Author: Nayar

Published on by Nayar

IoT Series: Smart Light/Sensors in the Kitchen

The Idea

The idea is simple. When someone is the kitchen, the lights should be turned on. When their’s no one,obviously it should be turned off. Wouldn’t a simple $10 IR switch from eBay do the job?

WiFi Switch with Motion Sensor attached

“Would the lights turn on even during the day” my mom asked when I presented the system to her. “Of course not” I replied. It would have be counterproductive and non-environmental friendly then.

Everyone can start using cheap sensors and all but using them in such a way that actually makes sense is what’s the challenge.

How it works

When the motion sensor detects motion, it sends a signal to via MQTT to my main app server.

The server side application calculates whether the sun is above or below horizon — the sun doesn’t rise and set at the same time throughout the year. e.g. in summer, the sun can set around 1900 but in winter, around 1800. The application will calculate the exact time  on a daily basis so I won’ have to worry about this.

If the sun is below horizon, the kitchen light will turn on. Else the motion detected will just be ignored (but still be graphed for future use).

Is that the only benefit?

Having a IoT sensors and switches would allow be to get into the next phase of my work: Machine Learning or AI (Artifical Intelligence) as you wish to call it.

For instance, you might start by looking at the graphs for each light to find a pattern visually.

Right now, I do not have the ressources to send all the data in an Elasticsearch cluster then visualise it using Kibana. Another idea would be to mine the data with Google’s Tensorflow. Alone, it will take me some time to do it all.

Previous works on IoT

If you haven’t been following me previously, I made a system that whenever I reach in front of my house, my outside lights turn on automatically for 2 minutes — the time I reverse my car and enter my house. You may find the article here: Internet of Things (IoT) in Mauritius, lemme just do it!

 

Wanna get into the world of Home Automation too? Wanna turn on your coffee machine from your bed and more? Feel free to contact me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

Published on by Nayar

[Part 1] Requirements of a Good Transportation System for Mauritius

Transportation in Mauritius is better than lots of “third world” countries. I think Mauritius deserves to be the top!

Requirements of a good Transportation System

1. Eco-friendly

Our planet first, right?

2. Time Saving

Time is money they say. Fuck money! Time is life. Why waste time to get more imaginary money? Be with your family. Work your hobbies. Make yourself happier.

3. Comfortable

We’re animals. Comfort is what we all like.

4. Cheap

We don’t need to be spending 50% of our salary to be able to go to the ever diminishing public beaches (special thanks to Mr Shawkutally Soodhun for selling our beaches like his predecessors).

5. Safe

Who wants to die or lose some body parts? Safe

Conclusion

I think all the points above can be summarised by 1 word: Stress-Free

We don’t want to to harm the planet. We don’t like being bored. We want to live our lives to the fullest. If we continue to believe in our stupid Ministers and Parliamentarians, nothing ain’t gonna change — at-least in the not favour of Mauritians.

Please do comment about your personal requirements for what you, as a Mauritian, expect our transportation system to be. Stay safe. Let’s hope 2017 is the year Mauritians talk, propose ideas and get things done 😉

 

 

Published on by Nayar

Why does God “test” children?

I was scrolling Facebook when I saw this post:

https://www.facebook.com/friendlyatheist/photos/a.10152839688055080.1073741825.353026650079/10157927165335080/?type=3

 

Does it make sense? I think yes. Why does God has to test small kids who don’t even know they are being tested — or at-least don’t understand the reason of it? I previously wrote an article on how to determine whether God is being nice to you or you are being tested: The 3 Arrays of Life.

Yet, people tell me there are books after which you read, you’ll stop asking question whether is God fair or why is there so much injustice in the world. Basically everything is about “absolute justice”. Maybe I should read one of the books to understand how can people think that way.

Anyways, one should not be afraid to question stuffs. Always question everything whether at work or at home. You’ll die less stupid (or more stupid according to some if your opinions differ to theirs).

Published on by Nayar

Porlwi by Trash. Or not!

Mauritius lacks entertainment for the population. Porlwi by light is an awesome event. It’s like living in a magic world for few hours.

However,  like any large human gathering,  trash is left all over the place.

Some people have posted on social media that the Porlwi by light organisers are somewhat incompetent people who did not cater to clean the streets after the people. Seriously?

Before criticising the organizers,  can they organise such an event by themselves? I guess  some of them can’t even change a light bulb in their bathroom; forget about even making 1 art piece.

I can’t organise such an event on my own. But not throwing trash on the streets is definitely in my list of competence.

Please please. I want this festival to continue. Let’s be civilised people. Everyone play their part, we shall all be winners 😉

If you want the festival to continue too, do share this article with your friends

Published on by Nayar

5 Items to take when Hiking to Les 7 Cascades, Mauritius

Hiking is a very physical activity which can be hard but very much rewarding.

Watch as many videos as you want. Nothing can come close to as ‘living the moment’ yourself.

An unplanned hiking can easily spoil your whole experience. Here’s why I decided to write about the items needed for a nice hiking experience.

Items To Take

The order in which the items are listed do not reflect their respective importance. All of the items listed below are of equal importance.

1. Water

The very strict minimum is 1 litre per person. Juices do NOT count as water.

2. Back bag

Where are we going keep our precious bottle of water? In our hands? Nope! Hiking is NOT jogging on a track. You’ll need your hands to be free all the time

3. Light lunch

Hikings are not a feast. Biryani-like types of lunch are not recommended. You’ll want something light, easy to carry, easy to consume while listening to the water falling and admiring the view. Don’t overcomplicate your own lives 😉

4. First Aid Kit

Mishaps can and will happen. No denial in that. It’s part of the thrill actually. However,  we need to take maximum precautions so that no one gets hurt. A first aid kit is necessary.

5. Shoes

Forget about Sandals and high-heels. We need high-gripping shoes to be able to cope with sandy soil, hard soil, dry rocks, wet rocks, algae covered rocks etc.

6. Optionals

6.1 juices/fruits: for quick energy

6.2 Cameras

Do take pics for your own personal records and social networks. But but…

Don’t spend all your time watching through your 2 inch screen. Look up! The view is much more amazing. 4K is nothing compared to what our eyes can see.

Items NOT to take

Everything not listed above is unnecessary and will add weight to carry and can make your hiking experience unnecessarily painful. Before adding anything in my bag, I think whether the items will eventually get consumed or not? At the beginning of the hike, you’ll have the most amount of energy. You can carry a heavy bag. As you progress, your energy level will decrease. The more difficult it will be to carry a heavier bag. Basically you want a situation like this:

screen-shot-2016-12-01-at-12-10-13-pm

Ok. Here’s the non-exhaustive list:

  • Makeups: Eye liners, Foundation. Really no need for these. A smiling face is prettier than uhm…everything.
  • Sunscreen: Apply beforehand. No need to add a bottle of 400grams in your bag which will not get used up completely.

Want to go Hiking at Les 7 Cascades but don’t know how to proceed?

Feel free to contact me for if you need an experienced guide.