Let's look back at the Internet of Things training course held in July 2023 in Laos and Cambodia

Two teachers (Arnaud Elger, Rahim Kacimi) and one engineer (Jean-Louis Druilhe) from the University of Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier organized a training on IoT (Internet of Things) in Laos and Cambodia in July 2023. The first session took place in Luang Prabang, hosted by the Souphanouvong University on July 3 and 4. The second session took place in Phnom Penh, hosted by the Institute of Technology of Cambodia on July 6 and 7.

17 people were trained: 4 students and 13 teachers/staff. The goal was to introduce IoT and practice with the trainees on mounting sensors and connecting the sensors on a network to collect data.

Day 1

The first day of training was dedicated to the introduction to IoT (Internet of Things), its use in the environmental context and the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) used in IoT and sensor programming with Arduino platforms.

The day began with a welcome session, followed by a roundtable discussion to allow each participant to introduce themselves and share their expectations for the training.

Scientific Presentations

Three scientific presentations, of 1,5 hours each, were given by Rahim Kacimi, Arnaud Elger, and Jean-Louis Druihle, covering respectively the following topics:

1. Introduction to the Internet of Things: this presentation aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of IoT by explaining its fundamental concepts, communication technologie, applications, and its impact on our daily lives. Dr. Kacimi presented real-world examples of IoT usage in various fields such as healthcare, transportation, energy management.
2. IoT for the Environment (Sensors for environmental monitoring: the case of the ECONECT project): This presentation focused on the application of IoT in the environmental domain. Dr Elger, addressed the possibilities offered by IoT to monitor and control environmental parameters for purposes related to  water quality assessment or biodiversity conservation . Relevant case studies, in particular from the ECONECT project performed by several labs and private companies in Toulouse, were presented to illustrate the potential benefits of IoT in environmental preservation.
3. Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Environment: This presentation covered the tools and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) used in IoT application development. Jean-Louis Druilhe presented the features of the Arduino platform with all the framework available as open source application, emphasizing key features and best practices for IoT application development. Practical demonstrations were conducted to show how to effectively configure and use an IDE environment suitable for IoT with short explanations about wired links between sensors and single board computers.

Discussion with University Partners

The day concluded with a discussion involving partners from three universities on the first training session, namely Souphanouvong University, Vietnam National University, National University of Laos ; and three universities on the second training session, namely Can Tho University, National University of Battambang and the Institute of Technology of Cambodia. The partners presented their research concerns and environmental issues, providing an opportunity to share experiences and knowledge among the different institutions. This session fostered collaboration and idea exchange for future projects in the IoT and environmental domains.

Conclusion

For each session, the first day of training was packed with knowledge and fruitful exchanges. The scientific presentations allowed participants to become familiar with IoT, its application in the environmental context, and Integrated Development Environments. The discussion with university partners strengthened the ties between institutions and opened up new collaboration prospects in IoT research and environmental preservation.

Day 2

The second day of training focused on practical hands-on activities using Arduino development kits and sensors. The workshop was divided into four parts to guide the learners through various stages of the development process.

Part 1: Arduino Environment Setup. The day began by assisting the participants in installing the Arduino development environment on their computers. This step ensured that everyone had the necessary software and tools to proceed with the hands-on activities.

Part 2: Basic C++ Programming. In this part, the participants were introduced to the basics of C++ programming language. They started by developing a simple program to understand the syntax and structure of the code. This exercise served as a foundation for the subsequent activities.

Part 3: Data Acquisition from Sensors. The focus of this part was on connecting sensors to the Arduino board and acquiring data from them. The participants learned how to integrate various sensors into their Arduino projects and retrieve data from them. They explored different sensor types, such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and barometric pressure sensors, and gained hands-on experience in collecting data.

Part 4: Conductivity Measurement with Atlas Probes. In this final part, the participants were provided with Atlas probes to measure conductivity, particularly in water. They integrated the probes with the Arduino board and conducted tests to measure conductivity levels and to remotely transfer the data using the LoRaWAN protocol. This activity showcased the practical application of IoT and sensor technology in environmental monitoring.

Introduction to Node-RED: Additionally, an introduction to Node-RED was provided, demonstrating how to remotely retrieve and display data on a dashboard. The participants learned how to establish a connection between their Arduino projects and Node-RED, enabling them to monitor and visualize the collected data from a remote IoT device using LoRa WAN technology.

Distribution of Development Kits: To support further learning and experimentation, development kits comprising Arduino boards, sensors, and Atlas probes were distributed to each university. This ensured that the participants could continue exploring IoT and sensor technologies beyond the training sessions. At ITC, in addition to the radio modules and the sensors, we have also provided to our colleagues a MikroTik LoRaWAN gateway for data collection.

Synthesis

The second training day focused on hands-on activities with Arduino development kits and sensors. The participants gained practical experience in setting up the Arduino environment, writing C++ code, acquiring data from sensors, conducting conductivity measurements using Atlas probes and transferring their data into the Cloud. The introduction to Node-RED expanded their understanding of remote data retrieval and visualization. The synthesis session provided valuable feedback, and the distribution of development kits equipped the participants to continue their IoT and sensor exploration independently.

The workshop generated a great deal of interest among the participants, who found the content to be entirely innovative and new to them. Everyone is convinced of the relevance of connected loggers and the Internet of Things in general to address their research challenges regarding water quality and the environment.

The presentation of IoT concepts and applications in the environmental context opened new perspectives for the participants, who realized the potential of these technologies in their own research work. They expressed their enthusiasm for using sensors and Atlas probes to measure water conductivity, understanding the added value of these tools for environmental studies.

Participants also emphasized the importance of the Arduino environment and the C++ programming language for developing IoT applications. They appreciated the hands-on nature of the workshop, which allowed them to manipulate the development kits and put their knowledge acquired during the theoretical presentations into practice.

Awareness of the significance of real-time collection and analysis of environmental data was a key takeaway from the workshop. Participants understood that connected loggers and IoT offer promising solutions to address water quality and environmental challenges in a more efficient and precise manner.

In conclusion, the participants showed a strong interest and great satisfaction with the topics covered during the workshop. They are now convinced of the potential impact of connected loggers and IoT in their research on water quality and the environment. They are eager to apply their newfound skills and knowledge in their own projects and contribute to resolving current environmental issues.

Sources:

GIS NeOCampus at UT3, https://www.univ-tlse3.fr/campus-innovant/transition-ecologique-sur-le-campus-de-rangueil-la-plateforme-de-filtres-bioinspires-prochainement-inauguree

Défi Clé Water Iccitanie, projet BioROC, https://woc.edu.umontpellier.fr/organisation-des-projets-defi-cle-water-occitanie/projets-structurants-defi-cle-water-occitanie/bioroc/

INOWASIA is an Erasmus + Capacity Building Higher Education project that promotes a joint action of 11 organisations across 5 countries (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, France and Spain) to train a new generation of water professionals in Southeast Asia. More info