For our project, we will be monitoring the living conditions and movement patterns of Oscar, the bearded dragon living in the zoology room at Lane Tech. We are observing how being in a school environment may affect Oscar's habits and behavior.
What are we studying?
We are observing how being in a school environment may affect Oscar's habits and behavior.
Why is this worth investigating?
Pets are kept in classrooms around the country and may be affected in ways unknown to the people taking care of them. It is important for their health that their behavior in such an atypical environment is looked into. The sensor was suspended inside of Oscar's terrarium using velcro. It was specifically shaped to point at the opposite corner of the tank so it would detect as much movement as possible.
Where was the device deployed?
The sensor was suspended inside of Oscar's terrarium using velcro. It was specifically shaped to point at the opposite corner of the tank so it would detect as much movement as possible.
How did we construct the device?
The actual hardware consists of a Photon micro-controller, a DHT temperature/humidity sensor, a PIR motion sensor, a generic breadboard and a photo resistor. The case is made from laser cut baltic birch wood (See attachments for schematics and cutting files).
How did we develop and debug the code?
The code was developed through analyzing the function of each sensor and how we needed to collect data. We programmed one sensor at a time, making sure each part worked through trial and error before adding more. The code was debugged through group discussion, with help from Mr. Solin, and with help from the Array of Things team.
What challenges did we face?
Our main issues were incorrect wiring and an issue with our code that made our temperature/humidity sensor only transmit data once. We replaced it (it shorted out) and fixed the code so it would transmit whenever Oscar moved.
What did we learn?
We learned that Oscar has a very inconsistent sleep cycle and would constantly move for entire 24 hour stretches, then stay stationary for hours on end. Conditions on the inside of the tank did not change at all aside from occasional light fluctuations, so it is POSSIBLE that human interaction is disrupting his way of life. A solid conclusion cannot be reached because there may have been unknown sensor discrepancies, and because we don't fully understand Oscar's nature. To validate this, further experiments should be done.
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