DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF MODIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR AUTOMATIC BODY MASS INDEX SYSTEM

Abstract

Body mass index machine is an essential diagnostic tool for monitoring body mass distribution and corresponding health risks in humans but the conventional design does not give room for additional features for advance diagnosis, documentation and prescriptive measures. Therefore, the embodiment of conventional and additional subsystems requires modification in terms of system framework. This study designed and constructed a modified BMI framework beyond a conventional means of evaluating and monitoring human health which makes provisions for user’s image capturing, automatic mass and height quantification subsystems. The system architecture framework was designed with computer aided design software, AutoCAD and constructed from locally made high density fibre, HDF. Through drilling, cutting and fitting all necessary subsystems/components within spatial locations were provided in the modified system. The load cells which sense the user’s mass were placed within four springs in a square arrangement at the basement of the system for damping and absorbance characteristics analysis.

The system accommodate all the proposed additional diagnosis features and users of different size/height for improvement. The ultrasonic sensor which is placed above the user at the top of the modified BMI to automatically measure user’s height and the side of the system was calibrated to form meter rule for verification. All measured BMI parameters are displayed on raspberry pi smart screen which is fixed on adjustable hanger to cater for different user height, in front of the user for image capturing and parameters visualisation. All subsystems within the BMI worked properly, and the system was found to accommodate user irrespective of mass and height. It is recommended that this modified BMI system hardware should be complemented with robust application software for further advances advanced sophistication.