Air Quality Monitoring

Project Ideation

1- What sustainability-related problem or need does your project address? What were you inspired by? What is/are the SDG/s you are tackling in your project? Include images and videos of similar projects

Air Quality Monitoring :

Air Pollution: Poor air quality in urban and industrial areas.
Limited Accessibility: Difficulty monitoring air quality in remote or hard-to-reach areas.
Energy Efficiency: Many monitoring systems rely on non-renewable energy.

Sustainable Developxment Goals (SDGs) Tackled:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Reduces exposure to harmful pollutants.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Supports healthier urban environments.
SDG 13: Climate Action
- Identifies sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Inspired by:

Nature's Efficiency: Birds and insects' effortless movement.
Biomimicry: Using natural designs for sustainable technologies.
Decentralized Monitoring: Need for affordable, portable, and energy-efficient solutions.

2- Conduct a feasibility/impact assessment using the standard template and attach it below. How do you think this assessment will guide your design?

Explain your impact assessment on those four pillars: social, economic, environmental, and natural resources. And, explain how this assessment will influence your project concept and goals.

Impact Assessment Study

The impact assessment helped me see the different aspects of my project design. Putting into consideration the environmental, economic, social, and natural resources aspects.
1. Social Impact

Positive: Improves public health by providing accurate air quality data, leading to better-informed decisions and policies.

Negative: Potential resistance from industries that may be identified as pollution sources.

2. Economic Impact

Positive: Reduces healthcare costs associated with air pollution-related illnesses. Creates opportunities for green jobs in environmental monitoring.

Negative: Initial investment costs for development and deployment.

3. Environmental Impact

Positive: Helps identify and mitigate sources of air pollution, contributing to cleaner air and a healthier environment.

Negative: Minimal, as the project uses eco-friendly materials and renewable energy.

4. Natural Resources Impact

Positive: Promotes sustainable use of natural resources by reducing pollution and its impact on ecosystems.

Negative: Requires some natural resources for manufacturing components, but this is minimal compared to the benefits.

The Influence in my Project Concept and Goals:

1. Design Optimization

Focus on Energy Efficiency: Ensure the flapping wing mechanism is optimized for low energy consumption.

Use of Sustainable Materials: Prioritize eco-friendly and lightweight materials to minimize environmental impact.

2. Stakeholder Engagement

Community Involvement: Engage local communities and stakeholders early in the project to ensure acceptance and support.

Partnerships: Collaborate with environmental organizations and government agencies for funding and deployment.

3. Cost Management

Budget Planning: Carefully plan the budget to ensure the project remains economically feasible.

Funding Strategies: Seek grants and other funding sources to offset initial costs.

4. Environmental Considerations

Sustainability Practices: Implement sustainable practices throughout the project lifecycle, from design to deployment.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Continuously monitor the environmental impact and make adjustments as needed.

3- Describe the project idea and general features. How would it work?

The project involves designing a biomimetic flapping wing mechanism equipped with air quality sensors to monitor environmental conditions such as pollution levels, temperature, and humidity. The device mimics the natural flapping motion of birds or insects to achieve energy-efficient movement, making it suitable for deployment in urban, industrial, or remote areas. The collected data is transmitted to a central system for analysis, helping to identify pollution sources and improve air quality management.

4- Sketch your project: You may use pen and paper or a simple sketching tool like Microsoft Paint or Photoshop

Project Planning

5- Describe the Technical Modules that your project consists of

Construction Parts

Lightweight materials (acrylic, 3D-printed plastic) for the flapping wing mechanism and body.
CAD-designed parts for precision and durability.

Input

(Sensing, Tactile Input, and/or Graphical Input)

Purpose: Collects data from the environment and user inputs.

Components:

Sensors:
- Air quality sensors (e.g., MQ-135 for gas detection).
- Temperature and humidity sensor (e.g., DHT11).
- Light sensor (e.g., LDR) for ambient light measurement.
Tactile Inputs:
- Buttons or switches for user control (e.g., on/off, mode selection).

Function: Gathers environmental data and allows user interaction.

Action

(Physical and/or Graphic)

Purpose: Performs actions based on input data.
Components:
- Physical Action:
  - Servo motor or DC motor to drive the flapping wing mechanism.
  - LEDs or buzzers for visual/audio feedback (e.g., alerts for high pollution levels).
  - LCD display for real-time data visualization.
- Graphical Action:
  - Smartphone app for remote monitoring and control.
Function: Executes actions like flapping wings, displaying data, or sending alerts.

