The Green Defender

Inspiration

Given the theme of the WallyHacks hackathon being sustainability, we were inspired by all of the different available sensors how these sensors can potentially help encourage planting and crop growth by making it easier.

What it does

The Green Defender is a robot that is plugged into the soil. It then detects the temperature, humidity and water level of the soil; these readings are all displayed on a screen at the top. Temperature and humidity are displayed numerically and based on the water level, the display indicates whether the plants should be watered or not. Additionally, the Green Defender has a super sonic sensor that can detect anything within a preset distance away from the robot (preferably within 3 meters). Once anything moving (such as an animal pursuing the plant or crop) is detected by the sensor, a buzzer on the robot is triggered and played for 20 seconds, scaring away any potential threat to the plant/crop.

How we built it

The Green Defender was built using an Arduino UNO board, a bread board, jumper wires, a temperature/humidity sensor, a display screen, a water sensor, an ultra sonic sensor, a passive buzzer module, and popsicle sticks. The sensors and modules were connected directly to the breadboard, and the breadboard was connected to the Arduino. The popsicle sticks were used to make a funnel for the sensors, so that they can be placed into the soil easier (without the wires getting tangled).

Challenges we ran into

We mostly ran into challenges with the sonic sensor, and buzzer system. It took a while to debug the functionality issues with the sensors; both on the hardware and software side. We also had a bit of trouble with the display and water sensor, but those were solved relatively quicker.

What we learned

We learned that robotics is easier than it looks, and can be done with a bit of research and persistence. It's also fun and satisfying to watch the hardware do what its intended to do.

What's next for The Green Defender

To improve upon its structure; i.e. building a better frame to hold all of the hardware in one piece, organizing the wires, etc. Additionally, adding more features that can be helpful for plants/crops; such as auto watering, movement, and more.