Weekly Engineering Challenge: Smart Energy Monitor with an Embedded System
Challenge Overview:
Design and build a Smart Energy Monitor using an embedded system (such as an ESP32, Arduino, or STM32). The system should measure power consumption of a household appliance and display real-time energy usage data on an LCD screen or via a web interface.
Core Objectives:
- Use a current sensor (e.g., ACS712 or ZMCT103C) to measure power consumption.
- Interface with an embedded microcontroller (Arduino, ESP32, or STM32) to process sensor data.
- Display real-time power usage on an LCD (e.g., 16×2 LCD, OLED, or TFT) or a web dashboard.
- Implement an alert system (e.g., LED or buzzer) for excessive power consumption.
Extra Credit:
✅ Wi-Fi Connectivity – Use ESP32 to send data to a cloud platform (e.g., Thingspeak, MQTT, Firebase).
✅ Data Logging – Store power usage data over time on an SD card or EEPROM.
✅ Mobile App Integration – Develop a simple mobile app using Blynk or MIT App Inventor to monitor power consumption remotely.
✅ AI-Powered Predictions – Train a basic machine learning model to detect unusual energy patterns.
Getting Started:
- Choose a microcontroller and power sensor.
- Write firmware in C++ (Arduino IDE, ESP-IDF) or MicroPython.
- Test the setup with a household appliance like a lamp or fan.
- Optimize power measurement accuracy by calibrating sensor readings.
Share Your Project!
Post your results, schematics, and code on GitHub, Hackaday, or LinkedIn. Share photos and a demo video with the hashtag #EmbeddedChallenge to engage with the community!
Would you like detailed schematics or sample code to kickstart the challenge? 🚀