Project
Smart Grow Kit I
How can we use technology to grow our own food?
Can technology help improve sustainable food consumption? Everybody can be a gardener and cultivate vegetables in a city environment! We created a sensors system to use at home, able to detect plants’ needs (moisture, temperature, light) and give visual feedback to the urban gardener.
The rapid growth of urban populations creates challenges for food production. One solution that is potentially more sustainable than current methods is localized production, in particular, food production by individuals at home. Growing food at home is possible, but it is a process that requires motivation, knowledge and skills. The team worked on the design of a sensor platform aimed at helping individuals in urban environments to grow food at home by informing them about the needs of their plants and, based on urban farming practices, by connecting them with a network of growers to share knowledge and produce.
“The value of collaborating with DSS lies in the opportunity to develop projects with a dedicated young team that is not related to VodafoneZiggo. DSS is a great breeding ground to get ideas flourish and ready for implementation in the rest of our organization. As DSS is a learning ground as well there is the possibility for the outcome not to be suitable for implementation, which makes the trajectory much more free than when working with commercial partners.” says Jan van Boesschoten, Platform Manager of VodafoneZiggo.
prototyping 3D printing
Showcase prototype
Reference
Hardware Schematics and All Components
This project focused on the Sustainable Development Goals:
