Watt's Up?

Inspiration

We were inspired by the need for better, low-cost security systems that everyday people can actually build and understand. Many existing systems are expensive and complex, so what we wanted to create was a simple, affordable intrusion detection system that anyone could use for basic safety and peace of mind.

What it does

Using mqtt server allows for remote IOT connection to the security system allowing arming and disarming from a mobile phone. When armed, the alarm sets of a red led and a loud buzzer as an alarm to report the intrusion as well as sending a status update and notification to the mobile user,

How we built it

We built it with an esp32 microcontroller that combines multiple presence sensors and continuously checks that a distance threshold or presence has been detected. On detection a state status is change which checks if the alarm is armed then sets off the alarm and sends mqtt info to the mobile app. We used Xcode using swift to design the mobile app, hiveMQ for the mqtt server, copilot and gemini intrigration for the c++ code.

Challenges we ran into

We ran into quite a few challenges throughout the project such as starting off with the Arduino Q and then with connecting the ESP32-S3 with the the app through the Wi-Fi, but eventually we got past it.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We successfully designed and built a fully functional intrusion detection system that integrates hardware, wireless communication, and cloud connectivity. The system reliably detects intrusions, transmits real-time alerts, and can be monitored through a mobile interface which is notified in live time.

What we learned

We learned how to implement UART communication between modular microcontrollers, manage Wi-Fi reliability on constrained devices, and design scalable data pipelines using HTTP and cloud services.

What's next for Watt's Up?

Next, Watt’s Up will try focus on improving reliability and scalability by adding offline data storage, stronger network handling, and multi-device support and maybe even adding a camera to the sensor to enhance security. We also plan to enhance the mobile app interface and integrate more sensors to expand its real-world applications.

Built With

• arduino
• hivemq