Understand and define:
For this project, I would like to start prototyping a thermostatic and hydrostatic mushroom-growing box made with arduino components.
I like the idea because it’s a fun way to improve my embedded electronics skills, and get some tasty burger additions at the same time.
I definitely need to refine the idea, but it’s essentially a box with arduino controlled thermostatic and hydrostatic systems, and growing medium for mushrooms.
I think I’ll make my first prototypes 1.5ft cubes.
The parts it requires are an Arduino, a humidity and temperature sensor, systems to control the temperature and humidity, and a sealed 1.5ft waterproof cube with growing medium inside
Who will use this product?
My family, and, if it works really well, anyone else who wants one.
What will it do for them?
It will give us/them a good source of mushrooms.
Why do they need this product?
Because we/they don’t have any way to get wild mushrooms besides the forest.
Are there any constraints?
The arduino components I already have, and the timeframe.
What will make this product work for them?
A good and reliable design
Problem Statement:
How might we design and create a system for automatic mushroom growing that is both compact and easy to use, while only using arduino components we already have.
Ideate:
Humidification Systems:
A servo connected to half of a cut-in-half lid over a jar of water, able to rotate horizontally, opening the lid variable amounts
A servo connected to a half circle of the ceiling cut out of the ceiling that can vary the size of the opening
A tray of water that can have it’s angle altered variably by a servo, changing the surface area of the water
A jar of water with an ultrasonic humidifier inside, turning on when the humidity drops too low
A circular tray with a bottom made of balloon material and a servo that can pull the centerpoint down, changing the water’s surface area
Heat systems:
A heating element from a hot glue gun inside a heat and water proof container on the inside wall of the box, hooked up to a variable switch connected to a servo, allowing the automatic variability of the heating element’s temperature
A light bulb hooked up to a variable switch connected to a servo, allowing the heat of the light to be varied
Main Structure:
A cardboard box with cling wrap on the inside to make it waterproof
Same thing except with aluminum foil instead
A wooden box with coroplast inside
I chose a tray of water that can have it’s angle altered variably by a servo, changing the surface area of the water for the humidification system because it was the only option that worked with the materials I have and didn’t also affect temperature. For the heat system, I chose a heating element from a hot glue gun inside a heat and water proof container on the inside wall of the box, hooked up to a variable switch connected to a servo, allowing the automatic variability of the heating element’s temperature because it is, in theory, a lot smaller than the light powered system. I chose a cardboard box with cling wrap on the inside to make it waterproof because it’s the easiest to make and would probably function quite well.
Next week I will have completed the project and will put the rest of the documentation here then.
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