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AirPi — a Raspberry Pi based weather station and Zombie Detector

This competition is for those people who worry about air pollution (and indirectly the zombie apocalypse).....

You may have heard of the RaspberryPI and Linux well here is your chance to get one of these devices and create a huge network of pollution monitoring sites. You will create an add on board for the raspberry pi and use Python and the internet of things to publish your pollution information.

Using your information and the information gained from other nodes in the network you should be able to determine where the zombie apocalypse is happening. You will do this by interpreting the pollution data gathered. The first team to detect the location of the zombies (and tell us how) WINS!    


What is the competition about?

Your team will get together to assemble, test and program a Raspberrypi computer then learn how to assemble a printed circuit board of components to create a pollution monitoring station. - this page shows some pictures of what to expect. The Raspberrypi is a fully functional LINUX computer that can be used for everything from home automation to a home media centre. Once you have created your station you will need to put it on the internet and share your pollution information with everyone else.

Use Google Earth to plot pollution levels around the Diocese, and detect the zombies before they detect you!

We won't show you details of how to program in Python but there are plenty of great resources out there on the Internet.

Embed gadget

Remember if you "borrow" code you must reference where you got it from. To help we have a set of sample code borrowed from the AirPI team that has been modified for this competition so you can use this as the basis of your detector BUT this is only the beginning. How you visualise your data and detect the zombies is the really challenging bit! We won't help your there!

How do we get started?

  • Get together in teams of 3 to 5 and think up a team name.
  • IMPORTANT let one of your teachers know you want to be in the competition and then get them to sponsor the team.
  • IMPORTANT tell your parents you have signed up AFTER your teacher agrees to sponsor you.
  • The register this name on the google form linked here.  Make sure you enter ALL of your team members FULL names as well as your sponsoring teacher and School AND Suburb.
  • We will send you out a kit with all the parts you need to assemble the Raspberry Pi. The kit includes:
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Power Supply
    • USB Micro Cable
    • USB Keyboard Mouse Combo
    • AirPI kit (assembled or in parts let us know which)

BUT

You must create a blog in Google Blogger and share it with the Expo planning team and track everything you do with dates, photos observations etc. Remember we are emphasising.

Challenge — Build — Engage

What's all this about Zombies?

Once the AirPi network is set up you will be able to start monitoring pollution levels across the network. So what ? Well think about it Zombies:
  • Like to come out at night (light level is low)
  • Stink (pollution level high)
  • Don't like UV radiation (UVI needs to be low)
  • Like damp conditions (humidity is High)

So you can combine these figures which are all measured by the AirPi to create a Zombie weather warning (ZWW). Use the ZWW to detect and track the Zombie Apocalypse.

Of course you can use these same figures to plot pollution clouds, measure the dew point, do temperature profiles an all that stuff!

What you will need  .....
  • A monitor could be a TV or old computer monitor (HDMI or Composite) 
  • An HDMI cable (for HDMI Monitors)
(optional)
  • Powered USB hub
  • Digital HDMI/VGA adapter (if using a VGA monitor)
  • Old VGA monitor (if using a VGA monitor)


Then build  and Blog away ....

When you think your game is ready for the big time then submit it to the Expo competition.

What are the prizes?

If you win ALL members of your team will get their own Raspberrypi and an Itunes Card. If your submission is particularly innovative we may pass it on to other state and national competitions. You and the team will also be asked to present at the Expo in November.

Click on this button and will find some photos and tutorials here and remember Google can be your friend when it comes to this type of thing.

Watch this to see what you get when you enter the comp....


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