Why MITes? MIT Environmental Sensing
Scalabilty
Simplicity
Usability
Senses
Fluctuations in temperature is a rhythmic constant of space.
Temperature is a great base against which we can measure many other frequencies, from time of day for that space, to more subjective feedback from users such as comfort.
If the universe is expanding, and we with it, then nothing is truly still.
Relative movement allows us to measure change and through that we can determine presence, location, direction, speed and more.
Sight, our most basic understanding of space, is made possible only by light.
Light measurements enable us to understand not only the environmental condition, but the frequencies at which people fine tune and modulate their spaces throughout the day.
Humidity is a valuable measurement that allows us to make certain assumptions regarding levels of comfort for human occupation.
Pressure allows us to monitor the change in atmospheric weather. This can have a significant impact on other systems that are sensitive to barometric pressure. It doesn’t have to change drastically to cause headaches for example.
Additional gas sensors can be attached to the TerMITes. These sensors can be both expensive and require significant energy depending on the gas in question. Examples of gases include Carbon Monoxide CO , Carbon Dioxide CO2, Ozone etc..
Proximity sensors allow us to detect the presence of an object, both inanimate or human.
The TerMITe has a built in IR-Proximity sensor that works up to 20cm. This is useful for detecting the presence of objects. An example would be the opening or closing of a door.
In addition, PIR sensors can be attached and run off battery power. These sensors detect body heat and are perfect for the detection of a body in passing.
We run most of our hardware over i2c making the TerMITes modular, allowing us to expand the number of “super powers” our modules are capable of.
We would like to know if the community would like to use Termites. Feel free to use our poll below to vote.
NEWS
Research
User interfaces are a key part of both data acquisition, data analytics and data visualization. We have been exploring multiple platforms that allow for intuitive user interfaces with both the TerMITes themselves and the database.
Examples of platforms currently explored are Rhino3D, Unity3D, Node.js and more….
User experience is a vital step in the adoption of any platform. We have put a lot of work into creating an intuitive experience for designers and researchers.
An example video will be posted shortly….
Both Hardware and Software play a key role in creating a successful platform. We designed the hardware from the ground up and make use of an open source software community that allows users to quickly explore potential use cases we have not yet accounted for.
Spatializing Data
TerMITes: the 3rd version of the MITes.