Introduction: Sensor Data Visualization With MESH Blocks

By MESH project
About: MESH is the easiest way to plug a project into the Internet of Things (IoT). With out-of-the-box connectivity, MESH wireless sensors can connect any project to other hardware devices and the internet instantly…

Tracking and visualizing sensor data is super easy with MESH blocks. In this project we tracked the volume of traffic entering and exiting a storefront in real time, logged the data to a spreadsheet, and finally visualized the data in a graph. We used our own MESH motion sensor, but you can easily switch the MESH sensor for any other sensor and use our 10-pin GPIO to enable integration and data tracking in a Google spreadsheet.

To capture the data, we connected our sensor to a Google spreadsheet via IFTTT.

If you are interested in a more sophisticated data visualization We also have an integration with a customizable data visualization dashboard called StatX using our SDK.

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To learn more about MESH visit our website or better yet get MESH IoT blocks on Amazon at 10% off with discount code MAKERS00 as a thank you for checking out our Instructable.

Step 1: Materials

  1. MESH Motion block (1x) (Get it with our Instructables discount code on Amazon)
  2. Double-sided tape
  3. A "Blinder" attachment for MESH Motion (Try a custom 3D-printed add on or a rolled up piece of paper.)
  4. MESH app (Free on iOS and Android) and Wi-Fi

Step 2: Tap-and-Go IFTTT Integration

The next step is to set up the the Google Sheets integration via IFTTT from the MESH app. The MESH app includes built-in applets for popular IoT devices and web services for near-instant integration and pre-made functions.

  1. Open the expansion menu ("+" icon) on the dashboard in the MESH app to view built-in IFTTT applets.
  2. Tap the "Google Drive" block and select "Start using" to set up and link to IFTTT.
  3. Tap the "Google Drive" block and set the function to "Add row to spreadsheet" (default setting).
  4. Tap "Add Data to Share" to select the sensor data you'd like to send to the Google spreadsheet (We selected Timestamp only among the options Date & Timestamp and Input Level.).
  5. Tap "Turn on IFTTT Applet" - Once you've turned on the IFTTT block, a unique IFTTT key will appear. Copy the unique IFTTT key and then tap "Ok" to proceed to IFTTT.com.
  6. Activate IFTTT applet in the new window on IFTTT.com
  7. Register or sign into IFTTT.com.
  8. Enter the IFTTT key on the "Connect IFTTT to your MESH app" window.
  9. Return to the MESH app and tap "Turn on IFTTT applet" and slide applet "On."

  10. Now customize and modify options for Spreadsheet name and Google Drive folder (or keep the default settings). Then, tap "Save."

  11. Tap "Save " and "Done"

  12. Tap "Set" on the Google Drive block to being using the project.

For a detailed guide to setting up IFTTT in the MESH app, please check out our FAQ - How do IFTTT Applets Work?

Step 3: Create the Recipe in the App.

Launch the MESH app and set up the recipe connecting MESH Motion to a Google Sheet via IFTTT.

  • Pair MESH Motion to the app via Bluetooth.
  • Drag a MESH Motion icon onto the canvas. (Tap the icon to customize settings.)
  • Drag a Google Drive icon onto the canvas.
  • Connect the two icons.

Step 4: Place MESH Motion in Your Desired Location.

Place MESH Motion in a location that can easily and accurately capture motion (or foot traffic in our case).

Step 5: Test, Launch, and Collect Data