Humidity Reader

To optimize the best home/work environment

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Inspiration

Has your skin just never felt quite right? Well, that was the case for both Anthony and I, especially during our time at Stony Brook. With the summers being too humid and the winters being too dry, we've been battling the Long Island weather to feel comfortable. Whether it be with a humidifier or a dehumidifier, our device is able to tell you when it's time to use which item. As busy students, reminders are very useful, which is why we wanted a device to not only detect the humidity levels of the house, but to also text a reminder to keep our skin healthy and our home safe from mold and rust.

What it does

Our device detects temperature and humidity of its environment and displays it on an LCD screen. It also sends a text message when humidity levels are not optimal (30-60%).

How we built it

We built our device with a Raspberry Pi 3, a humiture sensor, and a LCD display. Using Python, we coded a program that displays the temperature and humidity and refreshes every second. We also used Twilio to send a text message when the humidity got too high or too low.

Challenges we ran into

Starting out without any experience with Raspberry Pi, getting setup was definitely a challenge. Coming into the hackathon, we did not expect to do a hardware project and did not have the necessary equipment to setup. We went out and borrowed some more hardware, such as a wired keyboard, from a friend to help get our Raspberry Pi setup started.

Another challenge was figuring out what the Module Not Found Error meant for the smbus2. We delve into the source code given by the SunFounder Sensor Kit and found that it was actually a typo. Instead of "smbus2", which is a updated version that does not exist in any of the current packages, the source code meant "smbus".

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud to have figured out how to send a text message through Twilio. We found it to be really cool how we were able to use code to communicate to a mobile device.

We're also proud to be able to complete this project. As mechanical engineering majors, we aren't too familiar with coding with Python and don't have too much classroom opportunity to learn in school. Joining this hackathon with a passion to learn, we were given the opportunity to access so many tools and resources. We are thankful for all the sponsors and hosts of this event and hope to continue to code more in the future.

What we learned

We learned how to code with Python through YouTube tutorials. We also learned setup and work in a Raspberry Pi environment. Thirdly, we learned how to use Twilio to send out text messages.

What's next for Humidity Reader

For our device, the Humidity Reader, we also wanted to implement other sensor components that are essential to keeping our home environment comfortable and safe, such as raindrop sensor and a gas sensor.

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