Environmental Air Conditions Monitoring Via Smartphone

SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 Environmental Air Conditions Monitoring Via Smartphone Idorenyin Amaunam, Martin Etim, Imeh Umoren & Otuekong Ekong Department of Computer Science, Akwa Ibom State University Ikot Akpaden, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria E-mails: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected], [email protected] Phones: +2348063596298, +2347038091637, +2348036813637, +2347088811451 ABSTRACT We live in an age of relentless and accelerating change, driven by demographic, social, and economic evolution. Daily, humans consume the finite natural resources of the planet. Our impact on the planet is increasing through industrialization, urbanization, energy utilization and waste production. This impact is not without consequences. Levels of pollution are increasing in our environment, with corresponding effects on our health and well-being. Gaseous chemicals are introduced to the atmosphere daily which is harmful to man. Thus, this research work aims to design and construct a microcomputer-based system that senses and reports the environmental air conditions (air quality, temperature, and relative humidity). The readings can be accessed directly on the display screen of the microcomputer or indirectly through an application running on an android-based smartphone, achieved via the aid of Bluetooth technology. The proposed system design and implementation was guided by the waterfall and prototype approaches. This system can be utilized as a tool to ensure safety in environments such as kitchens, laboratories, and offices. The proposed system is simple-to-use, cost effective, and location flexible. Experimental results obtained from random and tailored use of the system illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Key words: Air quality, Temperature, Relative humidity, Air pollution, Microcontroller. SMART-iSTEAMS Conference Proceedings Citation Format Idorenyin Amaunam, Martin Etim, Imeh Umoren & Otuekong Ekong (2018): Environmental Air Conditions Monitoring Via Smartphone . Proceedings of the SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference, February, 2018, Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria. Pp 123-136. 1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Human activities through avenues such as industrialization, urbanization, energy utilization, and waste production have negative consequences on our environment. This usually results in diverse health challenges, as well as poor physiological and psychological well-being amongst the population. Typically, our fundamental approach to health and well-being is a reactive approach – where the focus is on providing a response after an incident has occurred. There is a need to develop and promote the use of tools capable of enabling us adopt proactive approaches – where the focus is on detecting and responding before the conditions are severe enough to result in an incident. Proactive approaches can be achieved when people are provided with actionable information about the factors influencing their health, either positively or negatively (McGrath et al., 2012). On a global scale, air pollution is one of today’s major environmental concerns (WHO, 2013). As a result of rapid industrialization and urbanization activities, large amounts of noxious emissions are uncontrollably released into our immediate environs. 123 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 Most of the noxious emissions come from the transportation industry, cement factories, refineries, and electricity generating plants. The transportation industry, for example, contributes Nitrate (NO3), Carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons. These pollutants are harmful to health. In the presence of sunlight, these pollutants result in the formation of ozone (O3) at ground level and trigger a variety of health problems, particularly in children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma. Efforts to tackle air pollution began with the enactment of regulations to improve air quality by California State in the United States in 1947 (Franek et al., 2003). As time went by, several other regulatory acts were passed in the United States, such as: Air Pollution Control Act, 1955; Clean Air Act, 1963; Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act, 1965; Air Quality Act, 1967; and Clean Air Amendments, 1970, 1977, 1990 (Wark et al., 1998). In Nigeria, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) was enacted in 1988 and saddled with the responsibility of deterring environmental pollution. On 30th July 2007, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency was established to provide more stringent monitoring of the environment than what was specified in the FEPA Act of 1988. Air pollution can be defined as the contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere (WHO, 2013). Hence, the main factors affecting an indoor environment include temperature, relative humidity, air exchange rate, air movement, ventilation, particle pollutants, biological pollutants, and gaseous pollutants (Graudenz et al., 2005). Whilst air-conditioning can be used to improve thermal comfort in indoor spaces, it is not effective in tackling the problem of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) (Niu, 2014). For example, a study conducted in Akwa Ibom State University found that most of the air-conditioned offices recorded high concentrations of indoor particulate matter (PM) levels (Ite et al., 2017). Such levels of pollution may lead to a significant reduction in human productivity, decreased learning ability, as well as increased mortality. For example, increase in airborne PM has been associated with elevated risk of stroke, myocardial ischaemia and coronary heart diseases, as well as activation of blood coagulation (Strak et al., 2013). Exposure to fumes, gases, emissions from office tools, or dust in the workplace is estimated to be responsible for 11 per cent of asthma cases globally (WHO, 2007). In Nigeria, those suffering from asthma are estimated to be 10 million people (Erhabor, G., in Vanguard of 14th May, 2017). Such numbers is of great concern not only to public health officials but also scientist. In addition, excessively high or low IAQ, temperature and relative humidity are one of the major causes of electrostatic discharge (ESD) and the malfunctioning of electronic systems. Tools offering proactive approaches towards tackling the health and