GROWTH BOX

 

CONCEPT

 

Light is essential for plants’ growth, and the right amount of light exposure is essential to the growth process. To grow plants in regions foreign to them, and in an indoor setting, an environment similar to the region it originates from has to be created for it. Through the UV LED Light, and the Water Pump, which operates according to where the Temperature Sensor is located, we can create a suitable environment for any plant to grow in any parts of the world.

Our prototype enables its user to grow a wide selection of plants from various places in the world in their homes. That is made possible by providing the necessary light and irrigation system in the Growth Box, generated through the code we have created for this system.

The Temperature Sensor is located in Qinhuangdao, China, where our plant originates and can sustain its growth in the outdoors. The sensor’s readings inform our set up of the UV LED Light and Water Pump. Based on the temperature readings, the system will water the plant and provide an equivalent amount of sunlight through the UV LED Light.

 

TECHNIQUE

 

For the setup, we used the following:

  • M5Stack to power the Temperature Sensor that is located in Qinhuangdao, China. Then send the readings to Barcelona, Spain, through Wi-Fi.
  • M5Stack located in Barcelona, is connected to the UV LED Light to run the code, based on that data received from Qinhuangdao. (If the temperature is below 21 °C, the light turns off). And a 12V Power Supply that powers the UV LED Light. Both are connected through a breadboard.
  • M5Stack connected to the Water Pump, also in Barcelona. It powers the Water Pump and runs the code according to the temperature readings in Qinhuangdao. (When the temperature is over 25°C, more water will be supplied to the plant on top of what it is set on regularly)

 

WORK FLOW DIAGRAM

DESIGN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growth Box is a project of IaaC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia

developed at Masters in Advanced Architecture in 2020/2021 by:

Students: Pamela Inegbedion, Jihad Al Ojaili, Xingyu Zhang

Faculty: Angel Muñoz, Cristian Rizzuti