Reviving Old Tech for a Sustainable Future
Reviving Old Tech for a Sustainable Future
Reviving Old Tech for a Sustainable Future
Google Funded Research: Repurposing discarded smartphones to help sargassum farms optimize growth and verify carbon capture.
Google Funded Research: Repurposing discarded smartphones to help sargassum farms optimize growth and verify carbon capture.
Google Funded Research: Repurposing discarded smartphones to help sargassum farms optimize growth and verify carbon capture.

PRODUCT

Google Funded Research x NYU - Google Pixel

what i did

Interviews with environmentalists, sargassum farmers, and design researchers to identify monitoring pain points.

Created High-Fidelity Prototypes that integrate camera logging, sensor data, and streamlined data visualization.

Proposed an End-to-End UX Flow that helps sargassum farm managers track growth, detect problems, and verify carbon sequestration.

design mentor

Pedro Galvao

main objective

Show how old or underutilized devices can be transformed into smart monitoring tools for sargassum farms, thereby optimizing growth, detecting issues early, and validating carbon sequestration efforts.

my role

As a Design Research Assistant, I led the interaction design and user research phase; collecting feedback from domain experts and design researchers to shape a proposal that aligns with both environmental objectives and real-world constraints.

outcomes

Created a proof-of-concept prototype with a modular sensor integration concept and a built-in camera capture flow.

whats next

Refine the app’s feature set for on-site pilot testing, focusing on camera-based data capture and real-time dashboards.

Expand Partnerships with sargassum farming initiatives worldwide, scaling the concept beyond a prototype stage.

THIS IS WHERE WE STARTED… 80% OF OLD PHONES GO UNUSED OR LANDFILLED

Environmental partners revealed that most old phones end up collecting dust or heading to landfills, contributing to e-waste. Meanwhile, sargassum farming is emerging as a potential climate solution—if only there were accessible, low-cost ways to monitor and validate growth data.

Key Observations from Early Calls with Researchers

1

Lack of Affordable Monitoring: Specialized camera/sensor systems are pricey, limiting farm expansions.

2

Minimal Tech Adoption: Many small-scale sargassum farmers rely on visual checks, missing critical data to optimize yields or detect issues early.

3

Untapped Resource: Discarded Pixel devices and other smartphones still have capable cameras and sensors.

WHY A PHONE-BASED APPROACH?

The Phone as a Standalone IoT Device

Local Staff or Site Managers

Researcher Visits

The Phone as a Standalone IoT Device

Local Staff or Site Managers

Researcher Visits

The Phone as a Standalone IoT Device

Local Staff or Site Managers

Researcher Visits

PROCESS

Identifying the problem

Sketching and refining ideas

Prototyping and validating

Identifying the problem

Sketching and refining ideas

Prototyping and validating

Identifying the problem

Sketching and refining ideas

Prototyping and validating

SOLUTION

I designed a mobile app concept that transforms unused smartphones into automated monitoring stations for sargassum farms. The app autonomously captures environmental data and images, syncing them to a remote dashboard. Researchers and farm managers can easily verify carbon capture, monitor growth, and swiftly respond to environmental changes.

NEXT STEPS

I’m preparing for a pilot deployment to test automated photo capture and offline functionality in real coastal farms. After collecting feedback, I’ll refine key features like before/after photo comparisons and advanced data export—and explore broader collaborations to scale the platform’s impact.