For freshman design, my team created an "Automated Watering System" which was used to monitor the surface soil moisture levels next to a given plant's roots, and, by using the senor output, to provide that plant with water from a cache during a dry interval. To accomplish these goals, a soil moisture sensor was categorized, with respect to a mint plant, in an attempt to establish a reliable threshold for when to release water from the cache. In addition to the soil moisture sensor, a 30" diameter and 19" tall planter was fabricated to house an irrigation system which included a thin hose, a solenoid valve, 20 gallons of soil, and a single mint plant. Furthermore, an LCD was used to report the ambient temperature, humidity, and relative soil moisture values of the system.
