Plant Pal

Prob in Pot
Weather Station
Plant Pal
Web App
Web App

🌱 Plant Pal: Project Story Inspiration It all started with a simple idea: What if plants could talk? After surveying dozens of plant owners through Google Forms, we discovered most people lose plants not out of neglect, but uncertainty. We wanted to solve this — blending technology and nature — to help plants and people thrive together.

What it does Plant Pal is a modular smart plant monitoring system. It tracks soil moisture, sunlight, air quality, temperature, and humidity using a network of intelligent probes and a local weather station. Data is sent via ESP-NOW to a centralized hub, then visualized in a React Native mobile app with personalized care tips and real-time notifications. Whether you're caring for one plant or many, Plant Pal makes plant care easy, intuitive, and data-driven.

How we built it Hardware: Soil Moisture Sensors (capacitive) LDRs (Light Detection) SHT31 (Temperature and Humidity Sensor) MQ9 (Air Quality/Gas Sensor) ESP32 DevKit (Weather Station) and Seeed XIAO ESP32 (Plant Probes) OLED/TFT Displays and RGB LEDs

Software: Flask backend to collect and manage sensor data Firebase for real-time cloud storage and user management React Native mobile app for monitoring and notifications ESP-NOW protocol for efficient wireless probe-to-hub communication We modularized the architecture to allow scalability, low power usage, and multi-plant support.

Challenges we ran into ESP-NOW Optimization: Fine-tuning reliable packet delivery across multiple devices required deep experimentation with ESP-IDF settings and sleep modes. Sensor Calibration: Soil types and lighting conditions varied significantly, making it tricky to standardize moisture/light thresholds.

Cloud Integration: Keeping the Flask server, Firebase sync, and mobile app updates fast and secure under varying network conditions was a challenge.

User Interface: Designing a minimalist app that provides enough information without overwhelming users took several iterations.

What we learned Building scalable IoT systems takes balancing hardware, firmware, and cloud software equally. Power management is critical: Deep Sleep modes and optimizing data transmission dramatically improve probe battery life. UI/UX matters: It's not just about collecting data — it's about presenting it in a way that users can instantly understand and act on. Real-world testing beats simulation: Nothing taught us more than seeing how real plants, soil, and homes interact with our technology.

What's next for Plant Pal Integration of pH and nutrient sensors for even deeper plant health insights. Custom PCB design for probes to shrink the form factor and improve robustness. Full Web Dashboard for desktop users to monitor plants at scale. Machine Learning Model: Predict plant health trends and suggest proactive care routines. Battery Optimization: Solar-powered probes and advanced sleep algorithms. Public Launch: Open beta for users to try Plant Pal in their homes and gardens!

Plant Pal is just getting started. We dream of a future where your plants don't just survive — they thrive, and you thrive with them.

Built With

Submitted to

DragonHacks 11
- Winner Autodesk Hardware Track

Created by

For Plant Pal V2, I was deeply involved in both the hardware and software sides of the project. I designed the custom casing using Autodesk Fusion 360, carefully modeling the structure to securely fit all the internal components while keeping it compact, durable, and user-friendly. After finalizing the 3D model, I handled the 3D printing process and post-processing to create the physical enclosure. I also designed the user interface (UI) for the OLED display, focusing on presenting real-time data like soil moisture, humidity, and temperature in a simple and visually clean way. In addition to the device itself, I developed a web dashboard that allows users to remotely monitor their plants through any device with internet access. On the hardware side, I contributed to the circuit design, sensor integration, and wiring, making sure the microcontroller and components were connected properly for reliable data collection and communication. Overall, I worked to connect the physical design, electronics, and software into one seamless, easy-to-use experience for plant lovers.

Malik Tariq
Plant Pal V2 was a project inspired by my personal experience as a plant owner and my passion for leveraging technology to solve everyday problems. I originated the idea and led the team as the project manager, overseeing the entire development process—from concept to prototype. I guided the product vision, transforming it from a basic single-probe monitoring system into a scalable, modular solution with individual soil moisture probes and a centralized weather station hub. In addition to managing timelines and task delegation, I was hands-on with hardware development, configuring the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32 and ESP32 DevKit V1 microcontrollers, integrating sensors like the capacitive soil moisture sensor, LDR, SHT31, MQ9, and designing a minimalist UI for the 1.28” round TFT display. I implemented the ESP-NOW communication protocol to enable efficient, low-power data transfer and connected both hardware modules to a real-time dashboard. I also conducted user research through surveys to validate the problem space, using that data to shape both our immediate hackathon solution and future roadmap. This included outlining integration with smart home devices such as Google Nest and smart plugs for automated environmental control. Throughout the hackathon, I ensured the team stayed focused on delivering a functional MVP while keeping aligned with our long-term vision of creating a scalable, intelligent plant care system driven by continuous innovation.

Muhammad Bilal
VeditaChoudhary Choudhary

Updates

VeditaChoudhary Choudhary started this project — Apr 26, 2025 10:06 PM EDT

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