smart medicine box

So, I am trying to build a medicine box which will send an email to some relative when the patient forgets to take a pill. Now, which would be a preferable controller for that. The one which gets connected to wi-fi easily and is cost effective too.

Or a whole pre designed kit can also work but am guessing that would be a lot expensive. But I am so not sure from where to start.

This would rely on a fair degree of honesty of the end user. Some patients fake taking medication. How does one know the pill was consumed?

Eventually an inventory check would tell the story. Hope the medication is not time critical.

Start from the beginning, which is use cases. Write a list of step-by-step tasks that are going to be prformed with your device. Then, look at the hardware requirements. What hardware is going to be used on each step, how you're going to mount it on your device - switches, batteries, modules, antennas, whatever. Hardware must meet all the use cases and at the same time should fit in into the allowed space, not get in the user's way. At the same time it must meet the allowed budget.

Microcontroller comes last, when everything else is known.

Inquisitive said:

This would rely on a fair degree of honesty of the end user. Some patients fake taking medication. How does one know the pill was consumed?

Eventually an inventory check would tell the story. Hope the medication is not time critical.

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I agree. I have personally seen cases where the patients empty cartridges are shown to the doctor as if to say they are taking the medication, but they flush the pills down the toilet.

Putting that aside, since you said you don't know where to start, think about how you are going to implement this - how were you thinking of finding out if a pill was administered? provided the patient will actually take the pills, you could simply monitor when a pill bottle is removed and replaced meaning a pill was taken. Depending on your budget we could go in to a complicated arrangement of detection

If its about forgetfulness and not the trust thing, then I think I have an idea. My idea wouldnt do anything to help those that flush drugs, but those that simply forget could be reminded.
What I dont get is the email thing???? why email a relative if they forget? just get device to remind the person! If its to tell relative someone that dosnt want to take medicine, hasnt taken it, then forget it. Even with a webcam and relative watching, is easy to fake taking a pill.
Could we have some more details please