While many Raspberry Pi projects are fun and whimsical, like this watermelon retro gaming rig, some of them are more serious and provide real-world solutions to help make our lives a little bit safer. Julian Brügger designed a flood alert system for his neighborhood that operates entirely on a Raspberry Pi.
Housed inside a weatherproof case, the alarm system is programmed to monitor the water levels of a river near Brügger's home. When the water level reaches a certain level, the Raspberry Pi triggers a warning phone call to Brügger's cell phone.
The water level is monitored using an ultrasonic sensor connected to the Raspberry Pi. When the water level is detected 10cm away from the limit, a notification is sent and once again at 5cm. Brügger can also change the warning message to a text instead of a phone call.
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In addition to his notification system, he also developed a website that can be accessed by the general public. This allows his neighbors to keep an eye on the water level to help protect their homes.
If you want to see how this project operates or even recreate it yourself, check out the source code on Github. Brügger provides everything you need to get started.
