Aeris - Air Quality Monitoring

Introduction 💅🏻

In France, stringent air quality laws are in place to ensure the health and well-being of its citizens. These laws mandate regular monitoring of air pollutants, particularly in public spaces like schools and workplaces, as poor air quality can lead to severe health issues, decreased productivity, and environmental degradation. Yet, despite these regulations, existing solutions often fall short in providing accurate, real-time, and accessible air quality data.

Recognizing this gap, a group of determined engineers at Sorbonne University sought to tackle this pressing issue. With pollution levels rising and CO2 concentrations affecting productivity in schools and organizations, the need for a reliable monitoring system became evident.

Thus, the engineers embarked on a new journey to develop Aeris, a state-of-the-art air quality monitoring system designed to seamlessly blend technology and environmental awareness. Their goal was clear: create a device that was compact, powerful, and capable of communicating vital air quality data to those who needed it most.

The Mission 🦾

The holy quest was clear: to build an autonomous, energy-efficient, and compact air quality monitoring system that could:

• Measure environmental variables such as CO2 levels, temperature, humidity, and luminosity.
• Wirelessly send data via LoRaWAN to our hand-crafted web dashboard.
• Indicate air quality in real-time using LED indicators (Green for good air quality, Yellow for bad air quality).
• Minimize energy consumption and optimize battery usage for prolonged autonomous operation.

Thus, the engineers embarked on yet another journey, wielding their tools and skills to craft a device that would change the way air was monitored across the land.

Preamble 💻

To ensure a robust and flawless system, the following principles were set:

• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) was used in the Arduino firmware to ensure modularity and ease of maintenance.
• Static memory allocation was favored over dynamic allocation to prevent memory leaks.
• A highly optimized, custom PCB was designed to fit the components down to the last millimeter.
• A 3D-printed case was developed to house and protect the system while ensuring proper airflow for accurate measurements.
• A TPL5110 timer was integrated to drastically reduce power consumption by keeping the system in deep sleep most of the time.
• A voltage divider bridge was implemented to monitor battery voltage and estimate its remaining charge.

Step 1: Building the Website 🌐

Since the dawn of Aeris, a magnificent digital fortress had been erected—a website fit for monitoring and controlling IoT devices. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Aeris gracefully inherited this infrastructure, with enhancements tailored for air quality monitoring.

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Alpine.JS for real-time interactions.
• Backend: Laravel/PHP with Livewire for smooth data communication.
• Database: A well-structured MySQL database for historical and real-time data storage.
• Interactivity: Users can view air quality trends in real-time charts and adjust monitoring intervals with just a few clicks.
• Downlink Controls: Through the dashboard, users can send commands to Aeris to modify its data transmission frequency, ensuring flexible energy management.

Step 2: Prototyping the System 🏰

To build the ultimate air quality monitoring system, the team began prototyping with the following key components:

• Arduino MKRWAN 1310 – The brain of Aeris, handling data acquisition, encoding, and communication over LoRaWAN.
• CO2 Sensor – Measures carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity.
• Luminosity Sensor – Ensures accurate environmental lighting measurements.
• TPL5110 Timer – Reduces power consumption by keeping the system in deep sleep when measurements are not needed.
• Voltage Divider Bridge – Monitors battery voltage for charge level estimation.

Once the prototype was validated, it was time to miniaturize and optimize!

Step 3: Designing and Manufacturing the Final System 🧠

To achieve maximum efficiency and portability, the team took several key steps:

1. Highly Optimized PCB

• Using KiCad, the team designed a custom PCB that perfectly fit each component with zero wasted space.
• The electronic schematic was carefully planned to ensure stable power delivery and signal integrity.
• The PCB layout was optimized for minimal trace lengths, reduced interference, and efficient component placement.
• Special attention was given to minimizing the number of vias and ensuring the compactness of the design, making the PCB highly reliable and efficient.

2. 3D-Printed Protective Case

• The housing design was developed using Fusion 360, ensuring a sleek, functional, and compact enclosure.
• A two-compartment structure was created to separate the battery and electronics from the sensors for accurate readings.
• Plastic mesh was added at the top of the case to allow airflow and light penetration while protecting the sensors from physical damage.
• The case included precise slots for the USB Type-C port, LEDs, and antenna to ensure easy access and optimal functionality.
• The final 3D-printed case was lightweight, durable, and aesthetically pleasing, reflecting the system's advanced technology.

3. Power Optimization

• Deep Sleep Mode: The Arduino spends most of its time in deep sleep, waking up only to take measurements and transmit data.
• Low-power components: Every sensor and module was carefully selected for minimal energy consumption.

Step 4: Deploying Aeris 🌍

With the final system ready, the team prepared for its grand deployment!

• Aeris units were placed in PolytechSorbonne to continuously monitor air quality.
• The device immediately started transmitting real-time data to The Things Network (TTN), which forwarded the information to the web dashboard.
• Users could log in and see air quality trends across different locations, comparing real-time and historical data.
• With a single click, they could adjust the uplink frequency, optimizing both data granularity and power consumption.

Conclusion 👋

Thus, the legend of Aeris was written into the annals of technological advancements. From its humble beginnings to its real-world deployment, it became a shining example of how IoT and smart engineering could protect human health and enhance environmental awareness.

As the halls of Sorbonne University filled with cleaner air, the engineers stood victorious, their mission complete.

And so, dear reader, the tale of Aeris comes to an end. But fear not—for as long as challenges arise, innovation shall prevail, and new projects will emerge to make the world a better place.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. May the air you breathe always be fresh and free of CO2!

✨ The End. ✨