This project is based on the article written here. Automated plant watering systems have been around for a while now. Still, they have never been as intelligent and comprehensive as the Arduino-based automatic plant watering system that our team has designed.

The system is perfect for users with a day job and frequently travel since it waters plants only when necessary without human intervention. The design features a built-in function that allows the user to be updated from time to time about the status of the system and the plant, making it unique from other plant watering innovations in the current market.

Our report details how the entire system works, which consists of two main parts, the offline watering system, and the online ESP8266 Wifi shield, as well as the FAVORIOT PLATFORM. Each part is explained in detail to create a complete system. We also discuss the materials, experimental design, and results.

In the automated plant watering system, a moisture level sensor is attached to the plant’s soil, and when the sensor’s reading is below the pre-set value, the pump will be activated. On the other hand, when the sensor reading is above the pre-set value, the pump will be deactivated. The pump will pump water from a built-in water tank.

An Arduino-compatible shield known as the ESP8266 ESP-01E UART Wi-Fi shield helps the Arduino board connect to the internet. It allows data integration from the Arduino board using the FAVORIOT platform. The FAVORIOT platform is compatible with any Internet of Things (IoT) and can collect and store data from various sensors and microcontrollers. The user is updated about the system’s status via emails, and graphs of the moisture and water tank levels are displayed on the FAVORIOT platform.

We describe the completed setup of the project, which includes ESP8266 ESP-01E UART Wi-Fi shield, Soil Moisture Sensor, Water Level Sensor, 6-12V of the water pump, 12V relay, 7.4V Li-Po Battery, three pots of soil, water tank, breadboard, and Arduino UNO. We also discuss the AT Command of the ESP8266 Wifi shield module that we used to manipulate the ESP8266 Wifi shield module to perform various tasks.

The functionality of the components is tabulated, and we display pictures of the complete overall system, the soil moisture level sensor sensing a dry plant, the water pump receiving a signal to pump water, the soil moisture level sensor sensing a wet plant, the water pump not receiving a signal, and the reading of the Soil Moisture Level sensor and Water level sensor sent to the FAVORIOT PLATFORM in a JSON string form from time to time.

Our team successfully designed an automated plant watering system that emails the user when the water tank level or moisture level is low. The system is unique from other plant watering innovations on the market due to its built-in function that allows the user to be updated from time to time about the system’s and the plant’s status. Future work on this project could focus on improving the neatness of the project box and further development of the FAVORIOT PLATFORM.

The details of the projects can be read here.

Review of “Contact Tracing Device for Workplace Using FAVORIOT Platform” by Siti Hajar Samsul and Wan Mahani Hafizah Wan Mahmud.

This paper presents a contact tracing device for workplaces using the FAVORIOT platform, which aims to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by monitoring close contacts. The authors use a BLE tag that combines ESP32 TTGO as a microcontroller and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as a sensor to detect close contacts. The data collected from the BLE tags are transferred via an internet connection to the FAVORIOT platform, which processes and displays the information on a dashboard, enabling easy monitoring of the time interval of close contact and the number of active contacts.

The paper demonstrates the functionality of the BLE tag by testing it at various distances and recording the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) values. The authors found that an RSSI value of -55, equivalent to a distance of 1.2 meters, is suitable for detecting close contact. The analysis also revealed that obstacles, such as walls, could affect the detection of the RSSI values.

The BLE tag prototype is cost-efficient and compact and displays close contact names on an LCD screen. The FAVORIOT platform is an excellent database and an easy-to-monitor system when the module is switched on. The authors suggest that the system can be upgraded by adding a haptic buzzer to alert users about close contacts, improving its design, and implementing it in various applications. The proposed tool could also be used for contact tracing or large-scale monitoring in future health crises.

Overall, this paper provides a valuable contribution to the development of contact tracing devices, especially for workplace settings. The authors successfully demonstrate the feasibility of the BLE tag prototype and the FAVORIOT platform for monitoring close contacts. The suggested improvements and potential applications in future health crises make this work a good basis for further research and development in contact tracing technology.

You can download the original paper here.

Further Readings

• Closing the Gap: How Favoriot’s IoT Platform Helped a University Meet the Demands of the Industry
• A Race Against Time: The Power of Favoriot in a Student’s IoT Project
• Unlocking the Potential of IoT: How Favoriot’s Platform and IoT Kits Can Transform Education
• Maximizing IoT Platform Capabilities for Faster Development

The article “Design and Development of Home Security Systems based on Internet of Things Via Favoriot Platform” by Mohd Azlan Abu, Siti Fatimah Nordin, Mohd Zubir Suboh, Mohd Syazwan Md Yid and Aizat Faiz Ramli discusses the need for a home security system using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Current systems are either too simple or too expensive due to the complexity of the devices.

The paper proposes developing a home security system using IoT with an online database server, FAVORIOT. The system uses Passive Infrared and Infrared sensors to detect the presence of intruders and any unauthorized entry. The Blynk application is the main switch to activate the device remotely. The FAVORIOT platform receives data and sends real-time alerts to the user. The paper aims to develop a secure system that is not vulnerable to hijacking.

The product can be mounted in any area the user wants to monitor and can notify the user via email or SMS. The paper suggests that the demand for IoT-based home security systems will increase.

You can download the full article here.

Articles Worth Reading

• Collaborating for Success: How Universities and IoT Companies are Driving Innovation
• Revolutionizing IoT Education: How IoT Platforms are Making Learning More Practical and Accessible
• From Data to Insights: How IoT Platforms are Helping Smart Cities Optimize Operations
• Simplifying IoT Development: Why You Need an IoT Platform