Smart garden

A garden bed that works out what is planted in it and waters to suit, instead of running on a timer.

Fig. 1The bed on the bench: a plant, the sensors at soil level and the Pi running the loop.

Description

A timer knows nothing about the plant. Different plants want different light and different soil moisture, and a fixed schedule gets both wrong.

The bed classifies whatever is growing in it and measures temperature, humidity and light at soil level. Then it closes the loop, driving the grow lights and running a pump to hold the moisture where that plant likes it.

Watering and light set by the plant and the conditions, not the clock.

Scope

When: Aug 2022 - Jan 2023
Where: The University of Texas at Dallas
Built with: Closed-loop control, Sensor integration, Control systems, Embedded C/C++