For the second half of the first module, me and my project group created automatic smart sunglasses. These sunglasses move their tinted glasses up if the light intensity if low, and down if the light intensity is high. We started out with research, and found that the brightness of the sun is so damaging that wearing sunglasses is highly advised under certain light conditions.
With that, we started brainstorming, made sketches and a cut-out design in wood. The requirement was that we had to use an NE555 timer and we were not allowed to program anything; it had to be pure electrical hardware. We used an LDR sensor, which decreases in resistance as the light intensity increases. This was all hooked up to the NE555 timer, where voltages are compared. The tinted glasses, attached to a servo motor, then moved either up or down accordingly. The sunglasses also featured a potentiometer, to be able to change the sensitivity of the motor, to adjust for sunnier/less sunny days.
Below, some images of the prototype can be seen, including the electrical circuit chart. I learned a lot of electrical engineering from this project!