The problem (MINE-GUARD) solves

In the mining environment, the Critical Danger tier is the highest level of escalation. It indicates that environmental thresholds have been breached to a point where life and limb are at immediate risk.Trigger ConditionThresholdGas Level (Methane/CO)$> 2,500$ ppmTemperature$> 50$ °CWater Level (Flooding)$< 10$ cm (Distance from sensor to ground)Action: The system engages a High-Decibel Siren and a flashing "EVACUATE NOW" message on the LCD. Simultaneously, a high-priority JSON packet is pushed to the remote dashboard to alert surface command.🛠️ How MineGuard Empowers UsersMineGuard isn't just a collection of sensors; it’s a proactive safety partner. Here is how it transforms mining operations and safety management:1. For Underground Workers: Early Warning & SurvivalDetection of "Silent Killers": Workers cannot smell methane or carbon monoxide. MineGuard acts as a digital "canary in a coal mine," detecting these gases at parts-per-million (ppm) levels long before they become lethal.Hands-Free Monitoring: The 16x2 LCD Slideshow Logic allows workers to glance at environmental vitals while keeping their hands on their tools, ensuring they are always informed without distraction.Immediate Local Feedback: Because of Edge Computing, the device doesn't wait for a cloud response to scream. If a flood starts or a gas pocket is hit, the siren triggers instantly.2. For Surface Supervisors: Remote OversightReal-Time Data Visualization: Supervisors can monitor deep-mine conditions from a safe distance via the Web Dashboard. This removes the need for manual "safety check" walks into potentially hazardous zones.Incident Post-Mortem: Using the Historical Data Logging, safety officers can analyze the events leading up to a "near-miss" or accident, helping to improve future safety protocols and meet regulatory compliance.3. For Operations & Maintenance: Cost-Effective ReliabilityPredictive Maintenance: By tracking temperature and humidity trends, engineers can identify areas where ventilation systems are failing or where equipment might be overheating before a fire starts.Affordable Scalability: At a build cost of approximately ₹1,400 (~$17), MineGuard makes it financially feasible to deploy dozens of nodes throughout a mine, creating a comprehensive safety mesh that was previously too expensive for smaller mining operations.4. For Emergency Response: Informed RescueSituational Awareness: In the event of an evacuation, rescue teams can check the remote dashboard to see exactly which sector has the highest gas concentration or water levels, allowing them to plan the safest entry route.The MineGuard Edge: By bridging the gap between local hardware alerts and remote monitoring, we eliminate the "Information Vacuum" that often leads to mining tragedies. We don't just monitor hazards; we provide the seconds needed to save lives.

Challenges we ran into

HACKOLUTION-2026-MINEGAURD

🛡️ MineGuard — Intelligent IoT Real-Time Hazardous Environment Monitoring System
"Protecting Lives, One Pulse at a Time."

Hackathon Platform Framework License

MineGuard is an ESP32-powered IoT terminal that monitors atmospheric conditions and structural hazards in real-time — bridging local hardware alerts with remote web-based monitoring through a fail-safe dual-alert system. Built for multi-sensor fusion and proactive hazard mitigation in underground mining environments.

👥 Team — ERROR 404

Name Role

1 Sounak Kumar Mondal Team Leader
2 Rajashri Choudhuri Member
3 Deepra Sarkar Member
4 Krishanu Chakraborty Member
📋 Table of Contents
The Problem
The Solution
Features
Tech Stack
Hardware Architecture
Dual-Tier Alert System
Remote Monitoring Dashboard
Why MineGuard
Roadmap
Getting Started
Project Structure
⚠️ The Problem
Mining is one of the world's most dangerous occupations.

Statistic Figure
Global mining deaths per year 2,000+
Deaths caused by gas incidents 40%
Deaths preventable with real-time monitoring 60%
Key Challenges
Silent Killers — Colorless, odorless gases like CH₄ (Methane) and CO (Carbon Monoxide) cause explosions and asphyxiation with zero warning.

Environmental Instability — Sudden floods and extreme heat in deep mines go undetected until it's far too late.

Delayed Response — Conventional equipment lacks real-time remote visualization for surface supervisors.

💡 The Solution
MineGuard is an Integrated 360° Safety Ecosystem that provides:

Real-Time Sensing — Continuous multi-sensor sampling every 2 seconds
Dual-Tier Alerting — Graduated alert system from cautionary to critical
Remote Monitoring — Web-based command center accessible to surface supervisors
Edge Computing — All hazard decisions made locally on the ESP32; safe even when internet is unavailable
Metric Value
Sensor Sampling Rate 2 seconds
Hazard Coverage 360°
Alert Layers 2 (Dual-Tier)
✨ Features
Multi-sensor fusion monitoring (gas, temperature, humidity, water level)
Intelligent dual-tier hazard grading system
16×2 I2C LCD display with automatic slideshow logic
High-decibel audio siren for critical alerts
JSON telemetry stream for web app integration
Real-time web dashboard for surface supervisors
Historical data logging for safety audits and compliance
Edge computing — fully operational without network connectivity
Modular, expandable hardware architecture
Affordable build cost (~₹1,400 in components)
🛠️ Tech Stack
Hardware
Component Purpose
ESP32 (Dual-Core) Main microcontroller & edge computing unit
MQ4 Sensor Methane (CH₄) gas detection
MQ135 Sensor Air quality & Carbon Monoxide (CO) detection
DHT22 Sensor Temperature & Humidity measurement
HC-SR04 Sensor Water level detection (flood monitoring)
16×2 I2C LCD Display On-site visual readouts and alerts
Active Buzzer / Siren High-decibel audio alert output
Software
Technology Usage
C++ (Arduino Framework) Firmware development for ESP32
JSON Telemetry Structured sensor data serialization
HTML / JavaScript Web-based real-time dashboard
Serial Communication Data transfer between ESP32 and dashboard
🔩 Hardware Architecture
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SENSORS │
│ MQ4 (CH₄) · MQ135 (CO) · DHT22 · HC-SR04 │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ESP32 (Dual-Core) │
│ Edge Computing & Hazard Classification │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌────────────┼────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ 16×2 LCD │ │ Buzzer │ │ JSON Stream │
│ Display │ │ Siren │ │ → Web Dash │
└───────────┘ └─────────┘ └──────────────┘
Design Highlights
LCD Slideshow Logic — Automatically rotates between Temperature, Gas levels, and Water level readings for hands-free continuous monitoring without operator intervention.

Low Latency Response — All sensors are sampled every 2 seconds, providing near-instant hazard detection and alert triggering with minimal delay.

Edge Computing Safety — All hazard classification decisions are made locally on the ESP32 chip. Safety remains fully operational even when the web dashboard connection is lost.

Modular & Expandable — Hardware architecture supports seamless sensor additions and future wireless modules (LoRaWAN/WiFi) without redesign.

🚨 Dual-Tier Alert System
MineGuard uses an intelligent graduated hazard grading system:

⚠️ Tier 1 — Cautionary Alert (Yellow Zone)
Trigger Condition Threshold
Gas Level > 1,800 ppm
Temperature > 40 °C
Humidity Abnormality detected
Action: Visual warning displayed on LCD — notifies workers of rising environmental risks before reaching critical levels.

🚨 Tier 2 — Critical Danger