MARIKINA SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

Mayor Juan Chanyungco St., Sta. Elena Marikina City

The Development of a Self-sustaining Weather Station

with an Advanced Alert System for Isolated Villages and
Communities

By:

Gilbert Leo Gaston

Robie Elliz Tizon

Mr. Mark Anthony F. Casimiro

Research Adviser
 August 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rationale…………………………………………………………………………………..3

Research Questions………………………………………………………………………..4

Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………………………4

Goal………………………………………………………………………………………..5

Expected Outcomes……………………………………………………………………….5

Procedure………………………………………………………………………………….5

Risk and safety…………………………………………………………………………….7

Dara Analysis……………………………………………………………………………..7

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………7

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A. RATIONALE

Philippines is a Southeast Asian country that is highly prone to typhoons, floods

and other natural calamities. Since it is a kind of archipelagic country, it is surrounded by

huge bodies of water that builds and constructs the world’s strongest tropical cyclones. On

average, about 20-25 typhoons hit Philippines every year, and about 4 typhoons every

month in wet season. Floods, landslides and casualties during disasters are a common thing

in this season. One of the main reasons of the immense casualties and effects of the disaster

is due to the lack of information among the isolated parts of the country. Philippines is

made up of approximately 7,000 islands and information dissemination relating to updates

with weather and incoming natural events is a challenging task.

The researchers thought of a solution, an easily portable and user-friendly weather

station where the people can also look for the daily updates and weather forecast. The

researchers are trying to solve the problem of information dissemination with Weather

forecasts, especially for most of the isolated communities in our country. This could

drastically help the preparations for the incoming natural calamities.

Due to its user-friendly and less intuitive design, inexperienced personnel can

operates this weather station. As aforementioned, preparation is the key to decrease the

effects and casualties of these natural disasters. The information that they will gather on

this station can really help people from these communities. Also, this station can

continuously monitor the weather conditions of the area assigned to it, and this feature

could also help the people and The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

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Services Administration (PAG ASA) know the current weather phenomena happening and

could increase the accuracy of weather forecasts for an area.

B. RESEARCH QUESTION(S), HYPOTHESIS(ES), ENGINEERING GOAL(S),

AND EXPECTED OUTCOME(S)

Research Questions

1. Which places could this device be stationed for it to function efficiently and

effectively for weather updates and happenings?

2. In what aspects could this device perform better than old and traditional methods

of disseminating weather updates?

Hypothesis

1. Null

There are no advancements and positive effects of the self-sustaining weather

station could offer for the disaster preparedness of isolated communities because this

device do not perform efficiently and effectively.

2.Alternative

There is a significant advancement and positive effect of the self-sustaining weather

station could offer for the disaster preparedness of isolated communities because this

device could efficiently perform and effectively disseminate weather and other updates.

3.If-then

If we use this self-sustaining weather station, then the disaster preparedness will

increase, and decreased casualties and property damages on isolated communities during

natural disasters.

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Engineering Goals

The researchers aim to prove that a Self-Sustaining Weather Station with an

Advance Alert System is more effective on increasing disaster preparedness and lessening

the casualties and property damages during natural disasters on isolated communities

compared to the old and traditional ways of disseminating weather updates.

Expected Outcomes

The researchers intend to make a Prototype of this Self-Sustaining Weather station

with and advance alert system that can show its potential on decreasing the hazardous

effects of natural disasters.

C. PROCEDURES, RISK AND SAFETY, AND DATA ANALYSIS

Procedures

The steps and procedures that will be followed by the researchers in this

development and study are as follows:

First, the researchers will gather information and data for the parts, design and

equipment necessary to build the basic parts and sensors that will run and power this Self-

Sustaining weather station.

After this, they will gather the parts, resources and equipment then assemble the

basic structure of the circuits and the skeleton of the Station.

Next, the researchers will program and design the User-Interface in order for the

Station to work and be used by the isolated communities when finished. The programming

and design will be done by using either of the microcontrollers Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

After the first line of codes and programs along with the design of the user-interface, they

will consult a certified programmer or and electronic engineer to see if the program is

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running at its most efficient form, also this consultation could also remove system bugs

and errors that is done by the researchers with the program and design, Revisions and resets

of the program will be made for a very successful design and for an efficient system to run.

Following this, the researches will finally apply the program and User Interface

design to the final product to see if any sensors and feature will run at its peak functionality.

If any problems or misconception rise, the researchers will go back to program and design

phase and revise its code until the system work at its desired functionality. Testing phase

needs to perform at least 3 trials on at least 4 isolated communities and test the sensors and

system ensuring a credible result.

Next, the researchers will finally move on to the final modelling and testing. They

will make the most efficient design of the system and visit viable candidates of isolated

communities for this system to test to. A 3D modelling will also be made before the final

construction by using programs like autocad, this will ensure the efficiency that can this

station perform, because the researchers want this device’s design at best. The test will be

conducted using the final model to fully observe its peak functionality. The researchers

will do trials of this testing until the credible results are gained. If any problems or error

will happen, the researchers will go back to consultation and programming phase to ensure

its desired functionality.

Finally, the researchers will construct the station’s final structure and design along

with the final programming. The researchers will ensure that the system will work perfectly

at desired conditions, this needs to be tested again to ensure the credibility to the outcome;

if any problems arise, the researchers will conduct revisions and testing once again until

the product works perfectly.

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Risk and safety

The researchers will use tools with high temperature and equipment such as

soldering equipment, laser cutters, and 3D printers. They will also use strong adhesives,

sharp objects and electrical devices that could potentially injure the researchers. During the

final testing and construction, they will be exposed to different environments and they will

travel long distances because they target the most isolated communities they could test this

device on. In order to combat these risks, researchers will take extreme caution while

working and follow appropriate methods and wear appropriate gears in order to avoid

injuries and damages to the equipment and products. They will also keep in mind the proper

working ethics and behaviour such as frequent checking of the equipment, clean-up, and

safety gear inspection. A first aid kit and emergency contacts will always be present in

workplace and testing places, we will also have insurance in case any mishaps and

accidents were to occur.

Data Analysis

The researchers intend to analyse the data by comparing the data of the Weather

Station’s accuracy and efficiency with the standard methods of disseminating weather

updates using a bar graph and other appropriate methods.

D. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1)http://www.un-spider.org/links-and-resources/institutions/philippines-atmospheric-

geophysical-and-astronomical-services-administration-pag, PAG-ASA, published on 2017

by unknown.

2) https://patents.google.com/patent/US7327271B2/en, Portable weather detector and alert

system, 2004 by Lawrence Tibor Greenstein

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3) https://www.silent-gardens.com/climate.php, the Philippine Climate, published on

January 2019 by unknown.

4)https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/ShowTopic-g294245-i3256-k7878906-

What_are_the_most_remote_hikes_villages_areas_to_explore-Philippines.html, What are

the most remote hikes/villages/areas to explore, published unknown by unknown.

5) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263224115004406, Devaraju, J.T.,

Suhas, K.R., Mohana, H.K. and Patil, V.A., 2015. Wireless portable microcontroller based

weather monitoring station. Measurement, 76, pp.189-200.

6) https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5592239/, Fang, Zhen, Zhan Zhao,

Lidong Du, Jiangang Zhang, Cheng Pang, and Daoqu Geng. "A new portable micro

weather station." In 2010 IEEE 5th International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered

and Molecular Systems, pp. 379-382. IEEE, 2010.

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