ESP32 Soil-Quality IoT System Development
Budget / Salary$750–1,500
TypeFreelance project
LocationRemote
Posted1 hour ago
Senior Embedded Systems Engineer – Custom Wireless Soil Sensor Development
Project: SoilVision 2.0
Location: Remote – International applicants welcome (Indian engineers particularly encouraged)
Engagement: Freelance / Fixed-price project
Initial Budget: Not yet confirmed
1. About the Project
We are a student-led agricultural technology team based in Zimbabwe, developing a project called SoilVision.
Our original project, presented at the Zimbabwe Science Fair, combined a commercially available soil sensor with our own offline web application, developed using React and JavaScript.
We are now developing SoilVision 2.0, with the ambition of designing and building our own proprietary wireless soil-analysis device.
We are seeking an experienced Embedded Systems Engineer to help us develop a functional hardware prototype, with potential for continued collaboration.
2. Product Requirements
We envision a compact, rechargeable handheld soil sensor with:
- A probe capable of insertion to approximately 30 cm.
- A smartphone-sized electronic housing.
- Rechargeable battery and USB-C charging.
- Bluetooth connectivity.
- A rugged, waterproof enclosure (target IP65 or greater for sealed electronics).
The device should measure seven soil parameters:
1. Temperature.
2. pH.
3. Salinity / electrical conductivity.
4. Nitrogen.
5. Phosphorus.
6. Potassium.
7. Moisture.
A major technical priority is developing scientifically reliable NPK measurement capabilities. We welcome recommendations on suitable sensing technologies, including electrochemical, ion-selective and optical methods.
3. Scope of Work
We are looking for an engineer capable of handling:
Hardware and PCB Design
- Custom PCB design and component selection.
- Sensor interfaces and analogue signal conditioning.
- Microcontroller and battery management integration.
- Modular electronics architecture.
Sensor Integration
- Integration of pH, EC, temperature and moisture sensors.
- Investigation of reliable NPK measurement technologies.
- Sensor calibration and measurement processing.
Firmware and Connectivity
- Embedded firmware development (C/C++ preferred).
- ESP32 or equivalent microcontroller experience.
- Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi implementation.
- Local data storage and battery monitoring.
Product Development
- Integration of electronics and probe.
- Compact enclosure design and prototyping.
- Testing and validation.
Software Integration
- Embedded systems and electronics engineering.
- Custom PCB design.
- ESP32, STM32 or similar microcontrollers.
- Embedded C/C++ programming.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Analogue electronics and sensor integration.
- Electrochemical sensing, particularly pH and EC measurement.
Experience with agricultural technology, NPK sensing or scientific instrumentation is a significant advantage.
Please include examples of physical hardware products you have previously designed and developed.
6. Budget and Development Approach
Our initial development budget is not yet confirmed.
We understand that developing a fully functional seven-parameter sensor may require additional investment. We are therefore open to a phased development approach, beginning with a technical feasibility assessment and an initial proof of concept.
7. Intellectual Property
SoilVision must retain the agreed ownership and rights to the custom technology developed for this project, including:
- PCB design files and schematics.
- Firmware source code.
- Mechanical CAD files.
- Bill of Materials (BOM).
- Communication protocols and technical documentation.
We require the ability to independently modify, upgrade and manufacture the product in the future. Any third-party intellectual property or licensing restrictions must be disclosed.
8. Applying
Please provide:
1. A brief introduction and relevant engineering experience.
2. Examples of previous hardware or IoT projects.
3. Your experience with PCB design, firmware and sensor integration.
4. Your proposed technical approach.
5. Your availability for an initial technical consultation.
9. Long-term Opportunity
SoilVision 2.0 is intended to become the foundation of a larger agricultural technology platform.
Successful prototype development could lead to further collaboration involving product refinement, improved sensing capabilities and eventual commercial manufacturing.
We look forward to reviewing your proposals.
SoilVision Development Team
Zimbabwe
Project: SoilVision 2.0
Location: Remote – International applicants welcome (Indian engineers particularly encouraged)
Engagement: Freelance / Fixed-price project
Initial Budget: Not yet confirmed
1. About the Project
We are a student-led agricultural technology team based in Zimbabwe, developing a project called SoilVision.
Our original project, presented at the Zimbabwe Science Fair, combined a commercially available soil sensor with our own offline web application, developed using React and JavaScript.
We are now developing SoilVision 2.0, with the ambition of designing and building our own proprietary wireless soil-analysis device.
We are seeking an experienced Embedded Systems Engineer to help us develop a functional hardware prototype, with potential for continued collaboration.
2. Product Requirements
We envision a compact, rechargeable handheld soil sensor with:
- A probe capable of insertion to approximately 30 cm.
- A smartphone-sized electronic housing.
- Rechargeable battery and USB-C charging.
- Bluetooth connectivity.
- A rugged, waterproof enclosure (target IP65 or greater for sealed electronics).
The device should measure seven soil parameters:
1. Temperature.
2. pH.
3. Salinity / electrical conductivity.
4. Nitrogen.
5. Phosphorus.
6. Potassium.
7. Moisture.
A major technical priority is developing scientifically reliable NPK measurement capabilities. We welcome recommendations on suitable sensing technologies, including electrochemical, ion-selective and optical methods.
3. Scope of Work
We are looking for an engineer capable of handling:
Hardware and PCB Design
- Custom PCB design and component selection.
- Sensor interfaces and analogue signal conditioning.
- Microcontroller and battery management integration.
- Modular electronics architecture.
Sensor Integration
- Integration of pH, EC, temperature and moisture sensors.
- Investigation of reliable NPK measurement technologies.
- Sensor calibration and measurement processing.
Firmware and Connectivity
- Embedded firmware development (C/C++ preferred).
- ESP32 or equivalent microcontroller experience.
- Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi implementation.
- Local data storage and battery monitoring.
Product Development
- Integration of electronics and probe.
- Compact enclosure design and prototyping.
- Testing and validation.
Software Integration
- Embedded systems and electronics engineering.
- Custom PCB design.
- ESP32, STM32 or similar microcontrollers.
- Embedded C/C++ programming.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Analogue electronics and sensor integration.
- Electrochemical sensing, particularly pH and EC measurement.
Experience with agricultural technology, NPK sensing or scientific instrumentation is a significant advantage.
Please include examples of physical hardware products you have previously designed and developed.
6. Budget and Development Approach
Our initial development budget is not yet confirmed.
We understand that developing a fully functional seven-parameter sensor may require additional investment. We are therefore open to a phased development approach, beginning with a technical feasibility assessment and an initial proof of concept.
7. Intellectual Property
SoilVision must retain the agreed ownership and rights to the custom technology developed for this project, including:
- PCB design files and schematics.
- Firmware source code.
- Mechanical CAD files.
- Bill of Materials (BOM).
- Communication protocols and technical documentation.
We require the ability to independently modify, upgrade and manufacture the product in the future. Any third-party intellectual property or licensing restrictions must be disclosed.
8. Applying
Please provide:
1. A brief introduction and relevant engineering experience.
2. Examples of previous hardware or IoT projects.
3. Your experience with PCB design, firmware and sensor integration.
4. Your proposed technical approach.
5. Your availability for an initial technical consultation.
9. Long-term Opportunity
SoilVision 2.0 is intended to become the foundation of a larger agricultural technology platform.
Successful prototype development could lead to further collaboration involving product refinement, improved sensing capabilities and eventual commercial manufacturing.
We look forward to reviewing your proposals.
SoilVision Development Team
Zimbabwe
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