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Created February 27, 2025 19:03
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Awesome Residential Sensor Data Tracking
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awe_res_sen.md

Awesome Residential Sensor Data Tracking

A curated list of sensor-based data tracking categories suitable for deployment at your domicile. This list includes relevant sensors, available public data repositories, DIY vs. commercial options, and applications for each category.

Contents

Atmospheric & Weather Monitoring

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Temperature (Thermometers)
    • Humidity (Hygrometers)
    • Air Pressure (Barometers)
    • Wind Speed/Direction (Anemometers, Wind Vanes)
    • Precipitation (Rain Gauges)
    • UV & Solar Radiation Sensors
    • Lightning Detectors
    • Air Quality Sensors (e.g. PM, CO, O₃)

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Arduino/Raspberry Pi-based weather stations, DIY lightning detector kits (e.g. Blitzortung kits)
    • Commercial: AcuRite, Netatmo, Davis weather stations, Vaisala lightning systems

  • Applications:

    • Hyper-local weather forecasting and microclimate analysis
    • Flood/drought monitoring and early warning systems
    • Air pollution tracking and public health alerts
    • Lightning and storm detection

Geophysical Monitoring

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Seismographs/Accelerometers
    • Infrasound Sensors (Microbarometers)
    • Geiger Counters & Cosmic Ray Detectors
    • Radon Detectors
    • Soil Moisture & Temperature Probes
    • Groundwater Level Sensors

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Raspberry Pi seismographs, homemade Geiger counters, Arduino-based soil sensors
    • Commercial: Research-grade seismometers, digital dosimeters, professional radon detectors

  • Applications:

    • Earthquake detection and research
    • Radiation monitoring and nuclear safety
    • Indoor radon level assessment
    • Soil and groundwater analysis for agriculture and property maintenance

Space Weather & RF Monitoring

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Magnetometers (Fluxgate, Hall-Effect)
    • Cosmic Ray Detectors (Muon detectors, Cloud chambers)
    • Software-Defined Radios (SDRs) for ionospheric monitoring
    • ADS-B Receivers for aircraft tracking
    • Meteor Scatter Detectors

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Build your own magnetometers, cosmic ray detectors (e.g. Cosmic Watch), SDR-based monitors
    • Commercial: Professional fluxgate magnetometers, high-end SDR receivers, dedicated ADS-B systems

  • Applications:

    • Geomagnetic storm tracking and aurora forecasting
    • Cosmic ray and space radiation research
    • Ionospheric condition monitoring and solar activity alerts
    • Real-time aircraft tracking and meteor detection

Biological & Ecological Monitoring

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Pollen & Allergen Sensors (e.g. laser particle counters)
    • Insect/Mosquito Acoustic Detectors
    • Acoustic Wildlife Recorders (for birds, amphibians, etc.)
    • Microbial Air Samplers
    • Indoor CO₂ and VOC Sensors
    • Soil Nutrient and pH Sensors

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

    • Citizen science platforms (e.g. eBird, iNaturalist)
    • Community air quality initiatives (e.g. EPA’s AirMapper)
    • Biodiversity and ecological databases

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Custom pollen traps with computer vision, homemade mosquito detectors, DIY CO₂ monitors
    • Commercial: Pollen Sense devices, AudioMoth recorders, calibrated indoor air quality systems

  • Applications:

    • Allergy and air quality monitoring
    • Biodiversity tracking and conservation research
    • Indoor environmental quality management
    • Garden and ecosystem health assessment

Energy & Infrastructure Monitoring

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Electricity Usage Monitors (current sensors, smart plugs)
    • Gas & Water Flow Sensors (ultrasonic, turbine flow meters)
    • Solar Irradiance and Panel Output Monitors
    • Thermal Sensors (IR cameras, thermometers)
    • Leak & Moisture Detectors
    • Vibration and Pressure Sensors

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Arduino/Raspberry Pi energy monitors, DIY flow sensor hacks
    • Commercial: Sense, Emporia smart monitors, professional smart meters, dedicated leak sensors

  • Applications:

    • Home energy efficiency and consumption analysis
    • Renewable energy performance tracking
    • Leak detection and proactive home maintenance
    • Data contribution for smart grid and urban planning

Security & Surveillance

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Motion Sensors (PIR)
    • Door/Window Contacts
    • Glass-Break Detectors and Acoustic Sensors
    • Surveillance Cameras (with AI and facial recognition)
    • Microphones for anomaly detection
    • RF Fingerprinting and spectrum scanners
    • Smart Doorbells (with radar/PIR)

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

    • Community alert systems (e.g. Ring Neighbors)
    • Local security forums and neighborhood watch platforms

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Raspberry Pi cameras, custom alarm panels (Home Assistant), SDR-based RF scanners
    • Commercial: ADT, SimpliSafe, Ring, Nest, dedicated RF detection devices

  • Applications:

    • Crime prevention and home security
    • Community-sourced alerts for suspicious activity
    • RF monitoring for identifying unauthorized devices
    • Anomaly detection (e.g. unexpected sounds or vibrations)

Light Pollution Monitoring

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Sky Quality Meters (SQM)
    • Photometers/Light Sensors (e.g. TSL237S, calibrated smartphone sensors)
    • All-Sky Cameras (with fisheye lenses)

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Arduino-based sky quality meters, DSLR photometry setups
    • Commercial: Unihedron SQM devices, integrated environmental monitors with light sensors

  • Applications:

    • Quantifying sky brightness for astronomy and stargazing
    • Informing urban planning on light pollution reduction
    • Advocacy for dark-sky preservation
    • Monitoring long-term changes in night sky quality

Noise Pollution Monitoring

  • Relevant Sensors:

    • Sound Level Meters (Decibel Meters)
    • Microphone-based Noise Sensors
    • Smartphone Apps for decibel measurement
    • IoT Noise Monitoring Devices

  • Public Repositories & Networks:

    • NoiseTube – crowd-sourced noise mapping
    • Local community noise maps via citizen science projects

  • DIY vs. Commercial:

    • DIY: Build noise monitors with microcontrollers and MEMS microphones, smartphone-based noise apps
    • Commercial: Consumer-grade noise meters, outdoor noise loggers with Wi-Fi connectivity

  • Applications:

    • Documenting urban and neighborhood noise levels
    • Informing noise reduction policies and community advocacy
    • Personal monitoring for indoor quiet environments
    • Contributing data for research on noise pollution effects

Contributing & Resources

  • Contributions:
    Feel free to fork this list and extend it with new sensor ideas, projects, or links to public data repositories. Contributions that help broaden the scope of residential data tracking are very welcome!

  • Resources:

    • Open-source hardware projects (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, SDR communities)
    • Citizen science initiatives and public APIs for environmental data
    • Community forums and GitHub repositories dedicated to DIY sensor projects

License

This project is open for community contributions and is licensed under the MIT License.

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