A group of Walla Walla University engineering students completed their three-year project with the Blue Mountain Humane Society. Their solar-powered pavement temperature sensor and display was successfully tested and installed just in time for graduation.
“Hot pavement is a constant concern in the summer at the shelter as well as for any dog owner,” said Steve Lenz, BMHS development leader. “I hope the thermometer will help inform our staff and volunteers more quickly and accurately when we need to use our hot weather procedures to keep our dogs safe.
Previously, Lenz had been taking ground temperature readings with a handheld infrared thermometer when he could and posting the results online. When Natalie Smith-Gray, assistant professor of engineering and computer science, reached out to the BMHS to ask about potential project needs for her team of engineering majors, Lenz jumped on the opportunity.
The BMHS has a crew that walks dogs three times a day, and Lenz often sees other community members walking dogs in nearby parking lots and downtown. He believes the club’s device will make a worthwhile impact, both protecting BMHS animals and educating our community.
Nathan Gray, WWU alum, served as the project mentor and Andrei Maiorov, recently graduated engineering major, as the student lead. Both remained with the project from start to finish.
Beyond his technical work on the device’s display unit, Maiorov facilitated project progression, procured materials, and maintained communication with the humane society. His team consisted of Kolby Kriegelstein, Noland Oickle, Anna Stefaniv, Barrett Bothwell, and Tyler Sing—some graduating or joining along the way.
The temperature sensing unit is made up of an ESP32-C6, battery, solar panel, IR temperature sensor, and various electrical components to connect it all together. The display is made up of an ESP32-C6, RGB LEDs, and various 3D-printed components. In addition to showing the numeric temperature, the lights also shift with the temperature, shifting from cool greens to hot reds.
Looking to the future, the team designed this unit to send data to Home Assistant, an open-source smart home system, which would then transfer that data to the display. This way, the BMHS can connect the sensor to multiple displays as they add them around the facility.
After three years of hard work and innovation, Maiorov said this project taught him a lot about managing a team and effectively scheduling them in order to meet deadlines. His favorite part, though, was “learning about how we can use Home Assistant to connect devices together and realizing how the classes I have taken from my professor have prepared me to take on real engineering projects in the real world.”
To learn more about the WWU School of Engineering, visit wallawalla.edu/engineering.
Posted July 22, 2026.
