Automated Plant Monitoring and Watering System

Engineering Scholars DeVlieg Innovation Project 2019

Project Overview Custom Circuit Board
Capacitive Sensors
This project developed an automated plant
A custom dual-layer
watering system integrated directly into a
circuit board was
plant's pot. The device dispenses water from a
designed to
refillable reservoir when dry soil is detected
implement the
using an integrated pump and sensors. The
electronics block
device is WiFi enabled to send the user alerts
diagram. The board
via email or Amazon Alexa when a battery
Damon Avery Joseph Kim MacKenzie Kaitlyn Emily hosts the WiFi
recharge or water refill is needed.
Schafer Brock Dennison Huynh Sexton Lindholm Chambers microcontroller,
sensors, battery
Pot CAD Model Prototyping management unit,
and the motor
driver.
Control Area
Capacitive sensors are used
Cap
to detect the moisture level of
the soil. Conductive stripes
Water Inlet on the pot allow sensors to Alexa Interface
Pot read multiple depths
Data is sent over
Circuit Board simultaneously
WiFi to the
Amazon cloud
Controls Area via Thingspeak.
ESP8266 module being tested It is then
Water Reservoir with deep sleep code. Being converted into an
Top able to sleep the device Alexa response
maximizes battery life by via a custom skill
minimizing power use. program.
Water Reservoir
ESP8266 module being
tested with email Peristaltic Pump
messaging code. Email is
sent using an SMTP A self-priming
server as a backup to positive
Electronics Block Diagram Amazon Alexa. displacement
pump utilizing a
Test Plants flexible tube and
rotor transports
water at ambient
Geraniums were used for pressure.
system tests as they
quickly exhibit signs of
over/underwatering.