WasteWise

WasteWise: Empowering Sustainable Composting with Real-Time Insights and Smart Monitoring.

Comment

Inspiration

We were inspired by the growing need for eco-friendly solutions to manage waste and reduce our environmental footprint. Composting felt like a simple yet impactful way to make a difference, so we set out to create a tool that makes the process easier, smarter, and more accessible for everyone.

What it does

WasteWise is a real-time composting dashboard that tracks temperature and moisture levels using Arduino sensors. It gives users live updates, sends alerts when conditions aren’t ideal, and provides an easy-to-use interface to monitor and optimize composting progress.

How we built it

We combined hardware and software to bring this idea to life:

  • Frontend: We used React and CoreUI to create a sleek and responsive dashboard.
  • Backend: Node.js powers the communication between the sensors and the dashboard using WebSockets for real-time updates.
  • Hardware: Arduino sensors handle the temperature and moisture tracking, sending data through a serial connection to the backend.
  • Visuals: We added dynamic charts and alert notifications to make the data meaningful and actionable.

Challenges we ran into

TThis project came with its fair share of challenges. Learning to use React and Arduino hardware for the first time was a big hurdle for many of us, but it was also an incredible learning experience. Integrating real-time data communication, designing the dashboard layout, and ensuring accurate sensor calibration took a lot of trial and error. Despite these obstacles, we worked together to overcome them and built something we’re really proud of.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re really proud of how everything came together. From integrating hardware and software to creating a visually appealing and intuitive interface, this project was a great learning experience. The real-time alert system and seamless live data updates are features we’re especially excited about.

What we learned

This project was packed with learning opportunities. Jackie discovered how to use and integrate Arduino hardware, while Karla and I dove into React for the first time. We also learned about WebSocket communication, user interface design, and troubleshooting hardware-software integration. On top of the technical lessons, we also grew stronger as a team, learning how to collaborate and problem-solve effectively.

What's next for WasteWise

  • Increasing the scalability of the platform to make it more accessible and impactful.
  • Turning WasteWise into a community-based platform where users can share data, insights, and composting tips.
  • Experimenting with machine learning to give composting advice based on historical data.
  • Developing a mobile app to make the dashboard even more accessible.
  • Partnering with community groups to promote composting on a larger scale.
  • Moving to cloud-based storage to provide long-term tracking and analytics.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates