Inspiration
We took inspiration from Movies like "The Martian" and "Wall E" and the theme of growing plants in harsh conditions and SPROUTING a future for agriculture.
What it does
Adjusts light levels automatically depending on the plant's needs. This would be determined by light exposure duration, and intensity. Movable parachute that tracks direction of sun and either directs or blocks direct sunlight depending on the plants needs Moisture sensor to detect water and water the plant based on its needs. For hackathon purposes we are using two probes and calculate the rough idea of water based on resistance of the soil. External water reservoir that the pot can access whenever it needs. Based on soil readings, a valve opens or closes allowing water to enter the pot. Diluted fertilizer mix into the water supply to give nutrients to the plant as it is being watered
How we built it
The device is programed using arduino IDE in c++ blood sweat and tears went into the physical phototype (we got no sleep) we used breadboards, wires, and a little bit of soldering
Challenges we ran into
It took hours to finally get the photo resistors to work, and making the 3D model move how we wanted it to. These challenges didn't discourage us, however inspired us to keep pushing.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We made a "semi-working" prototype with adjustable shade for lighting, soil moisture sensor, and water reservoir.
What we learned
We learned about plants and their needs and how they grow. Going into this competition we didn't care about plants, however as we researched and built our device we learned more and more. Plants are actually kinda cool 😎👌
What's next for SPROUT
Scaling the project, adding solar panels, and optimizing the design and ironing out the wrinkles