It’s the special time of year again… Christmas in July. This is a good time to build an Internet of Things (IoT) project and join the CheerLights project.
We found an awesome video produced by the illustrious Becky Stern and posted on the DigiKey YouTube channel. In this video, Becky covers easy ways to connect your project to the internet ands a bunch of project ideas to get your IoT journey started.
IoT is a network of physical objects, embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies, aiming to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet.
To kick start your IoT journey, you’ll need some WiFi microcontrollers. Excellent choices for beginners are the ESP8266 and the ESP32. These microcontrollers are fantastic for their affordable price and compatibility with Arduino-based projects. Additionally, Arduino’s line of WiFi boards, Particle, and Raspberry Pi Pico W are also worth mentioning.
With these tools in your hands, you can easily connect your projects to the web. Now, let’s start with a fun project: controlling LEDs with CheerLights!
CheerLights
One of the coolest projects to try out is connecting your LEDs to CheerLights, a global RGB LED color-sharing platform. When a new color comes into the system, all of the CheerLights projects worldwide update to that color. It’s a simple concept, yet an excellent stepping stone for beginners into the world of IoT.
Visualizing Project Data with Cloud Services
Visualizing and logging sensor data is an essential aspect of any IoT project. Cloud services like Arduino Cloud, Adafruit IO, and ThingSpeak make this process a breeze. These platforms allow you to store, analyze, and visualize your project data for free. For instance, you can set up a project to read from a temperature sensor, then send that reading to the cloud at regular intervals. When you check back in on the cloud service, you’ll see a graph of the data over time.
IFTTT: If This, Then That
IFTTT is an API gateway that allows you to connect your project to a plethora of web services. You can visually code workflows connected to your favorite web services and your existing cloud service using their applets system. It adds an extra layer of functionality to your IoT projects.
Arduino API Libraries
Working with APIs directly using Arduino API libraries can provide even fewer layers of services and more control. Take, for instance, the Arduino Slack API and the Arduino YouTube API. Both libraries were created by Brian Lough and provide a great starting point for developing your projects.
While connecting your project to the cloud can be exhilarating, it’s vital to remember the importance of secure connections. Ensure that your endpoints are secure, never share your login credentials, and always maintain a private key.
IoT Project Ideas
- Home Automation System: With the use of a simple WiFi microcontroller, you could set up a system to control appliances, lights, and even your thermostat from anywhere in the world. Combine this with a platform like Adafruit IO to visualize your energy consumption and devise smarter ways to save.
- Plant Monitoring System: Using sensors to detect soil moisture, temperature, and light conditions, you can ensure your plants are in their ideal environment. The data can be logged on ThingSpeak or Arduino Cloud, giving you a clear overview of your plant’s health and letting you know when to water or adjust lighting.
- Smart Weather Station: Connect temperature, humidity, and pressure sensors to create your own local weather station. Feed the data to the cloud and set up alerts for specific conditions.
- IoT Alarm Clock: Design an alarm clock that checks your calendar and adjusts wake-up times accordingly or syncs with traffic conditions for your morning commute.
- CheerLights Globe: A step further from our CheerLights LED project, create a CheerLights globe that represents different regions’ colors and displays the global trends in real-time.
- Slack Status Updater: For those who use Slack, build a physical Slack status updater with a rotary switch. Set different statuses, such as “In a meeting,” “Lunch break,” or “On a call” and update your Slack status directly from your desk.
- YouTube Subscriber Counter: This could be a fun project for content creators. Build a live counter using Arduino YouTube API that updates with your latest subscriber numbers.
I hope all of this piqued your interest in IoT and showed you how easy it can be to get started with the right projects and tools. Whether it’s lighting up LEDs with CheerLights or building a temperature monitor, there’s an IoT project that’s right for you.
For additional resources, tips, or to share your progress, please join us on our Discord server. Let’s learn and explore the exciting world of IoT together!
