Enter the IoT at Work & Play Contest and Win an Amber Pi

I am developing IoT devices which are self-powered (aka require no additional wiring or external power supply) and can be installed with ease into existing homes. I place considerable emphasis on devices that can continue to operate, and be controlled, irrespective of internet connectivity. For the purpose of this contest I will describe a few of these devices:

• The first is a vent control for typical HVAC systems. Instead of adjustable linear blades to control air flow, I use a turbine fan arrangement of variable-angle blades. Fully closed the fan restrict air flow to leakage-only. Fully open the blades maximize air flow but do not rotate. In between the blades can be moved through a series of preset angles, creating various flow patterns and volumes. In essence the vent control is both a fan, to radially distribute air, and an air-volume controller. The unit should be a direct-swap for existing vents sold by hardware stores. A motor-driven cam determines the blade angle-of-attack and is controlled by a simple processor such as the Arduino or any PIC chip. To make the device self-powered, the same motor which changes the cam position can be turned by the rotating fan to generate power into a super capacitor. In the event the system is idle for too long, the controller sends a message to the HVAC control board to have the HVAC (fan-only) turn on for sufficient time to recharge the capacitor. My intention is to 3d print the fan components, cam and motor gearing.

• A more obvious device is a simple pressure differential device used to determine when air filters in an HVAC system require changing. As the filter becomes clogged, air pressure differential increases. A straw-like sensor pushes through either the ducting or the air filter itself (the second solution allows for easy retrofit) to measure pressure drop within the duct. Early versions will use barometric pressure sensors however I suspect a simpler solution can be achieved by a piezo (strain) sensor on a membrane within the straw. The prototype is planned to employ an ESP32 (proof-of-concept only) but the engineering can probably be reduced to something simpler through trial-and-error. A simple turbine in the air flow will keep the device powered or alternately a piezo motor may be used, with appropriate valving, to generate power.

• A smart controller for mini-split systems. America is probably the only country in the world to use massively inefficient whole-house HVAC solutions. In particular we put the air handler in the hottest area of the house - the attic - then connect to the many vents via hundreds of feet of low-insulation ducting (typically R8 insulation). In Arizona up to 30% efficiency is lost due to this crazy system. For a typical American house it is very hard to retrofit mini-split solutions because there are no thermostat controllers which can accommodate a range of air conditioning solutions combined with household room layouts. In other words, your Nest controller would throw up its hands in despair when asked to manage such a hybrid solution!. For this reason I am developing a smart controller which allows optimum cooling using any available resources including a combination of whole-house units, mini-splits, evaporators  and through-the-wall units. Again, the emphasis is on the ability to retrofit a solution into an existing household.

I have several other devices in-the-works including:

• An IoT water softener (that monitors salt levels and can send messages both for low-salt and leakages),
• A low cost irrigation system that is self-powered and can detect leakage as well as valve failure. The system will be modular and extensible - add only the features you want using lego-like connection
• A toaster that uses ceramic and halogen heating elements to accurately control cooking of many different products. The toaster will incorporate a novel "browning" detector as well as humidity sensor to ensure a moist interior. This will be a learning system!
• An affordable pill dispenser. Yes, several such devices exist but I want to make one that is cheap - less than $100 - and which can be used anywhere in the world or as a portable device.

So if ANY of these devices interests you, identify one and I'd be happy to build it for you consideration. My primary interest in life is true AI based on gaming engines, game theory and algorithm libraries; so IoT is mostly a hobby for my own amusement. I am continuously disappointed by the low quality and poor user interface of the current generation of IoT devices.

Your HVAC proposals sound interesting.  Look forward to see what you actually implement.

Which particular HVAC proposal?

I am working on the fan design right now.  The combined motor-driven-cam and generator is at the advanced prototype stage (3rd iteration). Blades are trickier - I may have to send out for them because rigidity and tolerances are crucial.

Over Autumn/Winter I will be buying mini-splits for my own house. We already have two whole-house HVAC systems running off ecobee. I had considered reprogramming the ecobee (and may still do so) however the manufacturer wasn't interested in building a hybrid controller which is why I'm rolling my own.

The first and third proposals were the ones that seemed somewhat applicable to my situation.  I have the typical 2 story house with a single central furnace/HVAC setup.  Pretty basically just split ducting for upstairs and downstairs with a manual baffle for winter/summer.  And a single point sensing thermostat.  So I have the typical too hot and too cold scenario.  I've thought about powered vents (registers) but never tried any.  I've also thought about an Ecobee with multiple remote sensors and motorizing the baffle but I don't think I'd invest in multiple HVAC units.  Haven't really looked into the mini splits.  I do have solar powered attic and crawlspace fans that I've thought about augmenting and controlling.

The first and third proposals were the ones that seemed somewhat applicable to my situation.  I have the typical 2 story house with a single central furnace/HVAC setup.  Pretty basically just split ducting for upstairs and downstairs with a manual baffle for winter/summer.  And a single point sensing thermostat.  So I have the typical too hot and too cold scenario.  I've thought about powered vents (registers) but never tried any.  I've also thought about an Ecobee with multiple remote sensors and motorizing the baffle but I don't think I'd invest in multiple HVAC units.  Haven't really looked into the mini splits.  I do have solar powered attic and crawlspace fans that I've thought about augmenting and controlling.