ASSIGNMENT
Propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered, answering:
- - What will it do?
- - Who's done what beforehand?
- - What will you design?
- - What materials and components will be used?
- - Where will come from?
- - How much will they cost?
- - What parts and systems will be made?
- - What processes will be used?
- - What questions need to be answered?
- - How will it be evaluated?
Introduction
This week's assigment was actually very helpful because it was all about answering questions related to the my final project which helped me think about more details and hence do a deeper research and the questions were like my guidelines.
Project Proposal
What will it do ?
My initial idea was a system that will consist of a container for farming with a controlled environment with its parameters such as temperature, CO2 level, humidity displayed for the user on a screen. However, I simplified the idea further into a planting pot that will help the user take care of their plants by displaying the plant status, notifying the user when the plant needs water and automatically turn on growth lights when there's no sun available.
Who's done what beforehand?
Smart or tech-based indoor planting/growing solutions are not something new. A lot of different products already exist in the market and they range in terms of size and price. Some of the solutions that I came across while doing my research are:
This product is devoloped by Click and Grow and actually a pretty impressive and innovative product because of what it offers and how easy to use and friendly it is. The internet describes it to be as simple as a coffee machine because it works by add in a capsule or "pod" of the desired plant into the soil, adding water and plugging in the device and that's it the garden will take care of itself until the plants are ready to be harvested by the user.
This is a product that is not just helpful but also fun and will cheer you up. It is a cute planting pot that monitors your plant and displays the condition of the plant using a range of animated emoticons. You can tell whether your plant is thursty, sick or needs more sun by just looking at it!
What will you design?
My plan is to design and fabricate all the parts of the project (Except the electronic components such as ICs and other ) including:
- - The outter planting pot
- - The inner pots
- The PCB board that will control the monitoring system
What materials and components will be used?
How much will they cost?
| Component | Quantity | Unit Cost | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCD Screen | 1 | $8.99 | $8.99 |
| Atmega328-p Microcontroller | 2 | $1.90 | $3.80 |
| Soil Moisture Sensor | 2 | $9.95 | $19.90 |
| LDR (Photocell) | 1 | $0.87 | $0.87 |
| Plant Grow LED Strip | 1 | $19.95 | $19.95 |
| MDF Wood Sheet 6mm | 1 | $7.00 | $7.00 |
| Acrylic 3mm | 1 | - | - |
Where will they come from?
All the materials and components needed for this project are available at QBIC Fablab.
What parts and systems will be made?
I will be desigining and building the following parts:
- - The outter structure of the system
- - The planting containers
- -The PCB board
- - The monitoring system
What processes will be used?
I will be using different techniques with this project including:
- - Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
- - Subtractive Manufacturing (Laser Cutting & CNC Milling)
- - Electronics Design & Production
- - Embedded Programming
What questions need to be answered?
I think at this stage, the most important question that needs an answer is "Will the time be enough for me to finish the project" because we're at the last weeks and I'm running a little bit behind.
How will it be evaluated?
It will be evaluated based on multiple items:
- - The strength of the outter body when carried from one place to another.
- - The water leakage of the planting containers when the plants are watered,
- - The performance of the electronic system is detecting the planting needs and performing an action.