Build a Surveillance System Using Raspberry Pi, NodeJS, and Pir Sensor

Back in February 2018, Nwachukwu Chibuike’s fascination with embedded systems took root. It all started with stumbling upon intriguing articles and having some exciting chats with friends who were also keen on the topic. But what really got Nwachukwu excited was the unexpected discovery that even good ol’ JavaScript, a language they were totally at home with, was branching into the world of embedded systems through Node.js (that’s Server-side JavaScript).

So, let’s dive into the story of how Nwachukwu used a Raspberry Pi 3, combined with Node.js and a PIR sensor, to whip up a monitoring system. This system had a cool twist – it relied on the magic of the internet to ping notifications. Yep, it’s right in the heart of what folks call the Internet of Things (IoT).

Alright, let’s talk tools and stuff. Nwachukwu rounded up some key players:

• Raspberry Pi 3: This nifty single-board computer was the brain of the operation.
• PIR Motion Sensor: The sensor that played detective, alerting whenever there was human motion in the vicinity.
• Nodemailer: A friendly package from the Node.js world that took care of sending out emails – kind of like your trusty messenger.
• onoff: Another Node.js thingamajig that made it possible to talk to the GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi. These are like the mini command centers for hardware.
• RGB LED Light: The visual communicator. It blinked with red, green, and blue lights to shout out “motion detected!”
• Breadboard: Think of it as a temporary playground for electronics – perfect for trying out new ideas without making a mess.
• Jumper Wires (Female to Male and Female to Female): The wires that played matchmaker, connecting everything together.

The adventure began with setting up the hardware – plugging in the RGB LED light’s legs, making friends with the PIR sensor, and making sure everything was in harmony. Then came the mailer module. Nwachukwu created a cozy space for the email action and even gave it some wings with the Nodemailer package.

Next, Nwachukwu dialed up the excitement by crafting the magic in an index.js file. This file wasn’t just code; it was the heart of the show. It made sure that the RGB lights blinked when motion was detected, and when things got real, it even sent emails through the mailer module.

The journey showed Nwachukwu – and anyone reading – how Node.js and the Raspberry Pi could team up to create something cool. And there’s no stopping there – the article got folks thinking about all the other possibilities, like getting SMS alerts or even setting up phone calls through nifty services like Twilio.

So, there you have it – Nwachukwu’s tech tale of blending coding skills with hardware fun. If you’re itching to explore, give it a go and let Nwachukwu know how it works out for you! If you’re into surveillance type projects then why not have a look at the sky through a camera here.

Read more here: Build a Surveillance System Using Raspberry Pi, NodeJS, and Pir Sensor