innoUVation

Circuit diagram
Web interface
Hardware setup

Inspiration

Our team wanted to make a project that integrated both hardware and software, and could be used for social good. Living in a location such as Arizona where the sun exposure is extremely high, which means that a large percentage of the population is susceptible to sun-related health issues. We created project 'innoUVation' to create awareness about the high UV levels users are exposed to, and prompt them to take proactive measures to combat current and future health issues.

What it does

innoUVation monitors UV levels using an Arduino sensor, which is connected via a Python Serial library to move the collected data through an API to a MongoDB database. Our web app built using Python's Dash framework calls on the database, and displays the UV index, timestamps, and other relevant notifications based on the severity of the UV levels.

How we built it

Our team split up tasks depending on skill level and interests. Natasha and Ana worked on connecting the Arduino microcontroller to the UV sensor, and coded it to collect the UV index data. Ariadne created the database, as well as the API to connect to the MongoDB database. Nandana worked on creating the web interface using Python's Dash framework.

Challenges we ran into

Some of the challenges we ran into include finding the right sensor, facing issues with compatibility, and not having access to any wireless/ethernet communication modules, as well as the limitation of not being able to test it at night. Additionally, designing the pipeline between the sensors and the web app caused its own set of challenges. Each member working on their respective tasks encountered their specific technologies for the first time, such as AWS, Flask APIs, Dash, Serial communication, which had a steep learning curve.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're happy to have worked as a team, and being able to create a cool project in a short span of time.

What we learned

Natasha and Ana accomplished how to work with light sensors and sending real time data to a web app. Ariadne is proud of making her first ever API, and using AWS for the first time. Nandana is happy to have learned Python's Dash framework in a short span of time, and being able to work on a hackathon project for the first time.