Snoof: Decorative Pollen Defence System
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Dave from DesignSpark
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Hi, I'm Snoof, a multiple disabled artist and maker who has asthma, which is aggravated by hayfever. Prior to the pandemic, I used to teach workshops and run clubs for kids and adults, to build community and skills through digital making and fibre arts. I'm very committed to sharing skills and resources to make making accessible to everyone.
As a hayfever sufferer, in my project, I want to help other sufferers track their hayfever symptoms, determine which pollens are likely to cause them, and get warnings on the days likely to be difficult for you! Here is a short introductory video.
Castle design for the Decorative Pollen Defence System
Orange arrow - Ping pong ball and EVA sun, contains a programmable LED to signify the likelihood of hayfever symptoms today.
Purple arrow - Fabric flowers. One of the petals is attached using conductive velcro. To record that you're experiencing hayfever symptoms, pull the petal off.
Black Arrow - access to a screen. Raspberry Pi keeps track of days when you have symptoms and cross-references them using your location and the Ambee free pollen API to determine which pollens are likely to be causing them. Tracks when those counts are high and this causes the Sun to glow white, orange or red based on how likely you are to experience symptoms today. Castle design+ medieval weaponry icons to show the recommended course of action, allows you to feel like you're fighting, rather than passively experiencing hayfever. Prior to having a grasp on your specific allergens, the sun glows based on generalised pollen count.
BOM
- 1.3" SPI Colour Square LCD (240x240) Breakout - £15
- Raspberry Pi 3B with Wifi - £50
- Various wires + solder - £10
- Wood: £10
- Fabric: £5
- Ping pong ball, tubing for stems, EVA: £10
- Conductive velcro and thread: £7.50
Total+ 10% contingency: £110.75
Similar projects/art:
avogel.co.uk, metoffice.gov.uk, kleenex.co.uk
Plenty of websites have pollen trackers you can check, and you could keep a spreadsheet to work out which pollens seem to set you off, but they aren't very interactive and require a lot of legwork on your part.