PORTFOLIO
In late April 2025, an idea sparked to create something fun, practical, and educational: a low-cost indoor air quality monitoring device, capable of warning users about unsafe pollutant levels in real-time. This project, called PrintSafe Mini, would eventually grow into a full-fledged system combining coding, electronics, UI/UX design, and environmental safety.
Aims and Objectives
-
Create a low-cost, user-friendly indoor air quality monitoring system.
-
Provide real-time, easily understandable visual and audio feedback on air quality.
-
Learn and apply skills in electronics, embedded systems programming, and UI/UX design
Objectives
-
Develop a portable air quality monitor using ESP32, DHT11, and MQ135 sensors.
-
Implement a simple and clear OLED-based interface with navigable screens.
-
Incorporate buzzer-based warning systems for immediate air quality alerts.
-
Enable mute/unmute functionality to enhance user control.
-
Prototype initially on a breadboard, with future scalability towards a custom PCB.
-
Keep the system affordable, modular, and energy-efficient.
Conceptualization
The project originated from a real-world need: improving environmental safety in a printing workspace where powdered ink and paper dust could accumulate unnoticed. The concept was to build a low-cost, standalone system that could actively monitor indoor air quality and alert users when pollutant levels became hazardous. Given the desire to also use this project as a personal learning tool for electronics and embedded systems, the PrintSafe Mini concept was born with a focus on accessibility, modularity, and educational value.
Ideation
Several ideas were considered during the ideation phase:
-
Using Wi-Fi to push air quality alerts to smartphones.
-
Creating an engaging UI with minimal distractions but clear alerts.
-
Incorporating simple hardware: sensors, a screen, a buzzer, and tactile buttons.
-
Keeping cost minimal by using ESP32 microcontroller and basic I2C/OLED modules.
-
Designing the experience around real-world usability: clear readings, minimal false alarms, and easy mute functionality.
After weighing complexity versus feasibility, the final idea focused on a device with:
-
Real-time on-screen monitoring.
-
Simple button-based navigation.
-
Audio-visual alerts.
-
Potential scalability to a PCB version.
Code
Prototype Tool
