This project required creative use of the limited parts available to create an IoT device. The core of the system was a Raspberry Pi Zero which was used to control and process the peripheral sensors. The system was programmed in python and various protocols where used such as i2c and MQTT to enhance functionality.
It is well known that pharmaceuticals must be carefully stored and controlled at all times. They can be sensitive to minor changes in temperature and pressure, and must usually be transported and stored with some specified orientation on account of their fragility. There are a lot of factors to consider here which can seem like a quite a challenging task without the use of some automation. Leaving this to a human to monitor is very cumbersome, unnecessary, and likely to incur error. It is difficult to know if the conditions are correct to ensure safe storage of the contents. This raises the most important question of all - is the product itself safe to use if we cannot verify that it has been stored correctly?
Our team designed an IoT device capable of monitoring important physical conditions for use in storing and transporting pharmaceuticals. The device is capable of tracking temperature, pressure, humidity, accelerometric and gyroscopic data in real-time. The data collected is used to construct periodic reports which clients can access via a front-end service to monitor the status of their payload.
The nature of our device ensures that a plethora of avenues for product development are available. It would be possible in the future to implement features such as theft detection using the gyroscope and accelerometer setup and we could utilise GPS communication for precise location tracking. The current system supports WiFi communication, however it would be easy and beneficial to install a cellular receiver to make use of cellular networks and possibly even 5G, thus removing the dependency for a WiFi network wherever the payload is located. The product also shows good potential to be of use in the consumer market - to provide a more insured service when transporting and storing goods.
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