THE INNOVATORS

Have you ever given the state of the air you breathe any thought? You may be surprised to learn that indoor air pollution can have five times the severity of outdoor air pollution. The air we breathe is more than simply a background element in today’s fast-paced society; it is essential to our mental and physical well-being. We aim to create an advanced technology that continuously monitors indoor and outdoor air quality in order to protect people’s health. To do this, we have used advanced sensors and smart technology to deliver up-to-date information on pollution levels, as this will help users make well-informed decisions to protect their respiratory well-being. Our research aims to promote an environmentally conscious and proactive health management culture by increasing awareness of indoor and outdoor air pollution and its effects on health. The goal is to allow individuals and institutions, to take proactive measures in establishing healthier environments. The device is an innovative attempt to solve the urgent problem of indoor air quality and its consequences for public health. It is designed in a way every user can adjust and set their threshold limit of the amount of bad air quality they can tolerate. Join us as we work to create a setting that is safer and healthier for everyone.

UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Empowered and Driven:
Delivering Solutions for Global Issues

Goal 3: Poor air quality is linked to various health issues such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and even premature death. By monitoring and improving air quality, our product helps promote better health outcomes and well-being for the people.

Goal 13: An air quality monitoring system has the potential to include communities in climate action initiatives by raising awareness of air quality issues and their relationship to climate change.
It helps people track pollution levels in the climate, which can help in reducing pollution.

Goal 15: In addition to safeguarding human health, an air quality monitoring system also subtly promotes the well-being of terrestrial ecosystems. Such a system contributes to the creation of better settings for humans and wildlife equally by lowering emissions and pollutants that harm the quality of the air, which is in line with the larger objective of encouraging a sustainable life on land.

DESIGN STORY

Challenges

``- It can be difficult to ensure that sensor readings are accurate and that the monitoring equipment is calibrated because of the ways that temperature, humidity, and outside contaminants can alter sensor performance. - It is also essential to find a balance between the energy economy and the requirement for constant monitoring in order to reduce power consumption and increase the system's battery life, particularly in isolated areas. ``

Solution

``- We are going to perform sensor validation tests to confirm the precision and dependability of sensor readings. To compare sensor values and find differences, use independent validation techniques or reference devices. - We will make use of low-power microcontrollers, sensor modules with low standby current, and other components and sensors used for the monitoring system. Maximising battery life and lowering total energy consumption can be achieved by optimising hardware components for low power consumption.``

Use Case

The purpose of our project is to improve air quality and also to create awareness of air pollution and how air pollution takes a toll on our health especially indoors. It will help with significant improvement in the overall well-being of individuals with respiratory problems since it will provide them with the necessary information and tools to proactively manage their health in environments with varying air quality conditions.

TECHNOLOGIES

List of Essential Tools and Technologies

Arduino

THE PROCESS

PROTOTYPE DESIGN

Our prototype will be laser cut. It will be in a 3D cuboid like box(that will be the casing), which will contain the components of the monitor. We have our microcontroller which is the Arduino uno, that is controlling the whole functionality of the system, followed by an LCD screen that will be on the front of the monitor displaying the readings gotten from the sensors and allowing the users to set their risk limits with the use of buttons of three buttons on the side of the monitor which are two scroll buttons (up and down) and a mode button in the middle. The Air quality monitoring system will be powered by an on & off switch, which will be powered by a 9v battery. There will be 3 LED’s (green, amber & red), green signifying good/safe air, amber signifying that the condition of the air is somewhere in the middle, not too bad but not too good either and the red LED signifying that the air is bad for the user. A fan will also be used, placed on the bottom front of the monitor which will take in the air for the sensors in the system to detect, there will also be airways on the top sides of the monitor which will allow free and easy circulation of the air. In addition to the lcd screen, there will be a speaker that will also say the reading that is displayed on the screen just incase the monitor is not in the hands of the user. (It will be a pocket size system that will allow the user to go out and travel with, so incase of situations where the user is not in complete contact with the monitor, they can hear the state of the air without having to look at the screen)

PLEDGE

Impact on the market

With the rate at which respiratory issues are increasing, having a product like this will be helpful to individuals and institutions. On top of that, it will create awareness of how the situation is becoming out of control, which will improve public health outcomes. By offering real-time data and customised insights, it will enable customers to take charge of their interior settings. Users feel more empowered and accountable as a result of this degree of openness and involvement, which increases demand for air quality monitoring systems. Our product allows users to set their risk limits so that the monitor can adapt to the conditions of the user, which we believe makes our version of the product unique.

RESULTS

FINAL PRODUCT

We started by first brainstorming as a team and came up with individual ideas on the product assemblage, coding and components sourcing, which we collectively combined. We have completed essential parts of the project drawn from every idea we came up with as a team, such as getting and outsourcing our components and assembling them accordingly. Our code is still in progress. Below are the sketches of how we want the final product to look like, with also another sketch portraying our future addition to the product.