Back-Buddy Sensor

A smart seating solution that monitors your sitting and standing patterns using an ESP32 microcontroller.

Overview

Back-Buddy Sensor is an IoT device that detects when a user is sitting or standing and reports this status to the Back-Buddy backend system. This helps track sedentary time and encourages healthier workplace habits.

Features

• 🪑 Real-time sitting/standing detection
• 🔄 Automatic status reporting to cloud backend
• 📱 Easy setup via WiFi Manager portal
• 🔒 Secure WebSocket communication with SSL
• 🔌 Simple installation with analog pressure sensor

Hardware Requirements

• ESP32 microcontroller
• Analog pressure sensor (connected to pin 36)
• USB power supply

Software Dependencies

• WiFiManager
• WebSocketsClient
• ArduinoJson
• Preferences (ESP32)

Setup Instructions

1. Flash the Firmware: Upload the Sensor.ino sketch to your ESP32 using the Arduino IDE

2. Initial Configuration:

   • Power on the device
   • Connect to the "BackBuddy-Setup" WiFi network (password: !12345678#)
   • Open 10.0.1.1 in a web browser
   • Enter your WiFi credentials and the backend secret
   • The device will restart and connect to your network

3. Reset Configuration:

   • Press the Boot button (pin 0) on the ESP32 to clear all settings

Technical Details

• The device uses two cores to separate WebSocket communication (core 0) from sensor reading (core 1)
• Status changes are reported only after a 5-second confirmation period
• Secure communication with the backend using SSL certificates

Project Structure

• src/Sensor.ino - Main program file
• src/lib/certificates/digicert_root_ca.h - SSL certificate for secure backend connection

Backend Connection

The sensor connects to api.backbuddy.tech using a WebSocket connection secured with SSL.