Systems · 2023
Houston Zoo
A microcontroller-based bird incubator that automatically maintains the temperature, humidity, and ventilation conditions needed for fledgling care.
C++ · embedded · sensors · controls
Why I built it
The zoo needed a chamber that could maintain stable environmental conditions without constant manual adjustment.
How it works
Environmental sensors continuously feed temperature and humidity readings into a C++ control loop running on the microcontroller. The system uses those readings to drive heating and airflow actuators and keep the chamber inside its operating range.
The design had to hold temperature within ±1 °C and humidity within ±3%.
Outcome
The completed incubator maintained those target ranges in real time and gave me one of my first experiences building software where sensors, control logic, and physical hardware all had to work together.