Week 27

This past week, I split my time between two major areas: researching for my essay on data bias in technology and continuing development on a product designed to monitor plant health using environmental sensors. For the research essay, I focused on understanding the concept of data bias, particularly in the context of technological systems and artificial intelligence. I began by gathering academic sources that explored how bias can enter systems through data collection, labelling, and algorithmic design. I also investigated real-world case studies, such as biased facial recognition software and discriminatory hiring algorithms, that highlighted the serious consequences of biased data.

Alongside my research, I continued to develop my product of a plant-monitoring system using a combination of a soil moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, and a light sensor. The goal of the product is to help users understand how well their plant is doing by collecting real-time environmental data and translating it into simple feedback. After successfully gathering data from each sensor, I worked on combining the readings to create a basic “health report” for the plant. This involved setting threshold values for what would be considered ideal versus poor conditions and designing a simple output system. I researched which values would work best for the plant I was testing on and finalised my system. We also looked at our sensors and whether they were analog or digital. All the sensors I was using in my work were analog, meaning I would have to do conversions in my code. The difference between analog and digital was very simple to understand. Digital has two states, on and off. Whereas analog can return a range of values between different bits (dependent on sensor). I found it very interesting to have a basic understanding of how these sensors work and why I would need to carry out conversions.

Overall, this week was a great blend of critical thinking and hands-on experimentation. I learned a lot about the social implications of technology through my essay research, and I applied technical skills in electronics and coding to develop a product that addresses a real-world need.