Materials and Methods

This study titled “AIRDUINO: Arduino-based Airborne Particulates

Monitoring Robot Equipped with IOT Database” aimed to design, construct and

test the performance of the airborne particulates matter monitoring robot

programmed using ARDUINO Sketch and IOT database software running in C++

and SQL mark-up language.

This chapter discusses the conceptualization, sensor calibration, sensor

simulation, fabrication, robot construction, programming, preliminary testing and

debugging, and testing. The functionality of the robot was done at Analog Devices

Inc. with the supervision of Sr. Staff Engineer Christopher Salazar.

A. Materials and Equipment

The materials used in the robot were the microcontrollers; Arduino Uno,

Arduino Mega, Elegoo Uno, sensors; Air quality sensor (AQS), Ultrasonic ranging

sensor (URS), Infrared sensors (IRS), motors; Servo motor, DC motors, 5v DC

Fan motor, batteries; 7.4v Li-Polymer battery, wirings; Breadboard, jumper wires,

heat shrinks, soldering iron and lead spool, modules; DC motor shield module, SD

card module, WiFi module; High Efficiency Particulate Arrestor (HEPA) Filter;

Acrylic sheets for the mobile and sensing platform of the robot and aluminum

sheets as the casing of the robot.

The Arduino SKETCH and ThingSpeak programming platform software

were used to program the robot and its IOT database.

B. General Procedure
 1. Conceptualization and Sketches

a. Sketches

Microsoft Office PowerPoint was used to draw the drafted layout of the

robot. The same software was used to sketch the internal parts, materials, and

processes of the robot as shown in Figure 2.1 and 2.2.

Figure 2.1 Robot’s Shell

Figure 2.2 How the robot works

b. Circuit Diagrams

Figure 2.3 Circuit diagram of the mobile platform

Figure 2.4 Circuit diagram of the sensing platform

C. Sourcing of Materials

The resources needed for the robot were bought from Circuit Rocks

(https://circuit.rocks/), an online open-source electronics hardware that ships

Arduino kits, modules, sensors, motors, and electronics parts materials around the

Philippines. This also includes air quality sensor, IR emitter/line tracing sensor,

URS; motors like the analog servo motor, DC dynamo motor; and modules like

WiFi and micro SD card modules; motor shields, and platform. The HEPA filters

were ordered and shipped from Lazada together with the Lithium-Polymer battery

and DC fans. Other electrical components like the screws, jumper wires, electrical

wires, stranded wires, lead, diodes, resistors, and transistors were provided by the

Analog Devices and from the Elegoo kits of the researchers. The casing of the

robot was pre-fabricated at the aluminum shop in Garita – A, Maragondon Cavite.

D. Sensor calibration

In calibrating the sensors, the readings being outputted by the sensors were

compared to the readings of the Analog Devices, Inc. on-site climate monitoring

system.

The following sensors were calibrated:

1. Air quality sensor (AQS)

The air quality sensor was tested

for its ability to sense and scan various

kinds of air quality conditions (e.g.:

temperature, humidity, presence of

Figure 2.5 Air quality
harmful gasses, particulate matter sensor
suspended in the air) in its sensing parameters. It is the main component of

the robot used to monitor airborne particulates in a particular indoor setting.

It was attached at the upper most part of the robot with its own air passage.

When the air enters the passage, the sensor detects the quality of the air

and sends its reading to the microcontroller. If it detects extreme count of

airborne particulates, the microcontroller will send an instruction to open the

flaps for cleaning the air. The readings and data collected were uploaded to

the program of the robot itself.

2. Infrared sensor (IRS)

Two infrared proximity sensors

were tested for their ability to sense and

detect light in their proximity. The sensors

were mounted under the ultrasonic

ranging sensor in front of the robot. Figure 2.6 Infrared Sensor

Sensors were used for the line tracing since it focuses its line of sight by

emitting beams of infrared radiation. These sensors were placed in between

the line and when it goes beyond the line, it autonomously realigns itself

back to the track. As the sensor detects light in its line of sight, it responds

a digital signal, 1 if there is light reflected back to the sensor and 0 if there

is no light reflection.

3. Ultrasonic ranging sensor (URS)

The ultrasonic ranging sensor was

attached in front of the robot. It was tested for its Figure 2.7 Ultrasonic
Ranging Sensor
 ability to sense and detect the distance of a target. It also detected

obstructions 12 centimeters away within its line of sight by firing beams of

sonic waves to a specific target, and automatically maneuvered itself away

from the object. As the beam travels through the air and hits an object, the

sensor calculates the difference in the transmitting time and receiving time

as discussed by Massa 1999. After that, it responded an analog signal (may

vary from 1-999) which is an accurate measurement (in centimeters) of the

distance from its targeted subject.

E. Robot construction

Figure 2.8 Robot’s internal parts in line tracing (lower

platform)

The lower platform was made from acrylic Elegoo uno

sheet with dimensions of 25.91 by 15.24 centimeters.

