← Back
Project 01 Healthcare

Automated Medicine Dispenser

A QR-driven dispensing system that reduces medication errors and ensures timely delivery in clinics, pharmacies, and home care.

Year
2024
Domain
Healthcare · IoT
Status
Working prototype
Role
End-to-end build

01The Problem

Medication errors are a leading cause of preventable harm in healthcare. Wrong dosages, missed doses, or incorrect medications harm patients — especially the elderly managing multiple prescriptions at home, or busy pharmacy counters dispensing hundreds of prescriptions daily.

Manual dispensing is slow, error-prone, and requires constant attention. The goal was to build something simple, reliable, and affordable.

02The Approach

I designed a QR-based dispensing system where each prescription gets a unique QR code containing patient info, medication, and dosage. The dispenser reads the QR, identifies the correct medicine compartment, and delivers the exact dose via servo-controlled gates.

  • QR code scanning for prescription verification
  • Servo motor control for individual compartment dispensing
  • LED + buzzer feedback for successful dispense events
  • Tamper-resistant compartments to prevent misuse
  • Optional logging for caregivers / pharmacists to audit usage

03How It Works

The user scans a QR code printed on their prescription (or shown on a phone). The microcontroller parses the QR, validates it against the loaded medication map, then commands the correct servo to release exactly one dose. The display confirms the action.

For multi-medication setups, the system queues doses and handles them sequentially with safe timing gaps to prevent jamming.

04Tech Stack

Arduino
Main controller
Servo Motors
Dispensing mechanism
QR Scanner Module
Prescription input
LCD Display
User feedback
Custom PCB
Power + signal routing
3D Printed Enclosure
Compartments + frame
Read case study ↗ More projects