PlantX

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  PlantX device inserted into soil and actively collecting data.

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  Home screen of PlantX app.

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  An example of a plant information with UI.

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  Selection menu for the different plants to grow.

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  Internal structure of PlantX with Arduino integration.

Inspiration

The best way to make a positive impact in our community is by going green and gardening. Gardening has many benefits from losing weight to reducing stress. It also allows for more oxygen to be put into the environment via photosynthesis. Despite the positive impacts, many people struggle to successfully grow a garden. This problem along with our common interest in gardening sparked a desire to come up with a simple solution to allow young and inexperienced gardeners the opportunity to gain real-time insight into the environment. We also wanted to make an app that was easy to use, that has a simple user interface, and one that would motivate the youth to start gardening.

What it does

PlantX has two major components: a device and an iOS app.

The intuitive design of the device allows the user to plug the device straight into the ground. The device will later report the data via the microprocessor into the app in real-time. Initially, the microprocessor, via WiFi, will send the information into a Google Sheet. This information is read by the app via an API allowing for live information. The device is also powered by solar energy via a solar panel to make it a green and a more eco-friendly product.

On the app end, the user will select the plant they are trying to grow. The program then takes the information from the device along with the type of plant entered by the user and advises on how to take better care. This advice comes from a thorough analysis of multiple databases to ensure the best results.

How we built it

The app is built using XCode and swift. The UI was carefully crafted to make it easier to use for any first time user.

Taking a deeper look into the code, the app uses a Google Sheets API to get information from the device and deliver it to the app. The app also has a built-in database of plants with the ideal conditions for growing that plant. This is then used to advise the user.

The device is built using a C based Arduino. It has multiple sensors that collect the information necessary for collecting the data.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was figuring out the best way to bridge the hardware component with the software component. We later worked hard to find the optimal solution and continued with the Google Sheet API as our solution.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of the intuitive design of the user interface. It allows for the user to understand the application better and how to use it. We are also proud of the integration of the device with the app.

What we learned

We learned how to use APIs in an app. We were only previously familiar with how to use it in python.

What's next for PlantX

We want to provide the device to others along with the app. We want to work with researchers to expand our database and deliver even better advice.

Built With

• arduino
• google-sheets-api
• swift