March, 2021 | Capstone Project for Microcontrollers and Applications course in SY BTech.
CovPrev - Autonomous COVID-19 Symptom Testing And Sanitization Unit
- Introduction
- System Overview
- Data Management and Quasar VueJS App
- Hardware Demonstration
- Group Details
In the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all have found social distancing, regular temperature checks and sanitization to be quintessential in order to break the cycle. We recognized this problem and aimed to create a lost cost easily replicable unit based on an Arduino Uno and an ESP8266 Module.
The primary symptoms a COVID-19 patient shows is a high body temperature and a low SpO₂ level in the blood. These are easily measurable parameters using the appropriate sensors. Based on this knowledge, we worked on CovPrev, a device which can be deployed at the entrance of malls, hospitals, offices and other high footfall public places. It is a four subsystem device consisting of:
- Sanitization Spray
- Thermometer and Pulse Oximeter Sensors
- Data Storage, Analysis and Accessibility Through Cross Platform App
My individual contribution to the project was in primarily part three, the data subsystem.
The system's main function is to provide cheap accurate multifunctionality which can be deployed at various locations easily. When a user approaches the device, an IR triggered sanitizer spray ensures hygiene in the process. Then, the user is prompted to place their index finger on a sensor assembly equipped with a MAX30100 Pulse Oximeter and Heart-Rate Sensor and a MLX90614 Infra Red Thermometer, which are interfaced to an Arduino Uno development board. The user's temperature and oxygen level are taken, and if the values are in a given range, then the user is allowed to proceed into the building or room. If the readings aren't in the range, the user is notified so using a buzzer and LEDs. The data taken from the sensors interfaced to the Arduino Uno are sent to a ESP-8266 NodeMCU module via serial communication. This module then stores the data either online on the Firebase Realtime Database or offline on a microSD card based on the internet connection availability.
This subsystem was my primary responsibility and contribution to the project.
To fulfill my purposes, I chose to use the cheap and readily available ESP-8266 NodeMCU development board with a built-in Wi-Fi module for internet connectivity. The data was stored and sent to the cloud for easy user access.
For storing the incoming sensor data from the Arduino Uno, I created two channels - online and offline storage:
- Online Storage: In the presence of a connection to the internet, the data was sent to a Google Firebase Realtime Database. This was chosen because of the low latency and cross-platform API availability. The sensor data was stored in the database by using the APIs provided using the Firebase-ESP8266 library.
- Offline Storage: To facilitate the storage of data even in the absence of a stable internet connection, I interfaced a microSD card to the ESP8266 using a HW-125 card reader. Whenever the internet connection resumed, the offline data is synced to online database.
To make the data easily accessible, I built an app on the VueJS Quasar Framework . On a high-level, the app has the following features:
- Tabular Data Overview: All the data uploaded to the Firebase database is displayed reverse chronologically in a tabular fashion on the home screen of the app. The data is retrieved from the database using the provided Firebase JavaScript SDK.
- Graphical Analytics: To analyze data trends with more ease, the home screen also contains graphical representations of all the datasets individually. This was executed using the ApexCharts.js library.
- Device Online/Offline Status (KeepAlive System): The ESP8266 sends a KeepAlive message to Firebase every 5 seconds when the device is online. It is immediately reflected in the app as well. If the device misses 3 such KeepAlive pings, the device status changes to offline.
- View Device Sensor Health: If a particular sensor malfunctions on the Arduino Uno, the ESP8266 updates the database about the sensor error for the user to check.
- Update Acceptable Sensor Reading Parameters: Through the app, users are able to change the acceptable values of the on-board sensors which decide whether a given user is within the acceptable SpO₂ and temperature ranges.
- View Basic Overview of Project: A page including the project details, links and references is also added to the app.
The hardware required was implemented in a makeshift manner as a proof of concept for the evaluation of the project. An unnarrated video demonstration has been documented. The presentation slides of this project are also made available.
This project was created by a group of 5 students: Kushagra Shrivastava, Shubham Mujumdar, Esha Dorle, Ishita Rathor and myself - all second year students in the Electronics and Telecommunications Department at College of Engineering, Pune.