Plant Carousel

Adeline Ripberger, Ariana Dyer, Calli Sipin, Ellen Chen, Louis Li, Melanie Alpert

Problem Statement

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We have designed a product that allows the user to own plants and fresh herbs while requiring very little maintenance. It is small enough to fit on a countertop, does not require a significant amount of energy, and is able to water itself. This product is designed to lessen the amount of time that the user has to spend caring for the plants while still enjoying the benefits of indoor gardening!

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Project Design

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Project Design

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Design Elements

Social Relevance: Mental and Physical Wellbeing

• Improved Productivity ¹
• Reduces Stress ¹
• Increased Pain Tolerance ¹
• Improved mental health ^2,5
• ^{Improves symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders}
• Improved physical health ⁵
• ^{Improves pain tolerance and is correlated with faster postoperative recovery.}

Social Relevance: Urban Settings

• Decrease ⁷
• Mortality rate
• Violence
• Crime (7-8%) ⁸
• Violent and property
• Increase ⁷
• Mood
• Physical activity

Social Relevance: Time and Space

• Only 30% of households have 1+ plants ³
• Lack of time ⁴
• Other activities/obligations
• Learning how to maintain plants
• Opportunity cost is too high
• Lack of space ⁴
• Small residences
• Urban areas

Digital Element

• Continuous servo motor and pump controlled by Arduino code
• Uses variables inputted by user from control panel
• Control panel GUI coded in Matlab

void loop() {

controlVal = analogRead(controlPin)

while(controlVal > 0){

for(pos = 0; pos <=360; pos++){

myservo.write(pos);

delay((60000/360)/controlVal);

}

pos = 0; //resets pos variable to o

}

delay(10);

}

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Theoretical Element

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Weight: (R²-r²)*h*π*𝜌 Moment of Inertia: M*r²

Angular Velocity: ⍵=𝚹/t Angular Acceleration: ∝=⍵/t

Rotational Torque: T = I∝ Friction Torque = Tf = μMgr

• Required torque of motor
• Weight of each component
• Moment of inertia
• Angular acceleration
• Frictional torque
• Reduce friction coefficient
• Ball bearings

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Cost Analysis: Manufacturing Methods

• Injection Molding
• Upfront Costs
• Long-term Savings
• Most accurate method of calculating costs
• 5000 Plant Carousel sample

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Cost Analysis: Additional Costs

• Bulk pricing
• 10% size increase correlates with a 5% price decrease
• Labor Costs
• 24% Profit Margin
• Average profit is 10-15% for small businesses

So how do we compare…….

Average Competitor Cost: $303.07

**Not all Competitors Shown

Future Work

• Design:
• Size Variety
• Auto-Fertilization Feature
• Interface:
• More Rotation/Watering Settings
• App Component

Thank you!

Works Cited

1. Lohr, V.I. (2010). WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PLANTS INDOORS AND WHY DO WE RESPOND POSITIVELY TO THEM?. Acta Hortic. 881, 675-682 DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.881.111 https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.881.111
2. Charles Hall, Melinda Knuth; An Update of the Literature Supporting the Well-Being Benefits of Plants: A Review of the Emotional and Mental Health Benefits of Plants. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 1 March 2019; 37 (1): 30–38. doi: https://doi.org/10.24266/0738-2898-37.1.30
3. Cohen, Paul. “Gardening Reaches an All Time High.” GlobeNewswire News Room, Garden Research, 18 Apr. 2018, www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/04/18/1480986/0/en/Gardening-Reaches-an-All-Time-High.html.
4. Beytes, Chris. “A College Class Asks: Why Don't People Garden?” GrowerTalks, www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=20101.
5. Okvat, H.A., Zautra, A.J. Community Gardening: A Parsimonious Path to Individual, Community, and Environmental Resilience. Am J Community Psychol 47, 374–387 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-010-9404-z
6. Korpela, Kalevi, et al. “Nature at Home and at Work: Naturally Good? Links between Window Views, Indoor Plants, Outdoor Activities and Employee Well-Being over One Year.” Landscape and Urban Planning, Elsevier, 29 Dec. 2016, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204616302717.
7. Kondo, M.C.; Fluehr, J.M.; McKeon, T.; Branas, C.C. Urban Green Space and Its Impact on Human Health. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 445. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030445
8. Sullivan, William C, and Frances E Kuo. “Environment and Crime in the Inner City: Does Vegetation Reduce Crime? - Frances E. Kuo, William C. Sullivan, 2001.” SAGE Journals, journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0013916501333002.

Works Cited (continued)

9. “Moment of Inertia Formulas.” Physics About, 11 July 2020, physicsabout.com/moment-of-inertia/.

10. “Bearing Friction.” Machine Design, 15 Nov. 2002, www.machinedesign.com/mechanical-motion-systems/bearings/article/21812621/bearing-friction#:~:text=Friction%20coefficient%20is%20generally%20below,to%200.3%20for%20self%2Dlubrication.

11. “Universal Potting Soil 70/30.” Ferm O Feed, 23 Aug. 2018, www.fermofeed.com/products/substrates/universal-potting-soil.

12. “PVC Properties.” Vinidex Pty Ltd, 4 Dec. 2019, www.vinidex.com.au/technical-resources/material-properties/pvc-properties/.

13. Cautero, R. (2021, February 28). