Smart Small Greenhouse

I happy to announce that this summer I will be able to use some time to finish this project. Thanks for waiting, I hope you like the results and, of course, I do accept ideas for the greenhouse !

Best regards people !

Well, I have been too busy all this time but, from now I'm thinking of change (or simply, modify) all the structure and improve several things which are wrong (like the code).

I think the Smart Small Greenhouse will change absolutly; but it will be good.

I hope to be able giving you news soon.

Regards hackers !

Well, I realised that I have two problems...

The first, the motor which has to raise the skin is not so strong as I want. Then, I thought two ways to solve the problem:

- Change the motor to another stronger (but I hasn't that and it supposes more energy to do the motor works).

- Change the system to raise the skin (like little pulleys or something like that over the greenhouse)

I accept recommendations !

The second problem is that, for the first video (that has been removed and I think I have to do it again...) I did the connections with a protoboard only, not soldered. Now, of course, I want to make it in a PCB, but I have not those materials (sheet, acids, all that) and, because of this, I will take more time for doing it while I get all necessary things. 

I'm sorry for the delay, I have not even started with the degree and I'm not very experienced making machines. 

Thanks for reading !

You can see it in my Github, on the left. Now I only have to do the app for Android and mounting the components in the structure.

The Arduino software is almost ready; here you have it:

https://github.com/JuanSandu/HackaDayPrize/blob/master/GreenhouseProgramme.ino

I only have to do the connection between the Arduino and the Android dispositive (that I supose I will do with Serial.available() and the switch case). 

The project is being finishing !

After almost a month without connection to Internet in a travel, I'm happy to show you the new things I did.

I removed the idea of doing the internal structure of the greenhouse with methacrylate and I took a sheet of plastic from the point of recycling.

And, with this and a twisted piece of aluminum...

(Simple, to twist the aluminum, hit it with a hammer; to do the holes, use a soldering iron)

It will be, more or less, like this, but without the books.

I did too some holes in the aluminum box with the drill to be able of doing the structure and the supports. I put a cog attached to the aluminum of the top for the opening and closing system.

And, to finish this log, here is the cricuit in progress of the motor done with transistors, wire and plastic.

I took the case of a DVD reader and the same of another machine to do the principal structure. It seems to be a box that can be open backward, it's simple. I will put instruction at the bottom.

At the final It will be more or less like this.

It is the electronic scheme for the motor. I took it from

http://www.inventable.eu/2010/08/03/calimaro-un-robot-old-style/ because it avoid to use the L293D which makes more expensive the project and use instead six transistors. In the scheme I have copied two protectives diodes missing but the rest is good.

The red wire goes to postive connection and the blue wire goes to ground. It's all !

Another thing. I realized, thanks to a comment, that I didn't write about the connection with the smartphone. The idea is simple. With an app you will be able to select the plant to look after or, instead, the conditions for the greenhouse, like temperature, humidity, light... Then, if you put inside potatoes, you will have to look for its programme in a list and to select it. The Smart Greenhouse does the rest. 

It's a lot of work so give me time please !

I have thought that a protective capsule is not very useful, then I will conduct the project to another way, a Smart Greenhouse. I know that it changes the essence of this project but I think it will be better for helping you at home.

The new idea is to be able to get natural vegetables at home without the responsability of looking after the plants. The project will not change a lot, only several things about resistance against blows (that is not very useful) or the structure which will be easier to do.

Well, sorry for the changes if you loved more the previous project.

The Arduino Uno and the Light dependant resistor have arrived so I can start to try the code, ah, now I have put the first version for the light reaction (if light is too strong then...). I'm sure it's not a very good code, but it's something to start.

Now I'm thinking about the way I will merge all code in one, it is to do all reactions in one programme. I'm a novice at this !