Use cases and examples
To help you understand the value of Flows in real-world scenarios here are some practical examples. Each of these use cases demonstrates how Flows can automate processes (business or consumer), improve decision-making, and create tangible user value.
Machine Overheating Alert
Problem:
As a maintenance engineer, I need to be alerted immediately if a critical machine overheats so I can prevent costly breakdowns or safety hazards.
Solution:
Continuously monitor the machine’s temperature sensor. If the temperature rises above 80 °C, automatically trigger an alert to the maintenance team via push notification and email.
Flow:
- Asset State as a trigger node - listens for incoming temperature data.
- Constant as a state node - a threshold value.
- Compare as a condition node - checks if the value is greater than
80°C. - Notify as an action node - sends an email and push notifications to the maintenance team.
Display Average Temperature
Problem:
As a tenant, I want to see the average temperature of my apartment on the dashboard to understand overall comfort.
Solution:
Collect readings from all sensors, calculate the average, and show it on a home display.
Flow:
- Asset State as a trigger node - listens for incoming temperature data.
- Average as a condition node - calculate the average.
- Publish New State as an action node - publishes
averaged temperature.
Help needed in Retail centre
Problem:
In a large retail centre for technical equipment there are several sections where customers may need help about a certain item or an assembly. However, it’s hard to know who from the personnel is needed when there is a general buzzer request.
Solution:
There are LoRa button devices and Radio gateway device deployed in a ground. When LoRa button is pressed at the electronic department, a specific tailored message is transmitted via radio to a support specialist. When they get to the customer they can acknowledge and reset the flow.
Flow:
Temperature, humidity and moisture control in the greenhouse
Problem:
A plant farmer wants to have the perfect conditions for his plants in the greenhouse. He has all the necessary equipment to do it but would need to constantly monitor and turn on the pumps, heaters and humidifiers himself. He needs to monitor the room temperature (in °C), humidity and soil moisture and adjust the conditions based on the calculations.
Solution:
Measure the temperature, humidity and moisture levels. Based on the comparisons with desired high and low level thresholds (constants) send commands (downlink messages) to control and adjust the cooler, heater and water pump units.
Flow:
This flow consists of 3 parts, each of them controls temperature, humidity and moisture levels respectively (these CAN be separated into 3 different flows):
Temperature control:
Humidity control:
Soil moisture control:
Smart farming: any eggs in there?!
Problem:
An animal farmer builds his business by providing only fresh organic eggs. Thus, he spends a lot of time walking around his farm checking if the chickens had laid any fresh eggs, because picking them only in the evening is not good enough for the business. He’d like to know exactly when a fresh egg has been nested.
Solution:
Set a weight sensor in the chicken nest. If the weight changes, the chicken left the coop, but if the weight is still different from the calibrated one (when the egg laying spot is empty) then there is an egg there.
Flow:
More examples coming soon!