Color Sensing Storage Box

Objective: Create a self-organizing storage system that stores and dispenses any container, with a customizable naming system. Problem: LCD screen menu took a long time to debug; the rotating platform gear isn't a perfect circle and caused the stepper motor gear to slip. Solution: Many long nights debugging the LCD menu; masking and electrical tape on the slipping points of the rotating gear to give the stepper gear better grip. Built as a group project for Intro to Mechatronics. Components: nRF52840 Feather Sense (microcontroller), LCD with rotary-encoder navigation, color sensor, distance sensor, 6 containers, stepper motor, 12V supply. The interactive menu took many bugs to fix as we used the rotary encoder to navigate it — but those bugs taught me how to write a robust menu system. The LCD has a startup animation and main menu listing all available containers (names customizable, persisted to flash). When a name is selected, the platform rotates until a container is 15mm from the distance sensor, then the color sensor checks if it's the requested one. If not, rotation continues. A MOSFET ties the 12V motor supply to the 5V microcontroller supply so they boot together.