SoundSnap

SoundSnap: Turning everyday hostel noise into a smart IoT alert system with real-time WhatsApp notifications when noise crosses 50 dB.

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SoundSnap

About the Project

SoundSnap is a real-time sound-level detection and alert system.
The idea was born in my hostel room — my roommates often created disturbances while I was studying.
I thought: "What if I could automatically detect high noise levels and instantly get an alert?"
That's when SoundSnap was created — a simple system that detects loud noises and sends a WhatsApp message alert to the warden or admin .

The system was designed not only for my personal use but to be expanded into hostels, offices, and other shared spaces where noise management is crucial.

How I Built It

I initially planned to use a KY-037 sound sensor with an ESP32 microcontroller.
However, the sensor turned out to be defective , so I switched to using my laptop microphone instead.

I captured sound levels using a small Python script running on my laptop.
Data was sent to a backend server built using Node.js + Express, deployed on Vercel.

If the detected sound level crossed a threshold of 50 dB, the backend sent a WhatsApp alert to the warden, notifying them of the noise disturbance.

# Example of the Python code used to send alert
if sound_level > 50:
    send_alert_via_whatsapp()

###   What I Learned

- How to integrate **hardware (ESP32 / laptop mic)** with **backend servers**.
- How to send **automated WhatsApp messages** using **Twilio Sandbox**.
- Deploying a **full-stack application** completely online (frontend + backend) without any local server running.
- **Debugging** problems like defective hardware, and finding quick alternatives under pressure.
- How the system can be adapted to notify **wardens**, **administrators**, or **supervisors** in different environments.

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###  Challenges Faced

- The **KY-037 sensor** was faulty, which was a big initial hurdle.
- Switching from **hardware to software-based sound detection** needed a fast redesign.
- Learning to properly **authenticate** and send WhatsApp messages via **Twilio's Sandbox**.
- Handling **serverless deployment errors** on **Vercel**.
- Fine-tuning the system to avoid **false alerts** from normal background noise.

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###   Final Thoughts

Even though the project started from a small hostel-room problem, it grew into a **complete, practical solution**!  
**SoundSnap** is **light**, **efficient**, and could be further expanded into full **hostel/office noise monitoring systems**.  
It’s a versatile tool that can be adapted to various use cases, from **student hostels** to **open office environments**, where **noise levels** need to be kept under control to maintain **productivity** and **peace**

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