well-being of the population, as well as the well-being of electronic systems ought to be given consideration. This is an area for which embedded systems could work very well. Consider a typical environment (G) which is sensed using sensors (s) embedded in a micro-computer (Mc), the system (Mc+s) could report in real time the environmental condition: {(𝐴𝑖𝑟 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 (𝐴)), (𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 (𝑇)), (𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑦 (𝐻)) 𝑒𝑡𝑐} of the said location(𝐺). Thereby, averting the anomalies detailed above. Sensors are devices capable of receiving a stimulus and responding with an electrical signal (Fraden, 2010). Generally, a sensor is a device that converts a physical measure into a signal that can be read by an observer or instrument (Chen et al., 2012). Sensors can be used to measure or detect a vast variety of physical, chemical, and biological quantities, including proteins, 124 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 bacteria, chemicals, gases, light intensity, motion, position, and sound (Hunter, 2008). Sensors have grown in popularity due to their low cost, reliability, low power consumption, long operational lifespan, and small form factor. They can be found in a wide range of applications including: gas monitoring, pollution monitoring (CO, NO2, SO2, O3), breath analysers, domestic gas (Propane) monitoring, temperature, magnetism, and optical sensing (Niha et al., 2011, Knott 2010, Gomez-Pozos et al., 2013, Fraden 2010, and Coey et al., 2007). In this research work, a microcontroller sensor alerting system is proposed for monitoring indoor air quality, temperature and relative humidity. The proposed system utilises MQ-135 gas sensor, temperature sensor, and a relative humidity sensor. The readings processed by the microcontroller can be displayed on an LCD mounted on the unit, as well as on a smartphone via a Bluetooth module. An android application is created so that up to ten users within up to 100m radius of the unit can remotely monitor the three environmental conditions. 1.1 Related Literature Review Air pollutants can be classified as primary or secondary (Daly et al., 2007). Primary pollutants comprise those that are directly emitted into the atmosphere from various natural or anthropogenic sources. Examples of primary pollutants include: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, particulate matter, and volatile organic carbons (VOCs). Secondary pollutants comprise those that are not directly emitted from sources, but are formed in the atmosphere as a result of physical or chemical reactions. Examples of secondary pollutants include: ozone, sulphuric acid, nitrates, and particulate matter. Temperature is a very critical and widely measured variable, necessary to safeguard life and property. For example, greenhouse effect can be monitored by comparing temperature changes from historical data to present day. Humidity is the presence of water vapour in air (or any other gas). Normal room air typically contains about one (1) per cent water vapour. High humidity makes hot days feel even hotter. Low humidity can give a human the feeling of a ‘dry throat’ and ‘static’ sensations when touching things. In addition, many manufacturing, storage and testing processes are humidity-critical. Humidity measurements are necessary to prevent condensation, corrosion, mould, warping, or other spoilage of products. Humidity control is highly necessary in the preservation of foods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fuels, wood, and paper. Air-conditioning systems in buildings are often used to control humidity. Embedded system is a combination of computer hardware and software, and perhaps additional mechanical or other parts, designed to perform a dedicated function rather than general purpose computing. An embedded system usually contains an embedded processor. Many appliances that have a digital interface, e.g., microwave ovens and DVD players utilize embedded systems. Some embedded systems include an operating system. Others are very specialized resulting in the entire logic being implemented as a single program. An embedded system can be designed to carry out functions such as: Monitoring the environment – for example, reading data from input sensors. Controlling the environment – for example, generating and transmitting commands to actuators. Transforming information – for example, transforming collected data into meaningful information. 125 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 An embedded system that is required to react to stimuli from the environment (including the passage of physical time) within time intervals dictated by the environment can be described as a real-time embedded system. However, it is very difficult to design and implement a system which will guarantee that appropriate output will be generated at the appropriate times under all possible conditions. To achieve that, all computing resources will be required at all times, which is often impossible. It is common for real-time systems to be implemented using processors with considerable space capacity. This ensures that worst-case scenarios do not produce unwelcome delays during critical periods of the system operation. 2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Exposure to gaseous chemicals can cause serious health effects such as rashes, burns, organ damage, cancer, and sterility. It can also trigger air-borne diseases that lead to suffocation or death. Many studies have reported that the environmental conditions in many work environments, especially at production companies, industries, and laboratories are unsafe (Radford University, 2017). It is, therefore, necessary to put in place tools that monitor and report key environmental conditions to those within their immediate vicinity. This study proposes a solution that incorporates remote monitoring via a smartphone. 