Inspiration
I've had two friends, multiple times over the course of my college life, ask me to water their plants during holidays and summer break. Each time, I warned them, "It's not on me if it dies. I'm just warning you in advance." I have yet to kill a friend's plant, but it is only a matter of time. This automatic plant monitor and water is a prototype allowing friends to leave for a while without worry, and leaving me free of responsibility.
-Thomas Johnson
What it does
This system operates on a moisture sensor. Based on the water content in the soil, the conductivity of the system shifts resulting in varying voltages. These shifts are noted by the microcontroller which is coded to send a signal to the watering system when water content is low enough. The watering system operates until the water content is returned to acceptable levels. To safeguard against overwatering, the system is programmed to stop watering once levels are restored or after 10 seconds. If conditions are not restored to normal, the watering system begins operations again.
How we built it
https://github.com/george-coin/plant_watering_system/tree/main
Challenges we ran into
Originally, we planned to design a water pump system. However, we were unable to acquire the necessary components within the given timeframe. We pivoted to a sliding door blocking off a gravity-powered reservoir. Unfortunately, we were unable to prevent massive leakage. To fix this problem, we turned to a plug system. While still leaky, this plug system contains water much better than the sliding door did.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We finished our first hackathon project and have something to present! We're proud of how quickly we pivoted to alternative solutions after multiple failed designs.
What we learned
We learned that the first idea won't always work and that some of the easier tasks we thought we had, turned out to be the hardest parts of the project. We learned that we need to manage time better and that sometimes you got to make due with what you have.
What's next for Plant Watering System
If we were to optimize this further, we would: - Utilize a small submersible 3-5v DC peristaltic pump with tubing instead of a servo for more efficient watering and greater water holding capacity - add a waterline sensor with WiFi notifications - Implement deep sleep mode to save power when not actively monitoring - Add WiFi connectivity to send alerts or log data remotely - Use a more accurate soil moisture sensor for better readings.
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