Applications and Implications
Assignment to be done:
Propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered.
Proposed project is Smart moisture Meter
What will it do?
This smart moisture meter will measure the moisture content in various materials such as soil, wood, concrete, and others.
This will provide accurate and real-time measurement of moisture content in these materials, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of various processes that depend on the moisture levels.
Who has done what beforehand
Actually none did exactly the same with my project but they are some people who worked on the related works in previous intake of fab academy. Among them I can mentione Plant Hydrator Alarm by Aliane Umuringa where the system is connected to a buzzer that makes a sound whenever the plant is thirsty. . There is also IOT Smart Farming System by Loise Kimwe. It is a system that aids in ensuring the proper conditions for plant growth by monitoring the moisture levels, light and temperature levels of the environment. A system that automates the water supply and also checks the conditions like temperature, light exposure and soil moisture levels to enable the farmer to optimise on the resources available..
What will you design?
- 1.Internal and external extructure
- 2. PCB design
- 3. Code
- 4. 2D and 3D model design of cover
What materials and components will be used?
- 1.PLA filament for 3D printing
- 2.Electronics Components: - Microcontroller: ESP32 , moisture Sensor , LED , Resistors , capacitors - Voltage Regulators , Batteries , Pinheads, Push Buttons , ON/OFF Switch
- 3. Smallest thickness MDF(3mm) for laser cut of the letters for my device name
Where will they come from?
Most of components and materials to be used are available in Lab and those which are not available will be ordered from suppliers like nyereka Tech(
Their web here) and Faranux Electronics(
Their web here) etc.
How much will they cost?
The table below shows the cost of each componet and materials used:
| S/N |
Material |
Number |
Unit Cost |
Total Cost |
| 1 |
ESP-WROM-32 |
1 |
$15 |
$15 |
| 2 |
Moisture sensor |
1 |
$6 |
$6 |
| 3 |
OLED Display |
1 |
$6 |
$6 |
| 4 |
PCB |
1 |
$3 |
$3 |
| 5 |
Battery |
1 |
$10 |
$10 |
| 6 |
Jumper wires |
1 roll |
$5 |
$5 |
| 7 |
SPST Switch |
1 |
$1 |
$1 |
| 8 |
Pin header |
5 |
$1 |
$5 |
| 9 |
push buttons |
1 |
$1 |
$1 |
| 10 |
PLA Filament |
1 roll |
$70 |
$70 |
| 11 |
Capacitors |
3 |
$0.5 |
$1.5 |
| 12 |
Resistors |
5 |
$0.5 |
$2.5 |
| 13 |
LED |
2 |
$0.5 |
$1 |
| Total Cost |
- |
- |
- |
$127 |
What parts and systems will be made?
All parts of the smart moisture meter will made by my self means both electronics and structure except electronics components that will be bought.The PCB board will be designed and milled and external structure(housing ) will be designed and 3D printed
What processes will be used?
- .The digital design process will be developed in solidworks
- .The structure will be made by 3d printing
- .The electronic boards will be designed in kicad
- .The electronic boards will be made by precision milling processes
- .The components and sensors will be soldered by hand
- .The electronic programming part will be developed using Arduino
What questions need to be answered?
After assembling all my components, I need to answer these questions: - My board will work? I need to check the datasheet of the ESP32 to avoid this kind of problem - Can I send the email correctly? - Are my parts fit well? - Are the moisture value change in different samples of soil?
All these questions I need to answer during the following weeks.
How will it be evaluated?
In order to consider my project as valid, I expect that when the device is measuring or is operational, the percentage of moisture content is dispalyed on the screen and varies according to the type of material or soil. If the user want to send the data on cloud server, the device will be able to be connected on wifi and just press a given push button to send measured value. If the measured value excede is under or above a cetain mentioned percentage, the user received a notification email informing the situation of data and the link to access the record both previous and current on his account of cloud server.
