Laura Perovich ([email protected], Object-based Media, MIT Media Lab)

This project includes the code, hardware, and fabrication guides for SeeBoat, a community centered waterbody monitoring and data display platform.

SeeBoat is a fleet of remote controlled boats that measure and display water quality in real time. It allows communities to explore water quality in their local lakes, rivers, and streams by changing the color of the boat in response to changes to the water quality. This data physicalization contextualizes the information and makes the water pollution data present in people's daily lives.

The boats measure water temperature, conductivity, and turbidity and display the data by real-time changes to the colors of the LEDs on the boat. Numeric sensor data is also transmitted via radio, visible through an Android app, and can be further recording using long exposure photos. SeeBoat makes environmental data experiential and interactive to help both communities and researchers better understand pollution and its implications.

The system is based on the Adafruit Feather M0 with RFM95 LoRa Radio (900MHz).

See "hardware" for a parts list, sensor schematics and board files, and 3D print files for sensors attachments.

See "software" for Arduino code for the entire system (main) and for each of the sensors (testing)

See "tutorials" for sensor fabrication guides and testing recommendations.

With technical contributions from Don Blair, Robert Henning, Sophia Struckman, Rod Bayliss, Rima Rebei, and Talia Spitz. Additional testing and assistance by ECO youth group (GreenRoots), Katherine Paseman, Claudia Chen, and Brian Mayton.

Thanks to contributors Sara Wylie (Northeastern University) and Roseann Bongiovanni (GreenRoots).

With funding and support from the Object Based Media (V. Michael Bove), the Media Lab Elements Fellows, and the Council for the Arts at MIT.