Invention, Intellectual Property, and Income

This week, I relied on lots of coffee and energy drinks to get my final project done — so I didn’t really pay attention to my outfits. It was a busy and intense week!

Final Project – Progress and Dissemination Plan

Plan for Dissemination of the Final Project

The CO₂ monitoring project is implemented in the form of two separate components:

1. The CO₂ measurement module “Polygon”, designed to be integrated into a wall as a functional and aesthetic element.

2. A visual display unit, composed of multiple honeycomb-shaped elements, which communicates the measured data both through an LED strip and an LCD display.

The system uses a precisely calibrated CO₂ sensor as its input. The output consists of a color-coded LED strip for quick visual assessment of air quality, and an LCD display for detailed numerical values.

Both modules communicate wirelessly through a dedicated network built on two Xiao ESP32-C6 microcontrollers, enabling a decentralized and flexible setup.

My goal:

Why I Use a Creative Commons License

My project is designed for open workshops such as FabLabs and aims to make sustainable, repair-friendly technology more accessible. To support this goal, I have released all content under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

This license allows others to use, modify, and share the project non-commercially, as long as they credit me and distribute any derived works under the same terms. It encourages collaboration, learning, and adaptation in line with the principles of the circular economy—while protecting the work from commercial exploitation.

I selected the appropriate license using the official Creative Commons License Chooser to ensure clarity and international compatibility.

By licensing the project this way, I actively support open knowledge sharing and promote a culture of sustainable innovation.

A central aspect of the design is its modular structure: the product is composed of multiple detachable components, making it easier to repair or replace individual parts when needed. Magnetic connectors are used instead of glued joints, allowing for easy access to the internal electronics and supporting a repair-friendly construction.

The materials – recycled PLA and multiplex plywood – were carefully chosen for their ecological benefits. They are durable, renewable, or already recycled, and align well with sustainable design principles.

In addition, the product is ideal for use in open-plan offices or shared workshops, where it can help make indoor air quality visible and support better ventilation habits.

By providing a subtle visual reminder through LEDs and the display, it promotes healthier indoor environments in a calm and aesthetically pleasing way.

Overview

What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?

• The housing for the CO₂ sensor was designed, laser-cut, milled, and fitted with a precisely matching inlay to neatly embed cables and the PCB.

• The honeycomb-style enclosure for the display module was successfully designed, 3D-printed using recycled PLA (rPLA), and equipped with a screwable lid.

• All electronic components were soldered onto two milled PCB boards and securely integrated.

• The programming works flawlessly, including wireless communication between the two ESP32-C6 modules.

• The sensor has been successfully calibrated and delivers stable and plausible measurements.

• The entire system still needs to be fully assembled and mounted on the wall in the lab to be tested, ensuring it functions reliably under real-world conditions.

What works, what doesn’t?

• The hardware and software are functional; the network and sensors operate reliably.

• The long-term stability of the network connection between the modules during continuous operation has not yet been fully tested.

• There are still minor issues with cable management inside the display unit—small adjustments are needed to make the inlays more robust.

What questions still need to be clarified?

How can the power supply for both modules be implemented as elegantly and wirelessly as possible? (in the future)

Should a mobile app or web interface be added for long-term data analysis?

Can the enclosure lid be designed more sustainably and perhaps modularly, to allow for individual designs or attachments?

How will the mounting work when the device needs to be regularly transported outside for calibration?

What happens when?

This evening, 01.06.2025: Final assembly of both modules and testing of the complete system in the room.

02.06.2025: Final design optimizations, finishing touches on the housings, and preparation for the presentation.

03.06.2025: Completion of the final documentation, uploading all files, recording a video, and dissemination of the results.

What have I learned?

This project showed me how important integrated thinking between hardware and software is. I was able to deepen my knowledge in CAD, laser cutting, embedded programming, sensor technology, and networking.

terative testing—both in housing design and system behavior—was especially helpful. I also became much more familiar with the Xiao ESP32-C6, including its networking capabilities.

Careful documentation was a major learning experience for me. Being able to look back and see how something was solved before was very helpful and helped me make significant progress.

Working interdisciplinarily with a motivated team and seeing what can be achieved together taught me a lot—especially how technology, mechanics, and material properties are interconnected.

This laid the foundation for my final project, although in the end, many things turned out differently because various aspects behaved differently during testing than expected.

But that was the most important lesson for me: to test and experiment a lot in order to learn more and apply that knowledge later.