Small device powered by MKR WAN 1310 monitors CO2 levels in classrooms
Humans are animals and like all animals, we have evolved in mostly outdoor conditions where the air is pleasant and cool. But modern society keeps most of us indoors the vast majority of the time, which could have negative health effects. There are many potential dangers, including a lack of sunlight and psychological effects, but CO2 can pose a more tangible risk. To keep an eye on this risk in classrooms, a team from Polytech Sorbonne built this little CO2 monitor.
This CO2 monitor performs two functions: it shows anyone nearby the CO2 levels in the area and it uploads that data via LoRaWAN to a central hub that can track levels across many locations. A school could, for example, install one of these CO2 monitors in every classroom. An administrator could then see the CO2 levels in each room in real time, as well as historical records. This would alert them to immediate dangers and long-term trends.
At the heart of this CO2 monitor is an Arduino MKR WAN 1310 development board, featuring built-in LoRa® connectivity. It uses a Seeed Studio Grove CO2, temperature and humidity sensor to monitor local conditions. To keep power consumption to a minimum, data is displayed on an e-ink display and an Adafruit TPL5110 timer only wakes the device every ten minutes for an update. Power comes from a lithium-ion battery, with a DFRobot solar charger refilling the juice.
It uploads data via The Things Network to a PlatformIO web interface. An Edge Impulse machine learning model detects anomalies, so it can issue a warning even if no one is watching. The enclosure is 3D printable.
Humans are animals and like all animals, we have evolved in mostly outdoor conditions where the air is pleasant and cool. But modern society keeps most of us indoors the vast majority of the time, which could have negative health effects. There are many potential dangers, including a lack of sunlight and psychological effects, but CO2 can pose a more tangible risk. To keep an eye on this risk in classrooms, a team from Polytech Sorbonne built this little CO2 monitor.
This CO2 monitor performs two functions: it shows anyone nearby the CO2 levels in the area and it uploads that data via LoRaWAN to a central hub that can track levels across many locations. A school could, for example, install one of these CO2 monitors in every classroom. An administrator could then see the CO2 levels in each room in real time, as well as historical records. This would alert them to immediate dangers and long-term trends.
At the heart of this CO2 monitor is an Arduino MKR WAN 1310 development board, featuring built-in LoRa® connectivity. It uses a Seeed Studio Grove CO2, temperature and humidity sensor to monitor local conditions. To keep power consumption to a minimum, data is displayed on an e-ink display and an Adafruit TPL5110 timer only wakes the device every ten minutes for an update. Power comes from a lithium-ion battery, with a DFRobot solar charger refilling the juice.
It uploads data via The Things Network to a PlatformIO web interface. An Edge Impulse machine learning model detects anomalies, so it can issue a warning even if no one is watching. The enclosure is 3D printable.
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