Color Sensor-Based Water Quality Tracker: DIY Environmental Monitoring -- Episode 621

Katie delves into the potential of color sensors to detect changes in the color of water, indicating variations in water quality. Join her as she navigates the technical challenges and solutions involved in creating a low-cost and effective water quality monitoring system that can benefit environmentalists and researchers alike!

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Color Sensor-Based Water Quality Tracker: DIY Environmental Monitoring -- Episode 621

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In this video, Katie explores the concept of sensing water quality using a color sensor. Her project is part of the element14 Community's Summer of Green Tech, which features discussions and projects about innovative ways to use electronics for environmental purposes, including water quality monitoring. Katie starts by sharing her initial idea of using a color sensor to assess water quality, particularly focusing on the turbidity and color of water.

She starts by connecting a Grove I2C color sensor to an Arduino board in order to test its ability to detect the water’s color. Katie experiments with cups of red-colored, green-colored, and clear water to see how the sensor reacts. This preliminary test demonstrates that the sensor can differentiate between different colors, laying the foundation for potential water quality assessment.

Katie details her plan to address the challenge of measuring water quality in a stream without disturbing the flow of the water. She plans to use a pipe to create a controlled flow environment for the water. She also raises concerns about protecting the sensor from water damage and avoiding potential light interference with the sensor.

Katie explores the process of encasing the sensor in clear resin to make it waterproof, while still maintaining its ability to accurately detect color. She describes the steps involved in creating a silicone mold and filling it with optically clear resin to protect the sensor.

The video concludes with a successful test, where the sensor detects the differences in color between clean water and water mixed with coffee grounds. Katie emphasizes that this project has laid the groundwork for a potentially low-cost water quality sensor that could be widely used, and invites community members to contribute to its development, particularly on the coding side.

Overall, this video showcases the practical steps and technical challenges involved in using a color sensor for water quality assessment, with the potential for broader applications in environmental monitoring.

Supplemental Content

• TCS3472 Arduino Library

Bill of Materials

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