Pot-a Plant

Logo of Pot-a Plant
GUI in MATLAB App Designer
CAD Design of the Carriage
Circuit Diagram
Schematic
List of Components
Printed Circuit Board Design

Inspiration

In life, the saying 'bigger is better' often holds true, and we believe this principle extends to the realm of plants. It is common knowledge that plants thrive on sunlight, however issues arise as the sun shifts its position throughout the day, casting shadows and creating uneven light distribution. To address this issue, we introduce Pot-a Plant, a mobile plant pot which makes keeping plants a low maintenance, accessible hobby to all. This innovative solution ensures optimal sunlight exposure for plants eliminating the need for heavy lifting, which poses the risk of injury and proves exceedingly challenging for the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

What it does

Pot-a plant is a system designed to assist the elderly/disabled enjoy plants in their homes, with a camera system that can be connected to any mobile device. The Pot-a Plant is designed to be a mobile carriage that holds a plant, which is able to follow the sunlight, so that indoor plants can get as much energy as possible.

How we built it

We first used a system of coffee stirrers and motors to create a temporary carriage while the 3D CAD was being designed. We split the work equally between mechanical design, Arduino code, MATLAB code and general problem solving for the design. We made a graphical user interface in MATLAB so that the code can be easily used by anyone. We used many conditional functions and worked on creating a prototype that showed proof of concept. We used many online recourses such as online question forums to assist when encountering difficulties in code. Many thanks to the kind committee members and previous bath students who gave advice and assisted in the difficult manufacture of the prototype.

For the CAD, we made an attachment for the wheels, powered by motors to hold them in the correct position. As we only had two wheels with motors, we decided to create a pivot for the front wheel, so that it would turn with the other wheels without the need for a motor. This made our design more balanced, therefore it would be able to safely hold a plant. Ideally, our design would look like the photos of the CAD, but due to the lengthy time it would take to 3D print, we used cardboard for the base, a paper cup for the plant pot, and attached the 3D printed parts to the base using tape.

We designed a PCB using Altium. This is because the breadboard was very messy and a potential safety hazard because of the exposed wires. Putting all of the components on a PCB makes it more compact, therefore easier to waterproof as water will get quite close to the circuitry when the user waters it. A PCB improves the aesthetics of our design and makes it more safe.

Challenges we ran into

Due to the time constraints only small parts of the overall CAD design could be printed, then it had to be secured to high quality cardboard with electrical insulating tape, hot glue, and super glue. This was technically difficult to keep the wheels parallel with the sides of the carriage and took a lot of time to get right, but the result looks clean because all cardboard is covered with opaque electrical tape.

Another challenge was that the front wheel needed a hole through it for an axel, so we melted one using a soldering iron.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We navigated the Hackathon by tackling challenges head on as a team and using technical problem solving. Having both software and hardware components, we took advantage of our knowledge as engineering students, providing a unique take on this year’s Hackathon. From producing ideas to presenting our final prototype, every step showed our teamwork and creativity. We communicated well and divided tasks effectively, making sure everything ran smoothly. Whether it was designing user-friendly interfaces, making code more efficient, or fixing technical issues, each success added to our overall achievement. Looking back, we are proud with what we achieved together during the Hackathon. Also, cleaning super glue off our hands is an accomplishment in our book!

What we learned

We learned how to communicate to a serial port through Arduino and how to then how to use that input within an Arduino serial loop. We also learned that using delays in code can interfere with LCD and OLED screens, to prevent this use a time function or a counter that can tick every loop.

During the intense time constraints of the hackathon, we experienced firsthand the importance of effective time management and problem-solving skills. These skills proved invaluable as we navigated through the various challenges and tasks that arose throughout the event. By strategically delegating responsibilities to team members based on their individual strengths and expertise, we maximized our efficiency and productivity. This collaborative approach not only ensured that each task was handled competently but also fostered a sense of unity and cohesion within our team. Additionally, the ability to multitask and work on multiple aspects of the project simultaneously allowed us to make considerable progress within the limited time available.

Overall, the hackathon provided us with a unique opportunity to enhance our skills in time management and problem-solving while also letting us apply our technical abilities with complete creative freedom.

What's next for Pot-a Plant

In the future, the advances Pot-a Plant will make include a voice recognition feature, better sunlight detection, improved aesthetic design and more detailed app.

We want the user to have options when controlling the Pot-a Plant, so a toggle for switching between voice commands and automatic sunlight detection would give the user more flexibility and freedom with where they want their Pot-a Plant.

Currently, the Pot-a Plant only reacts to sharp contrast settings, which is not ideal if the user has their Pot-a Plant on a light-colored surface. Going forward, we could implement machine learning for it to determine where something has been illuminated by sunlight versus just light in color. This will make it avoid errors when moving to the optimal sunlight position.

As the name suggests, the Pot-a Plant is a app-controlled mobile plant pot, therefore it must look and function like one, which it currently does not. We would use CAD to create prototypes of different plant pot shapes to appeal to a wide range of user preferences.

Finally, we would like to make the app more detailed by displaying the temperature and humidity. This would add an additional feature for users on the go to keep them updated about their plant’s situation. Also, a move backwards button would have been added if we had more time to allow the user to have complete freedom over its manual movement. We integrated an Arduino Nano on our PCB, which has Bluetooth capabilities, so in the future we would utilize that and also add internet connectivity.