IoT Remote Health Monitor for आमाबुवा in Nepal: ESP32 Project Guide

With many young Nepalis moving to Kathmandu or going abroad for work, keeping track of our parents' health in home districts is a constant concern. Commercial health monitors can be expensive and require regular subscription fees.

You can build a low-cost, custom monitoring station that sits in their living room, measures key environmental and wellness data, and uploads it to a free cloud dashboard you can view from anywhere.

Features of the Station

1. Room Temperature Alerts: Winters in regions outside the Terai can get cold. The station tracks indoor temperature and alerts you if it falls below a safe limit (like 12°C).
2. Activity Tracking: A PIR sensor logs movement in the main living space. If no movement is detected for several hours during the day, it sends a warning message.
3. Emergency Alert Button: A simple physical button your parents can press to instantly send a help alert to your phone.

Parts List & Hardware Selection

• Processor: ESP32 C3 Development Board (has built-in WiFi to connect to the home router).
• Pulse Sensor: AD8232 ECG module or a simpler MAX30102 pulse oximeter for heart rate.
• Environment Sensor: DHT11 or DHT22 temperature and humidity module.
• Movement Sensor: HC-SR501 PIR sensor.
• Alert System: A physical push button and an active buzzer for local feedback.

Basic Firmware Setup

Here is a simple sketch to read the sensors and send alerts if parameters go out of bounds.

#include <WiFi.h>
#include <HTTPClient.h>
#include <DHT.h>

#define DHTPIN 4
#define DHTTYPE DHT22
#define PIR_PIN 14
#define BUTTON_PIN 27

DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE);
unsigned long lastMotionTime = 0;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  dht.begin();
  pinMode(PIR_PIN, INPUT);
  pinMode(BUTTON_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
  
  WiFi.begin("WIFI_SSID", "WIFI_PASSWORD");
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
  }
}

void loop() {
  float temp = dht.readTemperature();
  bool motion = digitalRead(PIR_PIN) == HIGH;
  bool emergency = digitalRead(BUTTON_PIN) == LOW;

  if (motion) {
    lastMotionTime = millis();
  }

  if (emergency) {
    sendEmergencyAlert();
    delay(5000); // Prevent spamming
  }

  if (temp < 12.0) {
    sendLowTempWarning(temp);
  }

  delay(2000);
}

void sendEmergencyAlert() {
  HTTPClient http;
  http.begin("https://api.callmebot.com/whatsapp.php?phone=977XXXXXXXXXX&text=Emergency+Button+Pressed!&apikey=YOUR_KEY");
  http.GET();
  http.end();
}

void sendLowTempWarning(float temp) {
  // Add warning alert here
}

Tips for Presentation

If you are presenting this as a college project:

• Focus on the social impact of helping elderly populations in rural areas.
• Show the live telemetry on your phone using free dashboard apps like Blynk or ThingSpeak.
• Present a cost comparison to show how cheap a DIY version is compared to imported consumer devices.