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Lab

A connected lab, under construction

Devices for culturing, monitoring, and instrumentation that report to a central Home Assistant system. Each project shows its real status: what is still an idea is drawn as a blueprint.

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Lab network

Low-power devices transmit over LoRa to keep Wi-Fi uncongested; a LoRa gateway collects the readings and Home Assistant centralises and automates them.

Dotted blueprint: idea · pulsing outline: prototype · packets in transit: experimental or active

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Lab projects

    1. Idea
    2. Prototype
    3. Experimental
    4. Active
    5. Completed

    Light-regulated photobioreactor

    A system for growing microalgae and cyanobacteria such as spirulina that measures light and drives the LEDs according to what the culture needs.

    Measures
    Light intensity
    Acts on
    Regulate LED output
    Controller
    To be decided
    LoRa / Wi-Fi
    Link to be decided
    Repository
    GitHub
    Status since

    What it would solve

    Microalgae and cyanobacteria such as spirulina need constant light. Instead of running the LEDs at a fixed intensity, the system would measure the light reaching the culture and adjust the output only when needed.

    How I think about it

    Light sensor → controller → dimmable LEDs, with readings and state sent to Home Assistant for logging and automation.

    To be decided

    Sensor, controller, communication link (LoRa or Wi-Fi), and regulation criteria.

    1. Idea
    2. Prototype
    3. Experimental
    4. Active
    5. Completed

    Controlled shaking incubator

    An incubator whose shaking is controlled by an ESP32 and integrated with Home Assistant to automate how it runs.

    Measures
    To be decided
    Acts on
    Control shaking
    Controller
    ESP32
    LoRa / Wi-Fi
    Link to be decided
    Repository
    GitHub
    Status since

    What it would solve

    Control culture shaking from an ESP32 and bring its state into Home Assistant to schedule and automate incubation.

    How I think about it

    An ESP32 as the shaking controller, connected to the lab’s central system.

    To be decided

    Variables to measure, shaking mechanism, and communication link.

    1. Idea
    2. Prototype
    3. Experimental
    4. Active
    5. Completed

    Plant monitor

    Substrate pH and moisture sensors that send an alert when the plants need water.

    Measures
    pH · Substrate moisture
    Acts on
    Alert when watering is needed
    Controller
    To be decided
    LoRa / Wi-Fi
    Link to be decided
    Repository
    GitHub
    Status since

    What it would solve

    Knowing when to water from substrate measurements rather than a fixed schedule.

    How I think about it

    pH and moisture sensors in the substrate → periodic readings → Home Assistant sends an alert when water is needed.

    To be decided

    Sensors, measurement frequency, thresholds, and communication link.

    1. Idea
    2. Prototype
    3. Experimental
    4. Active
    5. Completed

    Connected thermocycler

    Exploring an IoT-connected thermocycler so that its records reach the lab’s central system.

    Measures
    To be decided
    Acts on
    To be decided
    Controller
    To be decided
    LoRa / Wi-Fi
    Link to be decided
    Repository
    GitHub
    Status since

    Early idea

    Have the thermocycler report how it runs to the lab’s central system. Scope, variables, and architecture are still to be decided.

    1. Idea
    2. Prototype
    3. Experimental
    4. Active
    5. Completed

    Connected DNA quantifier

    Exploring how DNA quantifier measurements could reach the lab’s central system directly.

    Measures
    To be decided
    Acts on
    To be decided
    Controller
    To be decided
    LoRa / Wi-Fi
    Link to be decided
    Repository
    GitHub
    Status since

    Early idea

    Record DNA quantifier measurements in the central system automatically, without copying them by hand. Scope and architecture are still to be decided.

    1. Idea
    2. Prototype
    3. Experimental
    4. Active
    5. Completed

    Connected flow hood

    Exploring how to monitor the laminar flow hood from the lab’s central system.

    Measures
    To be decided
    Acts on
    To be decided
    Controller
    To be decided
    LoRa / Wi-Fi
    Link to be decided
    Repository
    GitHub
    Status since

    Early idea

    Bring the flow hood into the lab’s central system. Variables to monitor and architecture are still to be decided.

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Open science

The whole lab is public — hardware designs, firmware, documentation, and data — from the idea stage onward. Anyone can review, reproduce, and improve it.

No reinventing the wheel: when an existing open project fits, it is integrated with credit to its authors and within its licence.

View the repository on GitHub
Hardware
CERN-OHL-P-2.0
Firmware and code
MIT
Documentation and data
CC BY 4.0