Projects | Rita van der Walt, PhD.

Highlights

Scalable LoRaWAN Environmental Network

An end-to-end industrial IoT telemetry network—from custom hardware manufacturing to data pipelines—driving municipal infrastructure policy.
Full-Stack IoT LoRaWAN (RFM95) Data Engineering Policy Impact

Mass-Scale IoT Alarm System for Informal Settlements

An end-to-end, commercially deployed security node engineered for mass rollout in South African townships, featuring extreme DFM and cost-optimised hardware.
Commercial IoT DFM & Mass Scale Firmware Product Management

Commercial E-Bike Telemetry & Fleet Management

Lead Project Engineer for an in-development, enterprise-scale cargo e-bike telemetry system focusing on real-time location tracking and battery lifecycle management.
Lead Project Engineer Commercial Telemetry Systems Architecture Active Development

Professional engagement

Siglor Radio & Chassis Architecture

A modular, dual-board IoT sensor device for Sigfox and LoRaWAN networks, developed during a hardware engineering internship.

Automated Transfer Switch (Relay Board)

A custom-designed, 16A automated transfer switch deployed across Western Cape schools to seamlessly manage Eskom and inverter power during load shedding.
Professional Engagement Hardware Architecture PCB Design Component Sourcing

Analogue Battery Charging Circuit

An educational hardware platform designed for undergraduate engineering students to bridge theoretical analogue design with practical component selection.
Academic & Teaching Analogue Design PCB Layout Technical Mentorship

Solar-Powered LoRa Air Quality Monitor

An end-to-end, low-power IoT environmental sensor node featuring custom mixed-signal hardware, I2C sensor integration, and LoRa telemetry.
Full-Stack IoT Mixed-Signal PCB Low-Power Firmware Enclosure Design

Full-Stack Autonomous Robotic Vehicle

An educational hardware platform bridging analogue design, custom digital firmware, and mechanical test engineering.
Technical Project Management Analogue Design Firmware (C/C++) Test Engineering

LoRaWAN Forest Wind Monitoring System

Adapting a generic IoT architecture for rugged outdoor canopy windspeed monitoring, featuring custom pulse-counting firmware and a user-friendly ThingSpeak pipeline.
Hardware Adaptation Data Engineering Embedded C++ Collaboration

Academic research

Remote LoRa Water Monitoring System

An end-to-end, full-stack IoT telemetry solution designed, engineered, and deployed as a solo systems architect.
Full-Stack IoT Altium / RF Design Embedded C Python / Web UI

Saldanha Bay PM2.5 Environmental Logger

A custom solar-powered particulate matter and temperature data logger engineered for an interdisciplinary Earth Sciences study on industrial dust pollution.
Interdisciplinary Research Hardware Design Firmware Field Deployment

Residential IAQ & Fireplace Emissions

Modifying generic IoT hardware for a multi-site deployment, encompassing ethical administration, high-frequency data analysis, science communication, and a peer-reviewed publication.
Hardware Adaptation Stakeholder Management Data Analysis Science Comm

Passion projects

Component library & Lifecycle management

A standardised, version-controlled ECAD library and BOM management architecture.

Altium Designer BOM Management DFM