The Hackaday Prize is Developing Climate Resilient Communities

In Challenge 4, we want to see solutions for dealing with a changing climate. [Digi-Key is a proud sponsor of the 2022 Hackaday Prize]( [3602421454791242043.png] Wednesday, August 3, 2022 [Solar Sensors Help Communities Monitor Their Environment »]( Next-Gen Climate Tools From wildfires to hurricanes and floods, natural disasters represent a threat to life and property that's only expected to get worse as time goes on. Which is why the [fourth challenge of the 2022 Hackaday Prize]( "Climate Resilient Communities" is so important. Now, we'd love it if you could send along your design for a weather modification machine that could rein in Mother Nature when she's in a particularly bad mood. But realistically, the best we can hope for with current technology is to mount a proper defense. So what does that look like? For one thing, we can work towards building environmental monitoring networks that can help citizens and researchers get a clearer view of how weather is changing on a micro level. But that's only one aspect of it. We also need more robust infrastructure that can survive the worst of what the planet can throw at it, and ensures that we're able to communicate and organize when we need to the most. [Climate Resilient Communities]( Naturally, the kind of hardware that can pull this off will need some special design considerations. We're talking solar power, mesh networks, redundant systems, and all the weathertight o-rings you can get your hands on. If you're going up against rain, wind, and fire, you need to dig deep into your bag of tricks. Oh, and did we mention that above all, you'll want to make sure the solutions are affordable enough to spread as far and as wide as possible? Hey, we never said this was going to be easy. But how many things worth doing ever really are? We need to approach these challenges with everything we've got, because if you think this sounds bad now, you're definitely not going to be happy with the hand we're going to be dealt down the line. So come up with your best idea, [document it on Hackaday.io]( and submit it to the "Climate Resilient Communities" challenge before the September 4th deadline. It might not save the world, but it sure can't make things anything worse. In the meantime, check out the projects below if you're in need of some climate-resilient inspiration. Highlights from the IO POPULAR BITS [project thumbnail]( [Personal Air Quality Monitoring Station]( It might look like a birdhouse from the future, but this solar powered gadget from [Ovidiu] is actually an impressively equipped air quality monitoring station that you can put in your own backyard. We particularly like the modular approach, which allows the end-user to spin one of these up with minimal fuss. [project thumbnail]( [Printing the Weather Sensors of the Future]( There's no shortage of cheap and easy-to-use temperature and humidity sensors on the market, but detecting wind speed and direction with DIY hardware hasn't always been easy. This 3D printable anemometer looks to solve that problem without compromising on accuracy. [project thumbnail]( [Solar Pump Puts the Sun to Work]( This solar powered pump is designed to do one thing, and do it well: move water from a rain barrel to where it's needed. Solar projects can often get complex, but the straightforward nature of this design means you don't need to be an engineer to harness the sun's energy in a practical way. Hack Chat LIVE CHAT WITH LEADING EXPERTS EVERY WEDNESDAY [Next Week: Cyberdeck Brainstorming Hack Chat]( We're going to try something a little different for [next week's Hack Chat](. Cyberdecks are all the rage these days, and with good reason. Building a complete computer into a portable package that's bristling with sensors and extras is quite a challenge, and making it look good is a blast. For this Hack Chat, we've invited a bunch of experienced cyberdeck builders to come along so we can all benefit from their experience. We'll share stories of cyberdeck builds, both theirs and yours, brainstorm ideas for where to take your build, and get inspiration from the community. You won't want to miss this one! Featured Projects POPULAR BITS [Modular Solar Weather Station]( [A Low-Cost Sensor for Tree Health]( [LoRaWAN Environmental Monitoring]( [Linking Hardware Over Long Range]( Live Events MEETUPS, CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS [BornHack - Aug. 3 - 10, 2022]( Is there such a thing as Hacker Island? Yes, yes there is -- for seven glorious days in August. Remote as it may sound, there is plenty of Internet to go around, and even a barracks-style cabin if you don't want to sleep in a tent. [DEF CON 30 - Aug. 11 - 14, 2022]( What is likely the world's most well-known infosec conference is back in-person this year in sunny Las Vegas. Given the chip shortage and the fact that this is a non-electronic badge year, we wonder what they have up their sleeves when it comes to memorabilia. [Hackaday Supercon 6 - Nov. 4 - 6, 2022]( Yes, it's true! No more Remoticon -- the 2022 Hackaday Superconference is on, live from Pasadena! Do you have an awesome talk, demo, or workshop in mind? [Let us know!]( [twitter]( [facebook]( [instagram]( [Terms of Use]( [Privacy Policy]( [Hackaday.io]( [Hackaday.com]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Hackaday · 61 South Fair Oaks Avenue · Suite 200 · Pasadena, CA 91105 · USA