Week 15: Applications and Implications
Note: My English writing skills are limited. For this documentation, I have used AI assistance for parts of the translation.
Date: April 29 - May 6, 2026
My Final Project: Smart Reptile Habitat System
This week I answer planning questions about my final project.
What will it do?
My project is a smart control system for a reptile terrarium.
It monitors temperature and humidity inside the enclosure. It automatically controls the fan, heater panel, lighting, and ultrasonic humidifier. The user can also control each device manually from a web dashboard.
Who has done this before?
Some commercial reptile controllers already exist:
- Inkbird IBS-TH2 — temperature and humidity sensor, Bluetooth only
- Herpstat — professional reptile thermostat, expensive (~$150+)
- Zoo Med ReptiTemp — simple analog thermostat, no automation
My project is different because it is fully open source, built from scratch using Fab Academy skills, and has a custom web dashboard with MQTT communication.
What will I design?
| Item | Tool |
|---|---|
| Control PCB (Reptile Monitor) | KiCad + CNC milling |
| Enclosure parts | Fusion 360 + 3D printing |
| Gecko emblem mold | Fusion 360 + CNC + silicone casting |
| Web dashboard | HTML + Bootstrap + Chart.js |
| Firmware | Arduino IDE (XIAO ESP32C6) |
What materials and components will be used?
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Seeed XIAO ESP32C6 | Main microcontroller |
| SHT31 × 2 | Temperature and humidity sensors (top / bottom) |
| Grove TB6612FNG Motor Driver | Fan control |
| 4-pin PWM fan × 2 | Intake and exhaust ventilation |
| Heater panel (PTC) | Temperature control |
| Ultrasonic humidifier module | Humidity control |
| UV + visible light LED strip | Lighting |
| FR1 PCB board | Custom control board |
| PETG filament | 3D printed parts |
| Silicone rubber | Mold for Gecko emblem |
| Casting resin | Final cast part |
Where will the parts come from?
| Source | Items |
|---|---|
| Akizuki Denshi (秋月電子) | SHT31, resistors, capacitors |
| Seeed Studio | XIAO ESP32C6, Grove connectors |
| AliExpress | 4-pin PWM fans, heater panel, humidifier module |
| FabLab Nagoya stock | FR1 board, PETG filament, silicone |
How much will they cost?
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| XIAO ESP32C6 | ¥1,500 |
| SHT31 × 2 | ¥1,400 |
| 4-pin fans × 2 | ¥2,000 |
| Heater panel | ¥800 |
| Ultrasonic humidifier module | ¥600 |
| PCB materials | ¥500 |
| PETG filament | ¥300 |
| Silicone + resin | ¥1,200 |
| Other (resistors, connectors) | ¥500 |
| Total | ~¥8,800 |
What parts will be made?
| Part | Process |
|---|---|
| Reptile Monitor PCB | Electronics design + CNC milling |
| Motor mount | 3D printing (PETG) |
| Gecko emblem | Molding and casting |
| Terrarium shelf | CNC machining (laser cut) |
| Web dashboard | Programming |
What processes will be used?
- Computer-Aided Design — Fusion 360, KiCad
- Electronics Production — PCB milling, soldering
- 3D Printing — PETG parts
- Computer-Controlled Machining — shelf structure
- Molding and Casting — Gecko emblem decoration
- Embedded Programming — XIAO ESP32C6 firmware
- Networking — MQTT over WiFi, web dashboard
What questions still need to be answered?
- Can the XIAO ESP32C6 read 4-pin fan RPM reliably?
- Is the heater panel safe to run continuously?
- How long can the system run on a single WiFi connection without drop?
- Is the enclosure design airtight enough to hold humidity?
How will it be evaluated?
| Goal | Target |
|---|---|
| Temperature control accuracy | ±1°C |
| Humidity control accuracy | ±5% |
| System uptime | 24 hours continuous |
| Web dashboard response | < 1 second |
| All Fab Academy skills demonstrated | ✅ |
References
- Fab Academy: Applications and Implications
- Final Project Page
- Week 11: Networking and Communications
- Week 14: Wildcard — Dashboard
Last updated: April 2026 — 🚧 Will be revised when this week is reached