The Hive

Coding

Inspiration

We took into consideration a crucial bottleneck in emergency/disaster response: communication. When infrastructure is damaged or otherwise incapable of service, more remote areas can be severed of vital communication during times of stress or danger. Amidst the digital age. having a solution to this problem has even more merit.

What it does

Using the ESP32, a primary node supplies its own WiFi hotspot. A mesh is then set between different nodes in an area that allows data hopping between smartphones for enhanced range and self-healing, making it stalwart against connection loss in any one area. A radar using direction to determine an approximate location of a node is also implemented.

How we built it

An ESP32 and ESP32-S3-EYE were used as nodes with painlessmesh flashed into them for the mesh network. We 3D printed a case for each ESP32 with a battery for self-sustain.

Challenges we ran into

The brainstorming portion was tumultuous and we reiterated on possible designs multiple times to a detrimental extent. Our unfamiliarity with the hardware despite our attempts prior to the event added on more stress, and we ultimately started cutting corners and letting features fall by the wayside.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We were able to overcome complications concerning the ESP32 and using it as a server. Using our limited resources, we were able to improvise through many problems, such as low RAM and coding issues.

What we learned

We learned about how to design compact systems and how to use it to communicate remotely. We also learned about many complications that come with the engineering design process in professional fields, such as time management, technology failures, and insufficient resources.

What's next for The Hive

This design is only a prototype. The concept of a remote communication method for emergency scenarios has the potential to improve rescue missions and disaster response methods. Implementing the sensors and cameras yields potential for more powerful application, while integrating LoRa modules for heightened range can scale the project.