UV Light of My Life

I have created a program for UV lights to inhibit indoor plant growth. By setting the plant in a window, it gets as much natural light as possible, and the UV light helps when the sun isn't enough.

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Inspiration

I have always lived in a city but had a massive love indoor plants. When my girlfriend bought me a bonzai tree kit, I knew I had to do whatever possible to help it grow to be healthy and strong. HAkron 4K afforded me the opportunity to do just that.

What it does

A sun-facing UV sensor reads the UV intensity from the sun. When the sun isn't emitting UV light to its fullest potential, the UV grow light turns on to feed the tree in the sun's stead.

How I built it

I built this device with an Arduino Uno, 16x2 I2C LCD, Adafruit VEML6070 UV sensor, a GE full Spectrum grow bulb, one input relay and a two-jointed desk lamp. The UV sensor will read the UV output from the sun and then determines whether the sun is emitting enough UV light to promote the best plant growth. The UV intensity is displayed on the LCD screen so that the user knows that the light is turning on and off properly.

Challenges I ran into

I have never used an Arduino, or even took on my own software/hardware project before, so I ran into a lot of trouble. Firstly, I had to learn the syntax for coding the arduino. I also ran into a struggle wiring my breadboard to display the UV intensity on the LCD.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I am prod that I was able to take on the project and complete it myself with a little help from the staff and neighbors. I have used hardware and software I have never used before and created a completely finished and usable product.

What I learned

I have learned how to properly code, wire, and utilize an Arduino. I feel confident taking on more projects with Arduinos in the future. I learned how to use relays to supply power to a product from an outlet and allow that product to be dynamically utilized with an Arduino. I also had to solder the pins onto the UV sensor and I have never soldered before

What's next for UV Light of My Life

UV Light of My Life has a huge scope for all people who love indoor gardening and plants. With this product, more lamps can be added to circuit and used for the exact same purpose. Later on, I would like to add other sensors for soil composition readings. These readings can ensure that the plant is feeding through the soil and grows strong roots

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