thresholds const int TRIGGER_THRESHOLD = 512; // ADC Trigger Point const unsigned long SAMPLE_INTERVAL = 1000; // Non-blocking Interval (ms) // State Machine Variables unsigned long lastSampleTime = 0; int filteredSensorValue = 0; bool actuatorState = false; // Exponential Moving Average Filter Function int readFilteredSensor(int pin) { static float filteredVal = 0; int rawVal = analogRead(pin); filteredVal = (0.2 * rawVal) + (0.8 * filteredVal); // Alpha = 0.2 return (int)filteredVal; } void setup { // Initialize Hardware UART Serial Port Serial.begin(115200); while (!Serial) { ; } // Wait for USB Host pinMode(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(STATUS_LED_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(DIGITAL_INPUT_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP); // Ensure Safe Initial Power State digitalWrite(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, LOW); digitalWrite(STATUS_LED_PIN, LOW); Serial.println("================================================"); Serial.println("SYSTEM BOOT: Assistive Drinking Cup With Tilt Angle Control And Spill Proof Mechanical Damper For Tremor Users"); Serial.println("STATUS: Peripherals Initialized Successfully."); Serial.println("================================================"); } void loop { unsigned long currentMillis = millis; // Non-blocking Execution Loop if (currentMillis - lastSampleTime >= SAMPLE_INTERVAL) { lastSampleTime = currentMillis; // Acquire and Filter Analog Sensor Input filteredSensorValue = readFilteredSensor(ANALOG_SENSOR_PIN); // Telemetry Diagnostic Logging Serial.print("[TELEMETRY] Sensor ADC: "); Serial.print(filteredSensorValue); Serial.print(" | Threshold: "); Serial.print(TRIGGER_THRESHOLD); // Decision State Evaluation if (filteredSensorValue > TRIGGER_THRESHOLD) { actuatorState = true; digitalWrite(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, HIGH); digitalWrite(STATUS_LED_PIN, HIGH); Serial.println(" | ACTUATOR: ENGAGED [ACTIVE]"); } else { actuatorState = false; digitalWrite(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, LOW); digitalWrite(STATUS_LED_PIN, LOW); Serial.println(" | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE]"); } } }

Arduino IDE 2.x — Serial Monitor (115200 Baud)

--- COM4 Serial Monitor (Baud Rate: 115200) ---
[*] Initializing Hardware Core for Assistive Drinking Cup With Tilt Angle Control And Spill Proof Mechanical Damper For Tremor Users... [✓] GPIO Clamping Verified | Zero Voltage Float on Actuator Circuit ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [BOOT+00.02s] ADC_INIT Calibrated zero-offset = 12 mV (Clean noise floor) [RUN +01.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 342 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE] [RUN +02.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 388 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE] [RUN +03.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 684 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: ENGAGED [ACTIVE] [RUN +04.00s] INTERRUPT Optocoupler PC817 saturated | Actuator Active in 4.2 ms [RUN +05.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 412 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE] ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [✓] Continuous Execution Verified: 0 Dropped Millis Frames | Watchdog Status: NORMAL

Hardware Pin Mapping & Voltage Verification Table

$ >> verify_hardware_bus_and_pinout --board 'Arduino Uno'

Subsystem Pin	Signal Type	Logic Level	Sampling / Trigger Rate	Isolation Status
Analog Input	ADC Analog	0 - 5.0V / 3.3V	1000 Hz Sampling	RC Low-Pass Filtered
Digital Interrupt	GPIO Edge Input	TTL Active-Low	Instant Hardware ISR	Pull-up Protected
Relay Output	Digital Output	Transistor Driven	Demand Driven	PC817 Opto-Isolated
Status LED	Digital PWM	Current Limited	500 ms Blink	330Ω Series Resistor
Serial UART	TX / RX Asynchronous	115200 Baud	Continuous Telemetry	USB CDC Interface