KLED SPP

The SPP smiles when first powered up

Inspiration

We share a friend that managed to kill her succulent, and we were inspired to design the Smart Plant Pot to make it easier to take care of plants.

What it does

The Smart Plant Pot (SPP) uses light and homemade soil moisture sensors to display data about the plant in a simple, understandable way.

How we built it

The KLED SPP uses a Raspberry Pi Pico W to store code that is run, utilizing an I2C library to control the LCD display and light sensor connected to it. The Pico is also connected to a voltage divider that outputs a voltage value based on the level of water detected in the soil. It then takes in this data and displays it onto the LCD display in a way that users can easily interpret.

Challenges we ran into

We originally tried to get the data to display on a Blynk app that one of our teammates designed, but unfortunately, the app had two versions that were incompatible and not updated, so it was not able to work.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We learned new skills like the I2C Library and MicroPython. We utilized Electrical Engineering skills to create a voltage divider to use as a soil moisture sensor rather than purchasing the sensor itself, and learned how to collect that data and turn it into a useful value.

What we learned

We learned how to use the I2C Library to connect our Raspberry Pi to multiple sensors and incorporate our Python skills to program in MicroPython.

What's next for KLED SPP

We would like to put these components into a pot that can be easily manufactured and sold for public consumption. Ideally, the user would not have to deal with all of the wires and technical aspects.