Project · draft
LoRa Water-Quality Buoy (Temperature + Turbidity)
- advanced
- 14-18 hours over several days (print, seal, cure, test)
Lets students monitor temperature and turbidity in a lake, backwater or harbour edge, the kind of local data that supports reducing water pollution (target 14.1).
Safety notes
Read first. Radio band: in India, use the licence-exempt 865–867 MHz band. The LoRa module in the parts list has not been checked for that band yet, so confirm it on the module's datasheet before you buy one.
- Water: never work at open water alone; wear a life jacket near deep or moving water; test in a tank first.
- 18650 cells: use protected cells, set any boost/buck output with a multimeter before connecting the board, never short the cell, and do not leave charging unattended. Never charge the cell inside the sealed hull; add a desiccant pack.
- Epoxy potting: ventilate, wear nitrile gloves and eye protection.
- Radio: in India use the licence-exempt 865-867 MHz band (set the module accordingly). Retrieve the buoy and all parts after every test so nothing is left in the water.
Draft and unofficial, not affiliated with Fab Academy or the United Nations. Check prices, GST and parts before you buy.
Summary
A floating node reads water temperature and turbidity every 10 minutes and transmits over LoRa to a second XIAO on shore that logs and displays the data. Test in a tank, then a pond, before any open water.
What it teaches
Design a sealed, stable 3D-printed buoy (buoyancy and ballast maths, gland and gasket design, potting with epoxy), read temperature and turbidity, send packets over LoRa to a shore receiver, and budget power for multi-day deployment.
Topics it touches, in Fab Academy-style terms:
- Computer-aided design
- 3D scanning and printing
- Molding and casting
- Input devices
- Networking and communications
- Embedded programming
- System integration
Parts list
Parts cost
Some parts are not priced yet, so there's no total.
9 required parts are marked not priced yet below. Where a price is known it is shown per part, GST-inclusive as the seller listed it on 24 Oct 2026, with the GST rate unverified. Shipping is not included.
| Part | Qty | Unit | Price, GST-incl. as listed | Line cost | GST | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 Wi-Fi & BLE Development Boardxiao-esp32c3One in the buoy, one as shore receiver | 2 | pcs | ₹734 | ₹1,468 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| LoRa transceiver module, 865–867 MHz (India IN865 band)lora-865mhz-inConfigure for IN865 (865-867 MHz) | 2 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| DS18B20 waterproof temperature probe (1-Wire), ~1 m leadds18b20-waterproof | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| 4.7 kOhm resistor, through-hole (pack of 10)resistor-4k7-x101-Wire pull-up; uses 1 | 1 | set | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| Analog turbidity sensor module with probeturbidity-sensor-module5 V; only the probe tip goes in water | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| 18650 2200mAh 3.7v Cylinder Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery (Any Colour)battery-18650-2200mahProtected cell | 1 | pcs | ₹137 | ₹137 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Single 18650 battery holder with leadsholder-18650-1cell | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| TP4056 Li-ion charger module with DW01 protection (USB-C)tp4056-protected-moduleCharge on shore with the hull open | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| MT3608 DC-DC boost converter moduleboost-mt36085 V for turbidity sensor; set before connecting | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| PG7 nylon cable glandcable-gland-pg7 | 3 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| PETG 3D printer filament, 1.75 mm, 1 kgfilament-petg-1kgHull; PETG rather than PLA for water | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| Part | Qty | Unit | Price, GST-incl. as listed | Line cost | GST | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betogen Crystal Clear Epoxy Resin 2:1, 1.5 kg set (1 kg resin + 500 g hardener)epoxy-clear-casting-1.5kgPotting cable entries; share the kit | 1 | set | ₹925.35 | ₹925.35 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Betogen Resin Art via Amazon.inread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Type C USB Cable (1 metre)cable-usb-c-1mSkip if you already have a data-capable USB-C cable | 1 | pcs | ₹65 | ₹65 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Optional extras total, GST-inclusive as listed by the seller | ₹990.35 | |||||
The Part column links to the shared catalogue. Units are pcs, m, g, sheet or set, and a "set" is the seller's pack, as noted per part.
Tools you will need
- 3D printer (PETG)
- Soldering iron
- Multimeter
- Digital scale for ballast
- Test tank or bucket
Build notes
Step-by-step build notes have not been written yet for this draft. The summary, the topics above and the parts list are what exists so far.
How to buy
There is no online checkout. To buy or import these parts, email info@curiosta.com and say what you need. The button opens your own email app with a draft; nothing is sent until you send it.
Prices on this site are third-party seller listings, not a Curiosta quote. Ask by email for availability, price and GST.