Inspiration
Heat waves hit seniors hardest, and many live alone indoors where no one notices the room getting dangerous.
What it does
HeatWatch is a $5 sensor and a free web app that watches a senior's room. The screen turns red when it's too hot and icy blue when it's too cold. Caregivers get phone alerts, and seniors get a simple "I'm OK" button with spoken reminders.
How we built it
An Arduino with a temperature and humidity sensor sends data to a website. Supabase saves it and sends phone alerts through ntfy, even when the laptop is closed. Everything runs on free tools.
Challenges Making alerts work with no laptop open Stopping noisy readings from flickering the warnings Designing something simple enough for seniors What we learned
Safety tech has to work when no one is watching, so a silent sensor is an alert too.
What's next
A wireless sensor, outdoor weather comparison, and family escalation alerts.
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