New Kickstarter! SmartPlantPi – Raspberry Pi Based Plant Monitoring and Watering System Kit

January 11, 2017 Grove Sensors, IOT, Kickstarter, Products, Python Raspberry Pi Software, Raspberry Pi, Smart Plant, SmartPlantPI, SwitchDoc Products

New Kickstarter!  SmartPlantPi – Raspberry Pi Based Plant Monitoring and WateringSmartPlantPi System Kit

SmartPlantPi Features

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[list_item size=”small” icon=”icon-beaker” hex_color=””]Measure your Temperature![/list_item]

[list_item size=”small” icon=”icon-beaker” hex_color=””]Measured your Soil Moisture![/list_item]

[list_item size=”small” icon=”icon-beaker” hex_color=””]Measure your Sunlight![/list_item]

[list_item size=”small” icon=”icon-beaker” hex_color=””]Show your results on the Internet![/list_item]

[list_item size=”small” icon=”icon-beaker” hex_color=””]Even connect your plant to the Amazon Echo/Alexa![/list_item]

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[callout size=”col-12″ title=”Checkout the SmartPlantPi Kickstarter” button_title=”Go to Kickstarter” button_link=”https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunair/1801490632?token=c7277b31″  button_size=”normal” button_rounded=”true” button_color=”red”]

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SmartPlantPi

This is a perfect project kit for kids with some help from the adults and for adults trying to learn some new things.   We have done this before with our successful OurWeather kickstarter so we know what we are talking about.   People all over the world have built the OurWeather weather station with great success.   This project has no soldering involved and uses Grove connectors to wire everything up!  You can’t reverse them and blow things up.   Here is our tutorial on the Grove system.

Easy to build.  Easy to learn about the IOT (Internet Of Things) and the Raspberry Pi.

SwitchDoc Labs is building on the strength and reception of our last successful No Soldering Kickstarter Project – OurWeather.

 

What is in the Smart Plant Pi project kit?

It comes with the following parts and software:

  • – Full step by step (with pictures) assembly manual
  • – Open Source Python Software for monitoring your plant, environment and watering
  • – Grove OLED Display
    – Grove Pi2Grover Board
    – Grove USB PowerControl-EN
    – Grove Rotary Dial and Switch
    – Grove Push Button Switch
    – Grove 4 Channel ADC
    – Grove Air Quality Sensor
    – Grove Sunlight /IR /UVIndex Sensor
    – GroveHDC1000 Temp/Humidity Sensor
    – USB Controlled Pump
    – Grove Flow Sensor and Cable
    – Grove Moisture Sensor
    – 6 20cm Grove cables
    – 1 50cm Grove Cable
  • – Plastic Pipe
    – Plastic Plug
    – Plastic Pipe Stakes

 SmartPlantPi

The Science

Where is the science and engineering in this project?  All through it from the bottom to the top.We could go through the entire system, but that will have to wait.  The most interesting points?   One, we are using feedback in the system.  Negative feedback to be exact.    We aren’t just watering on a timer, we are looking at the soil moisture and if it is high enough, we don’t water.  We don’t water unless we need to.   Very cool.

Secondly, the sensors we have in this project are amazing.   For example, the Air Quality sensor is very, very sensitive.   We can detect hairspray from 50 feet away (more on that in another posting).

Thirdly, we got a lot out of learning how to display the data from Smart Plant on the Freeboard IOT Dashboard and we had a lot of fun (and great education) in designing the Alexa app,   We will be posting a tutorial on how to do that for your own Smart Plant Alexa app in the near future.