Modular environmental monitoring platform with dashboards

The problem

Most monitoring projects end with a single device showing numbers on a screen. When another sensor, another room, or a history is needed, the missing structure becomes obvious and the project is rebuilt from scratch.

How it works

1. Data collectionThe node reads its sensors and checks that each reading is valid.
2. DeploymentReadings are published to the message broker under organized topics.
3. StorageA data agent pulls readings from the broker and stores them in a time-series database.
4. DisplayDashboards draw the curves and raise alerts when thresholds are crossed.

Project features

• Truly modular: sensors and nodes are added through settings, not by writing new code.
• The message broker separates the sensors from the display — the right architecture the student learns from this project.
• A time-series database and live dashboards with threshold alerts.
• Detecting a dead sensor: a frozen or missing reading is classified as a fault, not a valid value.

Expected challenges

These are the main obstacles to expect during the build, laid out clearly so you know them before you start.

• The architecture is harder than the sensors: how topics are organized and named decides whether the project can scale.
• A network outage loses readings, so the node must store data and send it later.
• A dead sensor gives a constant reading that looks healthy, so detecting it needs dedicated logic.
• Dashboards slow down as data piles up unless time aggregation is applied.

The consultation gives you a solution for each one.