AirLoo
IoT sanitation monitoring — ESP32 sensors, real-time dashboards, usage heatmaps, and automated alerts.
The Problem
Public restrooms are maintained on guesswork — cleaned on a fixed schedule whether they need it or not. That means both wasted effort and missed messes.
The Solution
AirLoo instruments the space with ESP32-based sensors that report usage in real time, surface heatmaps of demand, and fire alerts when thresholds are crossed so cleaning follows reality instead of a clock.
Research
The interesting signal is usage over time, not a single reading. Modelling patterns — peaks, lulls, buildup — mattered more than raw accuracy on any one sensor.
Development
ESP32 devices stream to Firebase; a realtime dashboard renders live status and historical heatmaps. Alerts trigger from usage thresholds rather than fixed timers.
Challenges
Hardware in the real world is unforgiving — power, connectivity, and grubby conditions. Making the devices resilient and self-recovering was harder than the software.
Outcome
Prototype stage. Sensor pipeline and dashboard are functional; hardening for a real deployment.
Lessons
Software forgives; hardware does not. Building for the physical world taught me to design for failure from the first line.