aimaxxing_Senso

We are building a sub $100 wearable CO and methane detector with real time alerts designed for contractors, mechanics, and everyday users who need portable gas protection beyond fixed home alarms.

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Inspiration

We were inspired by wearable technology and wanted to explore how compact, portable devices could move beyond fitness tracking into meaningful safety applications. The idea of placing real-time environmental monitoring directly on the user felt like a powerful way to combine embedded systems, sensing, and everyday practicality into something that could have a real impact.

What it does

The device is a wearable embedded system that continuously measures ambient carbon monoxide and methane concentrations using integrated gas sensors. Sensor readings are processed in real time by a microcontroller that compares values against predefined ppm safety thresholds.

When concentrations exceed safe limits, the system triggers an onboard piezo buzzer for immediate audible alerting. The unit is battery-powered, rechargeable, and designed for hands-free portability, enabling continuous personal exposure monitoring in enclosed or high-risk environments.

How we built it

The gas sensor continuously sends analog data to the microcontroller, where it is converted and processed in real time. We structured the system to run tasks in parallel to simplify development and debugging. While one routine handles sensor sampling and threshold evaluation, others update the OLED display, transmit data via BLE to the mobile app, and control the buzzer. This parallel structure made the system easier to manage and ensured local alerts and wireless monitoring could operate simultaneously.

Challenges we ran into

A few key issues we ran into were:

HARDWARE

Because there was no visible output signal, we were unable to quickly determine whether the issue was hardware or software related. The lack of readable feedback significantly slowed our ability to isolate and diagnose the problem.

SOFTWARE

One challenge we encountered was that the available library for ADC to ppm conversion was originally designed for the Arduino Uno R3. However, we were using a Nano ESP32, which has a different ADC architecture and voltage reference behavior. This required us to manually review the conversion logic, adjust scaling factors, and adapt the code to ensure accurate gas concentration readings on our platform.

Another challenge was that the Serial Monitor was not showing our expected output because the board was connected to the wrong serial port. As a result, we were monitoring a different device instead of our Nano ESP32. This led to confusion during debugging until we verified the correct COM port and re-established proper serial communication.

The OLED initially failed to display anything because the program continued executing before serial initialization was complete. Without while (!Serial);, the system started running before proper communication setup during debugging. Adding this ensured correct startup sequencing and resolved the display issue.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are especially proud that this was our first fully self-directed hardware and software project outside of coursework. Taking an idea from concept to a working prototype showed us that we can move beyond assignments and build real, functional systems on our own.

What we learned

This project strengthened our ability to integrate hardware and software into a cohesive embedded system. We gained hands-on experience in sensor interfacing, real-time data processing, and translating physical measurements into reliable system responses.

Additionally, by planning ahead of the hackathon, we strengthened our project management skills through defining milestones early, dividing responsibilities strategically, and executing within strict time constraints as a coordinated team.

What's next for aimaxxing_Senso

Next, we want to look into the demand for affordable wearable personal gas safety among contractors and mobile technicians. If there is positive feedback for a market, we plan on refining our prototype and working towards that trajectory by reaching out to on-campus entrepreneur resources.

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