Smart Planter

Horizontal farming is becoming obsolete as the population grows, farming becomes a scarcer occupation, and climate change renders farming in warmer regions unfeasible. We have developed a system that allows produce to grow without any human intervention. Our design fully controls the environment and temperature in which the plants grow, providing light as well. It tracks soil moisture and communicates with an automated water pump to periodically hydrate the plants.

As technology advances, urbanization is becoming more prevalent, and farming is becoming increasingly rare. This is critical because, with a growing population, large-scale farming is essential for sustainable produce, particularly in densely populated cities like New York City. The declining number of farmers and the obsolescence of horizontal farming exacerbate this problem. Current solutions involve urban farming within buildings and indoor growing, but these methods still require significant human labor to maintain and grow the plants, which is problematic as farming becomes a dying profession. Other solutions involve importing produce, but this is unsustainable, environmentally harmful, and contributes to global warming.

Cities need a solution that can grow plants on a large scale with minimal farmers. Our system eliminates the need for farmers to continuously regulate and grow the plants by controlling the environment to create ideal growth conditions. This approach addresses the challenges posed by the declining number of farmers, urbanization, and the need for sustainable produce production in large cities.

Our final design is a wooden rectangular prism frame with a solid top and bottom panel. The frame sits on top of a water reservoir, with most of the circuitry located on top of the frame. The plant pot is placed inside the frame over a drainage hole that drains into the reservoir. A heat lamp and light bulb are positioned at the top of the frame, extending through holes in the "ceiling" of the frame. The tubing from the pump enters through a hole in the "floor" of the frame and bends into the pot. This setup ensures that plants receive the necessary light, temperature control, and moisture without human intervention, making it an ideal solution for urban agriculture.

For a full-length report with design images, see the report below.