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Explorers with Thingy is a mobile and IoT project that transforms the Thingy:91X into a tool for real‑time environmental monitoring and citizen science missions.Through trackpoint‑based routes, users explore natural areas, collect sensor data (air quality, temperature, humidity, pressure, motion), and contribute to a shared mission log.
This first version focuses have limited missions — but the platform is designed to scale globally, enabling exploration and data collection in any ecosystem 🌎
Why did we decide to make it?The project was born from two main motivations:
- Unlocking the potential of the Thingy:91XWith its dual processors, built‑in sensors, GNSS/Wi‑Fi positioning, and MQTT connectivity, the Thingy:91X provides all the tools needed for field exploration and reliable data capture, even with limited connectivity.
- Bringing exploration and citizen science togetherWhile Mexico offers a rich starting point with diverse ecosystems, the larger vision is a global community of explorers who can create, share, and complete environmental missions. This empowers citizens to contribute meaningful data for sustainability, climate studies, and biodiversity preservation.
The Explorers with Thingy system is designed as a modular IoT platform where hardware, firmware, cloud services, and a mobile application work together seamlessly. The goal is to enable real‑time environmental monitoring and trackpoint‑based exploration missions with the Nordic Thingy 91x
The architecture is built on 3 main layers:
📱 1. Mobile Application (Flutter)The user interface and mission control center. Built with Flutter, Google’s open‑source cross‑platform framework, it allows a single codebase to run smoothly on both iOS and Android.
Key Features
- Cross‑platform support: One app for both iOS and Android.
- Provider package: A state management solution in Flutter that keeps the app responsive and modular.
- Multilingual Support: A dedicated provider manages language, allowing easy translation for global scalability.
- Exploration Mode: Displays maps with trackpoints. As users reach each point, the app requests and records sensor data.
- Interactive Feedback: The onboard LED can be toggled from the app, giving explorers confirmation of connection.
Dual Connectivity:
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE): Local, phone‑to‑device connection.
- MQTT over LTE‑M/NB‑IoT: Remote, cloud‑based communication.
The brain of the operation. The backend processes and stores all incoming sensor data, ensuring it is available for both live monitoring and historical analysis.
Responsibilities
- MQTT Broker: Acts as the central hub for Thingy:91X to send data.
- Data Storage: Records sensor readings, GPS coordinates, and mission logs in a database.
- Command Handling: Sends requests back to Thingy:91X (e.g., trigger sensor reading).
- APIs for the Mobile App: Supplies the app with user history, mission progress, and environmental data visualizations.
Technical Tools Used
- MQTT Protocol: Lightweight and optimized for IoT communication in low‑power or low‑coverage scenarios.
- Cloud Database : Stores mission and user data securely.
The Thingy:91X integrates two processors, each with a dedicated role to ensure efficient and reliable operation:
nRF91:
- Real‑Time Sensor Data: Collects measurements from onboard sensors (temperature, humidity, pressure, air quality, and motion).
- Location Services: Provides GNSS and Wi‑Fi‑based positioning.
- MQTT Communication: Publishes environmental and location data to the backend in real time.
- Cloud Integration: Works seamlessly with the backend for data storage and mission logging.
nRF51 (BLE Companion)
- Bluetooth Low Energy Management: Handles the BLE connection between the Thingy:91X and the mobile phone.
- Local Data Access: Allows the app to display sensor readings even without internet access.
- Serial Communication: Relays data between the mobile app and the nRF9160 core.
- Offline Functionality: Ensures explorers can interact with the device and log data during missions with no cellular coverage.
Getting started with Explorers with Thingy is quick and simple. First, power on your Thingy:91X and flash the firmware from this projet. Then, open the app on iOS or Android to connect your device. You can choose between Bluetooth for local use or MQTT for cloud connectivity.
Once connected, the app lets you control the onboard LED, monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, air quality, and track motion through the accelerometer and gyroscope.
In Mission mode, you navigate using a compass and map with customizable styles (normal, satellite or terrain). As you reach each trackpoint, the Thingy:91X automatically records environmental data, storing it locally or uploading it to the cloud. Your results are added to a shared mission log, turning exploration into a community‑driven adventure.
Think of it as geocaching with a purpose — every trackpoint is a discovery, and every mission contributes valuable environmental insights.
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