Development of a meteorological station using reused materials and low-cost sensors

In this work, a low-cost automatic weather station was developed using reused materials and low-cost sensors, connected to the Ubidots data visualization and management website. The station has sensors for temperature (AHT10), humidity (AHT10), pressure (BMP180), solar radiation (LDR), a rain gauge and a digital anemometer, both made with reused and easily accessible materials, the anemometer being developed with a fan (hall sensor) and the rain gauge based on a reed switch magnetic sensor. The entire system is connected to the ESP8266 electronic prototyping board, which already has a module that allows connection to the internet. The entire device cost around 50 R$. The temperature and humidity sensors and anemometer were calibrated using standard sensors to ensure accurate measurement. Humidity and temperature values were then compared to data obtained from a nearby standard weather station. The rain gauge also underwent calibration to measure the amount of rain in millimeters. Additionally, model-based forecasts were implemented to estimate dew point, water vapor pressure, precipitable water, and wind chill, providing additional information about local weather conditions.

Keywords:
Meteorological instrumentation; atmospheric physics; internet of things; physics teaching; citizen science