With week two concluded, our team began planning for the arrival of our new, customizable robotic farming system, FarmBot. Our sponsors are interested in building a custom, automated greenhouse environment for this robotic system, so our team set out to put together a list of things to buy and a plan for how we might put that environment together.

The first item we need for the greenhouse system is the structure itself. Luckily, our sponsor inherited a structure similar to one we might put together when they moved into their new headquarters (see image below). Our plan at the moment is to keep the structure as is, seeing as it should be able to house the FarmBot system with some minor adjustments. Should FarmBot prove to be too large for the structure, we may opt to raise the structure to accommodate this. Additionally, our sponsor has voiced a need for mobility so we will be adding wheels to the structure to ensure FarmBot can be relocated as needed.

As mentioned before, the greenhouse environment must be automated. Our sponsor would like a controlled environment that can also adjust to different variables. For example, one of our tasks is to install polycarbonate windows that can open and close automatically using servos or motors depending on a temperature threshold. On top of installing motors and a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor would also provide useful information.

Beyond preparing for the arrival of FarmBot, we discussed a new idea for a hydroponic prototype method during our meeting with our sponsors on 11/6. Over the course of the previous weeks, we had debated between purchasing a known, tested system in ZipGrow or creating our own using organic materials such as bamboo. Both options presented challenges so neither were the obvious solution for us. During this meeting however, we came to the realization that reusing water bottles for a hydroponic system might be the solution we were looking for.

In Venice, reliability on water bottles is common. Supermarkets sell large bottles of water for a really cheap price and, if you are to ask for water at a restaurant, they would likely provide you with bottled water there as well. Everyone on the Venice project has seen how this adds up, with immense amounts of water bottles taking over their apartments in just a few short weeks. Since one of our sponsor’s goals is to promote a circular economy (keeping resources in use for as long as possible) we decided that designing a system that capitalizes on our abundance in water bottles would be perfect.

As the end of week three approaches, we are optimistic about our progress thus far! Our ultimate goal that we are working towards is to have our robotic and hydroponic systems in place by the start of December, where they will be showcased at the company kickoff meeting for the grant. We plan to present our work to companies that our sponsor will be working with in the future as well as companies and individuals that we have worked with up to this point!