3. OBJECTIVE The aim of this research is to develop an Air Conditions Monitoring System via Smartphone (ACMSmart) (see Figure.1). The air conditions to be monitored are: indoor air quality, temperature and relative humidity. A sensing unit (housing the respective sensors, a microcontroller, a Bluetooth module, and an LCD display) is designed. Also, an Android application for installation on smartphones was developed. Figure 1: Architecture of ACM-Smart System 126 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 4. METHODOLOGY Prototyping, with the waterfall model is adopted for the development of the system. The prototype model is the process development, in which emphasis is placed on developing prototypes (working models) early in the development process to permit early feedback and analysis which is(are) necessary for the final product.The Waterfall system development life cycle (SDLC) model is a sequential software development process in which progress is regarded as flowing increasingly downwards (similar to a waterfall) through a list of phases that must be executed in order to successfully build a system. This model is recursive and each phase can be endlessly repeated until it is perfected. The following steps detail how the combined prototyping with waterfall model guided the design and implementation of the Air Conditions Monitoring System via Smartphone (ACM-Smart) system; Existing systems were reviewed. A gap was identified on the need for location flexibility; ease of communication; and ease of data transfer. An android application was created. A microcontroller alongside switches and relays were put together on a printed circuit board. Embedded C language was used to program the microcontroller. The finished system was tested and modified as required. 4.1 The Research Design The proposed system consists of two design components; the hardware and the software components. 4.1.1 Physical Framework (Hardware Design) The ACM-Smart system design consists of two main components: the sensing unit and the smartphone. The smartphone hosts the android application which allows the users to receive air conditions readings. The android application communicates with the sensing unit circuit by establishing an ad-hoc communication protocol between the smartphone and sensing unit via a Bluetooth technology. Figure 2 illustrates the schematic diagram of the ACM-Smart sensing unit. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of ACM-Smart sensing unit 127 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 The sensing unit can be regarded as the brain of the ACM-Smart system as it is responsible for sensing the air conditions and communicating the readings to the LCD and the ACM-Smart application (see Figure 3). ATmega328 microcontroller is adopted in this system. MQ-135 is chosen for the gas sensor because it has low power consumption, high sensitivity to detect different types of gases, and it has a high performance detection range (10ppm – 300ppm NH3, 10ppm – 1000ppm Benzene, 10ppm – 300ppm alcohol). DHT 11 is a composite sensor chosen for the detection of relative humidity and temperature because it offers excellent quality, fast response, anti-interference ability, cost effectiveness, small size, low power consumption, high reliability, and excellent long-term stability. A 4x20 LCD display is used in the prototype because it is preferred over the seven (7) segments and other multi-segment light emitting diodes (LED) screens. The HC-06 Bluetooth module was used in the prototype to establish the Bluetooth connection between sensing unit and the Android application because it has a range of up to 30 feet (approximately nine metres). Figure 3: Breadboard diagram of ACM-Smart sensing unit 4.1.2 Software Design The software design for this system focuses on two aspects: the ACM-Smart sensing unit and the ACMSmart application. Open-source Arduino integrated development environment (IDE) was used to program the microcontroller in the sensing unit (see Figure 4). Android Studio (version 3.3) was used to develop the ACM-Smart application (see Figure 5). The Android application will run on Android phones with a minimum requirement of: Operating System – Ice Cream Sandwich, Android Version – 4.0, Memory (RAM) – 500MB, CPU Frequency – 1.3 GHz, Internal Storage – 1 GB, Screen Resolution – 854 x 480. 128 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 Figure 4: ACM-Smart sensing unit flowchart 129 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 Figure 5: ACM-Smart application flowchart 130 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 5. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS The prototype of the designed ACM-Smart sensing unit is shown in Figure 6. After installing and starting the ACM-Smart application, the user is prompted to login in (see Figure 7). Thereafter, the user is prompted to pair of the smartphone with the sensing unit (see Figure 8). After which data from the sensing unit can be uploaded onto the smartphone (see Figure 9). If the user wishes to maintain a log of air conditions readings, the ACM-Smart application provides a feature that enables export of the data in a format that can be accessed through Microsoft Excel (see Figure 10). Figure 6: ACM-Smart sensing unit prototype Figure 7: ACM-Smart application login menu 131 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 Figure 8: ACM-Smart application login screen . 132 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 Figure 9: ACM-Smart application record screen 133 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 Figure 10: Output of ACM-Smart application exported to Microsoft Excel Figure 11 presents the graphical representation of the room monitor record. As illustrated by the graph, different locations were sensed and reported. Findings postulated high humidity on all the sensed locations – a case of the weather condition of southern Nigeria as at the tested period. However, the pollution status of the various locations varied, owing to the air quality at the sensed locations. This the micro-computer reported as good, not good and very bad as the case may be. 80 ROOM MONITOR REPORT 70 % and 0C 60 50 40 B TEMPERATURE(0C) C HUMIDITY(%) 30 D AIR QUALITY (%) 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 ENVIRONMENTAL LOCATIONS Figure 11: Graphical representation of ACM-Smart application 134 SMART-iSTEAMS Multidisciplinary Conference Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria, February, 2018 6. CONCLUDING REMARKS There is a need for businesses and citizens to be periodically reminded on the harmful effects of polluted air, as well as adverse temperature/humidity on our health. There is also a need to ensure that low-cost tools and technology are available for the sensing, monitoring and recording of the air conditions in our indoor spaces (laboratories, warehouses, pharmacies, agriculture barns/silos, poultry/livestock farms, commercial stores, homes, offices, and industries). This study has demonstrated that such a tool/technology is readily achievable. 7. 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