Automated Plant Feeder: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File:plantpano.jpg]] | [[File:plantpano.jpg]] | ||
So, a while ago ago I had this crazy idea about how it might be nice to create an automated plant waterer for hacklab, so as to keep planty things alive for greater than O(about a week). Around the same time, I was lucky enough to scavenge some (functional) peristaltic pumps from equipment at work that was decommissioned about being tossed, so I brought them in to hacklab with the idea to make this happen at some point. More recently, we heard about a "hack your space" competition for makerspaces, | So, a while ago ago I had this crazy idea about how it might be nice to create an automated plant waterer for hacklab, so as to keep planty things alive for greater than O(about a week). Around the same time, I was lucky enough to scavenge some (functional) peristaltic pumps from equipment at work that was decommissioned about being tossed, so I brought them in to hacklab with the idea to make this happen at some point. More recently, we heard about a "hack your space" competition for makerspaces, [http://1sheeld.com/makerspaces/ offered by 1sheeld], who make a smartphone controllable, multipurpose arduino shield that could be used for the purpose of controlling / interacting with the plant watering system. Hence, this proposal (which I'm writing for the second time, thanks to my inability to properly hit "save page" :P | ||
= Proposal = | = Proposal = | ||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
= What we have = | = What we have = | ||
* peristaltic pumps ( | * peristaltic pumps ([https://youtu.be/wCjZatDsfN0 that are functional!]) | ||
* tubing of various sizes, and a couple of reservoirs that could be used | * tubing of various sizes, and a couple of reservoirs that could be used | ||
* power supply, harvested from the same machine | * power supply, harvested from the same machine | ||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
* Your help! | * Your help! | ||
As many can probably tell you, I (Trevor) am pretty bad at actually getting to hacklab on a regular basis, as much as I would like to life seems to often get in the way. Nevertheless I don't want this project to sit around forever as I feel like it could be a useful addition to the lab. This is also a nice way of venturing into wetlab style / liquid handling activities, that may come in handy for users of the photography darkroom or diybio areas of hacklab. So it would be great if others who may be interested in this project could participate and help out, either in planning, building, or otherwise supporting the activity. | As many can probably tell you, I (Trevor) am pretty bad at actually getting to hacklab on a regular basis, as much as I would like to life seems to often get in the way. Nevertheless I don't want this project to sit around forever as I feel like it could be a useful addition to the lab. This is also a nice way of venturing into wetlab style / liquid handling activities, that may come in handy for users of the photography darkroom or diybio areas of hacklab. So it would be great if others who may be interested in this project could participate and help out, either in planning, building, or otherwise supporting the activity. | ||
* Perhaps some embedded sensors in the plant soil to measure water content / resistivity (like those at | * Perhaps some embedded sensors in the plant soil to measure water content / resistivity (like those at [http://myplantlink.com My Plant Link] - though I have a feeling that a resistivity sensor of some kind would work just fine, suggestions welcome) | ||
* A nice enclosure of some sort would be nice to house the final product - perhaps cut on the laser cutter, for coolness factor, and as it lives right around the corner from the plants. Yay lab things working with other lab things! :) | * A nice enclosure of some sort would be nice to house the final product - perhaps cut on the laser cutter, for coolness factor, and as it lives right around the corner from the plants. Yay lab things working with other lab things! :) | ||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
* February-ish: brought peristaltic pumps into hacklab | * February-ish: brought peristaltic pumps into hacklab | ||
* April-ish: Submitted hack your space competition proposal, received 1sheeld in mail, | * April-ish: Submitted hack your space competition proposal, received 1sheeld in mail, | ||
* May 26: Came to open house, brought 1sheeld, tested out pumps ( | * May 26: Came to open house, brought 1sheeld, tested out pumps ([https://youtu.be/wCjZatDsfN0 they work!]) | ||
= Deadlines to keep in mind = | = Deadlines to keep in mind = | ||
Should we wish to enter the 1sheeld competition (which, along with the shield, also provides a free year of access to | Should we wish to enter the 1sheeld competition (which, along with the shield, also provides a free year of access to [http://codebender.cc/ codebender] to host any code developed for this project, and the potential of winning an arduino 3d printer), the deadline for that competition is June 16th. But even if we don't make it in, I think it's a worthy endeavour to make happen, particularly if it turns out to be a warm summer, to keep the plants happy. :) | ||
[[File:Pumps.jpg]] | [[File:Pumps.jpg]] | ||