Wheels were added for mobility. At the rear part, the

Elegoo microcontroller and motor shield were Motor shield

attached to each other. Elegoo Uno microcontroller Figure 2.9 Elegoo uno
and motor shield
was used for its affordability and compatibility to Ultrasonic Ranging Sensor

Arduino IDE, and its ability to transfer rates to faster

and better storage. Motor shield was used for

controlling the movement of the motors. At the front

Infrared Sensor

part, the ultrasonic ranging sensor was attached Figure 2.10 Ultrasonic
Ranging Sensor and
together with the infrared sensor underneath it. The Infrared Sensor

Lithium Polymer battery was placed right in the

middle of the mobile platform which served as main power source. Other electrical

components were placed for line tracing.

Figure 2.11 Robot’s internal parts in sensing platform

The sensing platform has a similar

dimension to the mobile platform. The Arduino

Uno, including the connected buzzer, WiFi and

micro-SD card module, Servo motor, and DC

fans were laced on top of the mobile platform.

Figure 2.12 WiFi Module
The Arduino Uno was used as a microcontroller
for sensing processes and communication

since it is widely used by many programmers

due to its reliability stated by Aqeel 2018. WiFi

module is integrated with IP protocol that

gives any microcontroller connection to WiFi Figure 2.13 Micro SD card

module
and has the capability of on-board processing

and storing. Micro-SD card module was used for mass storage, data logging of the

robot, and expanding the capability of the microcontroller to store data.

Figure 2.14. Prototyped robot’s shell using cardboards

Between the mobile and sensing platform, there is an air passage where

the DC fans were attached so that when the servo motor in front of it opened the

flap, it would suck air to be filtered by the HEPA filter inside. HEPA filter was used

to clear the air of mold spores, pollen, pet dander, odors, cigarette smoke, bacteria,

viruses, dust and other dangerous airborne particles indoor. It is based on ultra-

fine glass fibers molded into paper with very small pores, folded in pleats to

maximize surface area as discussed by Air-Purifier-Power 2017. The filtered air

goes out through the holes at the back of the case of the robot
 Figure 2.15. Prototyped robot’s Figure 2.16. Actual robot’s shell
shell using folders using acrylic and aluminum sheets

The prototype was made of cardboard and was eventually developed into

the robot using acrylic sheets and aluminum sheets for the outer covering.

After arranging all the electronics and components inside the robot, the

sensors, modules and actuators were permanently attached and soldered. The

accuracy of the robot in performing its specified tasks was tested 20 trials.

F. Arduino and ThingSpeak programming

Arduino SKETCH software was

used to program the robot since it has

a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that

is appropriate in the programming

environment of the study, and it is the

programmable circuit board is being

Figure 2.17. Arduino SKETCH
used by professionals in order to add interactivity to objects and projects as

published by Brock Craft 2013 in its book, Arduino Projects For Dummies. It was

installed on a computer running an operating system of Windows 10 Professional.

 The sensing parameters

were loaded to the controller which

served as the brain of the robot. It

processed and performed all of the

specified series of tasks. C++

language was used in programming

the Arduino microcontroller using

Figure 2.18. ThingSpeak cloud
database
Arduino Sketch while SQL mark-up language was used to program ThingSpeak

IOT database. MathWorks developer 2018 published in ThingSpeak Write

document that ThingSpeak is an online application platform for the internet of

things which allows to build an application from data collected by sensors. This

includes real-time data collection data processing, visualizations apps, plugins and

channel. A channel is wherein data are stored. Each channel includes 8 fields for

any type of data, 3 locations fields, and 1 status field.

G. Testing and debugging

The robot with its Arduino-based program, as well as the IOT database

program was tested and debugged to detect bugs and errors that can be found in

the program or in the robot.

H. Testing the functionality of the robot

The functionality of the robot was tested in accordance to the different tasks:

1. detecting the current air quality of the location.

2. logging its reading in SD card module.

3. sending readings and data to cloud database.

I. Data Analysis

The accuracy percentage of the robot in performing the different tasks was

determined and analyzed using the following formula:

𝑓
𝑃= x 100
𝑛

P = Percentage
f = frequency (number of success [1] or failure [0])
n = total number of the trials
J. Development Diagram

This flowchart diagram describes the processes done by the researchers

in the study in brief and concise manner.

Start

Planning and sketching of the robot and processes.

Gathering of materials

Calibration of sensor parameters

Soldering of the sensors to the microcontroller

Building of the body of the robot

Programming and attaching of the programs to the

microcontrollers

Testing the accuracy of the robot

Are there any N

A program End
errors?

Y
Debugging the errors of the program A
K. How the Robot Works:

DESCRIPTION

The lower platform of AIRDUINO is

responsible for the movement of the robot.

It is equipped with an IR sensor and URS

together with the 4 WD motor dynamo for

its full autonomous capability.

 DESCRIPTION

The upper platform of the AIRDUINO is

responsible for all the sensing processes,

serial communication, on-premise data

logging capability, and a cloud database. It

also houses the air monitoring and filtering

system.