NSTU-NETI' students are developing a system that will simplify the care of home plants and seedlings. The development will automate irrigation, lighting, and monitor soil parameters and humidity levels.
The project is designed for people who are often on the road, on business trips, travel a lot and do not have the opportunity to pay due attention to the care of home plants. The system itself controls the soil moisture level, lighting and air temperature. Thanks to sensors and programmable algorithms, indoor plants will not have to be watered daily or whether they have enough light, the developers note.
"The user sets the system operation parameters himself.For example, the following conditions must be met: watering when the soil humidity is below 30%, ventilation when the air humidity is above 70%, turning on the light in the greenhouse when it gets dark, heating the air if the temperature drops below 20 degrees. He sets these values in the menu and adjusts the device for his tasks. The set parameters are saved, after which the system works automatically and does not require further human intervention. Additional equipment can be connected to the system: an air humidifier, a heater, a window opening drive, and a light source. This creates ideal conditions for the care of domestic plants," explains Ivan Egunov, a student at the Faculty of Mechatronics and Automation.
The software part is implemented on the Arduino platform. The device is a compact unit with several sensors (light level, soil moisture, air humidity, temperature).
To date, a working prototype has been created, and students are currently working on its refinement and testing.