Design Problem
Workshops and recycling centers are prone to experiencing pollution. The people working in these facilities might not be aware of when the air they breathe is toxic. A device that would alert the workers to leave the building put on a mask, or turn on the fan could dramatically reduce cases of fatigue, illness, and disease derived from breathing air contaminated with toxic chemicals. Making a low-cost device that warns when the air becomes toxic will help solve this problem.
Design Process
Initially, I had to familiarize myself with the Arduino Uno and its workings. Thereafter, I created simple circuits replicating the final product on a smaller scale. When I felt good about how I would wire everything and what components I needed, we ordered the parts, and I began making a 3D-printed case for the circuit.
I used the MQ-7, MQ-135, and GP2Y1010AU0F optic dust sensors to detect Carbon Monoxide (CO), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and PM2.5 and PM10. My research found that these pollutants were the most prevalent in recycling centers.
Making the 3D-printed case fit well was a challenge, and I misaligned the ports of the Arduino with the case several times. Moreover, the Arduino works best with a breadboard, so it only has 1 5V port. To combat this, I had to solder the wires coming from the sensors to a central wire going to the 5V port on the Arduino.
Another part was the programming. It was quite simple, as the script just measured the voltage of the sensors and converted them into a digital value, turning V into a number like 200. ChatGPT was very helpful in guiding me with the code, helping me with optimization, and showing me the right syntaxes and structure.
In the future, I would like to add an early warning system since it doesn’t make a sound currently, even if it is technically still dangerous to some people. I could find some more threshold that, when reached, engages a different alarm beeping rhythm or sequence.