Brain

Purpose: Processes input data and controls the device.
Components:
- Arduino UNO microcontroller.
- Code for sensor data processing, motor control, and communication.
Function: Acts as the central processing unit, analyzing data and sending commands to other modules.

Power Management

Purpose: Provides energy to the device.
Components:
- Rechargeable battery (e.g., Li-ion) or solar panel.
- Voltage regulator to ensure stable power supply.
Function: Ensures the device operates independently without relying on external power sources.

6- How will you use tools like the laser cutter and 3D printer with sustainable materials to make your project eco-friendly? What materials will you use, and why are they sustainable choices?

Describe how your project will leverage maker tools like laser cutters or 3D printers to reduce waste, and increase maintainability. Also, explain your choice of materials such as fabric, plastic filament, or recycled plastic sheets to support green innovation. Select materials with low environmental impact, and explain their relevance to your project.

The Flapping Wing Mechanism for Air Quality Monitoring project leverages maker tools like laser cutters and 3D printers along with sustainable materials to create an eco-friendly and functional device. The laser cutter is used to precisely cut lightweight parts for the chassis and flapping mechanism, reducing waste and enabling intricate designs. The 3D printer fabricates custom components like mounts and sensor housings, allowing on-demand production and easy repair of broken parts, which extends the device's lifespan. Sustainable materials such as recycled acrylic and sustainably sourced plywood are used for laser cutting, while PLA filament (biodegradable and made from renewable resources) and recycled PETG filament (made from recycled plastic bottles) are chosen for 3D printing. Additional materials like recycled fabrics for wing covers and biodegradable adhesives further support green innovation.

The project focuses on reducing waste through precision manufacturing and the use of recyclable or biodegradable materials. A modular design allows for easy replacement of individual parts, minimizing the need to discard the entire device. To increase maintainability, broken parts can be reprinted, and standardized components simplify repairs. The design is shared as open-source, encouraging others to repair and reuse the device. By using low-environmental-impact materials like PLA, recycled PETG, and sustainably sourced plywood, the project reduces reliance on fossil fuels and minimizes deforestation and plastic waste. Additionally.

7- Create a cardboard prototype of your project, demonstrating the project face as well as internal movements and mechanisms. Include a demo video and photos of the prototype.

8- Categorize your project’s User Features into: Minimum, Complete, and Nice-to-have features. List the required action and input components per feature.

Minimum Features: are the least amount of features that would demonstrate the coverage of all the technical modules and their complete integration
Complete Features: are the set of features that will complete your original project objective and vision
Nice-to-have Features: are the extra set of features that will make the project cooler, yet they need extra time, effort, and/or resources to finish

Minimum User Features

Complete User Features

Nice-to-have User Features

1. The bird goes down if the air is polluted

Action: Dc Motor

Sensing : Air quality Sensor

User Input :push button

2- The bird goes down if the air is polluted

Action: Dc Motor

Sensing : DHT11

User Input :push button

1- Display readings

action: LCD Screen

Sensing: Air Quality Sensor, DHT11

user input: None
2- Alarm
action: Buzzer
sensing: air quality sensor,dht11

1- using Bluetooth to communicate with the device

Action: Bluetooth module

Sensing:air quality sensor,dht11
User Input: phone

9- How will you incorporate Arduino programming, sensors, and actuators to enhance the sustainability features of your project?

Describe how you’ll use Arduino programming, along with sensors and actuators, to create functions that improve your project’s efficiency, reduce resource use, or monitor environmental impact.

To enhance sustainability in the Flapping Wing Mechanism for Air Quality Monitoring, Arduino programming, sensors, and actuators will be integrated. Arduino will enable energy-saving features like sleep modes and optimized code, while sensors (e.g., MQ-135, DHT11, LDR) will collect real-time data on air quality, temperature, humidity, and light. Actuators like servo motors will drive the flapping mechanism efficiently, and LEDs or buzzers will provide alerts during high pollution. The device will display data on an LCD and use solar power for energy. By combining these components, the project will reduce resource use, enable real-time monitoring, and extend device lifespan through modular design, ensuring both functionality and sustainability.