Visibility Sensor: Fog Detection for Road Safety

Dense fog kills hundreds of people on Indian highways every winter, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic plains from Punjab to Bihar. The NH-44 and NH-2 corridors see major pile-ups annually when visibility drops below 50 metres. A DIY visibility sensor using infrared scatter detection can provide early fog warnings to drivers and highway authorities, potentially saving lives.

Visibility Measurement and Fog Classification

Visibility Measurement and Fog Classification is a foundational concept for this project. Understanding the underlying principles helps you make better design decisions and troubleshoot issues that may arise during deployment. In India’s diverse climate — from the Himalayas to coastal regions, deserts to rainforests — environmental monitoring requires adaptable solutions.

This section provides the theoretical background you need before diving into the build. Whether you are a student working on a final-year project, a farmer looking for practical monitoring tools, or an electronics enthusiast exploring new sensor technologies, this knowledge base will serve you well.

Infrared Scatter Method for Fog Detection

Choosing the right approach for infrared scatter method for fog detection is crucial for project success. Multiple technologies and methods exist, each with tradeoffs in cost, accuracy, power consumption, and complexity. We evaluate the options most accessible to Indian makers and recommend the best fit for different use cases.

Consider your deployment environment — indoor vs outdoor, powered vs battery-operated, standalone vs networked — when selecting your approach. A laboratory setup has different requirements from a field-deployed monitor that must survive monsoon rains and summer heat.

Components for a Visibility Sensor

The components for this project are readily available from Indian electronics suppliers and online marketplaces. Here is the complete bill of materials with approximate costs in INR:

• Arduino Uno R3 or ESP32 development board — ₹450-600
• Primary sensor module — ₹150-500 depending on type
• OLED display (128×64, I2C) — ₹200-300
• SD card module for data logging — ₹80-120
• Breadboard, jumper wires, resistors — ₹150-200
• Enclosure (IP65 if outdoor) — ₹200-400
• Power supply or battery pack — ₹200-500

Total estimated cost: ₹1,500-3,000 depending on options selected.

Building the Optical Chamber

Assembly follows a systematic approach. Start with the sensor wiring on a breadboard for testing, verify all readings, then move to a more permanent protoboard or PCB. For outdoor installations, use waterproof connectors and sealed enclosures.

Key wiring notes:

• I2C connections: SDA to Arduino A4, SCL to A5. Use 4.7k pull-up resistors for cable runs over 30 cm.
• Power: decouple each sensor with a 100nF capacitor close to its VCC pin to reduce noise.
• Signal cables: keep analogue signal wires away from power and digital lines to prevent interference.

Arduino Code for Visibility Calculation

The Arduino code for this project follows a modular structure — initialise sensors, read data in the main loop, process and display, then log to SD card. Here is the core logic:

// Core measurement loop
void loop() {
  // Read all sensors
  float value = readSensor();

  // Process and validate
  if (!isnan(value) && value > MIN_VALID && value  ALERT_THRESHOLD) {
      triggerAlert();
    }
  }

  delay(SAMPLE_INTERVAL);
}

Use the sensor-specific libraries available through the Arduino Library Manager. Most I2C sensors have well-maintained Adafruit or SparkFun libraries with example code you can adapt.

Fog Alert System for Highways

Interpreting your data requires understanding the relevant Indian and international standards. Compare your readings against published benchmarks from organisations like IMD, CPCB, BIS, or WHO. Trends over time are often more informative than absolute values.

Use spreadsheet software or Python (with Pandas and Matplotlib) to analyse exported CSV data. Look for diurnal patterns, seasonal trends, correlations between parameters, and anomalous events. Visualise your data with time-series plots and histograms to communicate findings effectively.

Dew Point-Based Fog Prediction

For field deployment in Indian conditions, address these challenges:

• Monsoon rain — Use IP65+ enclosures. Apply silicone sealant on cable glands. Test submersion resistance before deployment.
• Summer heat — Electronics can overheat above 60°C. Use white or reflective enclosures. Add passive ventilation holes with mesh filters.
• Dust — Dust storms in western India clog sensor intakes. Use sintered metal filters for air quality sensors.
• Power — Solar panels work well across India (4-7 kWh/m2/day). Use MPPT charge controllers and lithium batteries for reliable off-grid operation.
• Connectivity — WiFi may not reach outdoor locations. Consider LoRa (2-10 km range) or SIM800L GSM for remote areas.

Deployment on National Highways in India

Once your basic system is running reliably, consider these advanced enhancements:

• Machine learning anomaly detection on the sensor data
• Integration with agricultural or industrial control systems
• Multi-node mesh networking for spatial coverage
• OTA (over-the-air) firmware updates via ESP32 WiFi
• MQTT protocol for integration with Home Assistant or other IoT platforms
• Contributing data to national monitoring networks and research institutions

The skills you build with this project — sensor interfacing, data logging, wireless communication, and data analysis — form the foundation for any IoT career or advanced research project.