Cost-effective sensors and sensor nodes for monitoring environmental parameters

Abstract

This paper reviews the design and characterization of humidity and pH sensors manufactured in the printed circuit board (PCB), ink-jet, and screen printing technologies. The first one (PCB technology) provides robust sensors with PET film which can be exposed to harsh environment. The second (ink-jet technology) can manufacture sensors on flexible substrates (foils and papers). The third (screen printing technology) has been used to implement a thick-film sensor. In addition to this, a multi-sensor cloud-based electronic system with autonomous power supply (solar panels) for air and water quality monitoring has been described. Finally, a flexible and modular hardware platform for remote and reliable sensing of environmental parameters has been presented.