A Smart Voice-Controlled Medicine Reminder with Expiry Detection

Abstract

The Medibox — Voice-Controlled Smart Medical Assistant is an IoT-based embedded healthcare system designed to improve medication management by ensuring timely and accurate medicine intake. The system addresses common issues such as missed doses, incorrect medication usage, and lack of monitoring, particularly among elderly and chronically ill patients. It utilises voice recognition technology to allow users to register medication details, such as dosage, timing, and expiry date, via simple voice commands, enhancing accessibility and ease of use. The Raspberry Pi acts as the central controller, integrating various components, including an RFID system using the MFRC-522 module operating at 13.56 MHz for medicine identification, an RTC for precise scheduling, and servo motors for automated medicine dispensing. An IR sensor is used to detect whether the medicine has been taken, providing real-time verification and improving reliability compared to traditional reminder-based systems. In case of missed doses, the system sends alerts to caregivers via email using the Gmail API, enabling remote monitoring and timely intervention. The system also includes an expiry validation feature that prevents the dispensing of expired medicines, thereby ensuring patient safety. By combining automation, intelligent control, and user-friendly interaction, the Medibox system reduces human errors and enhances medication adherence. The proposed solution demonstrates high accuracy, reliability, and efficiency, making it suitable for both home and healthcare environments.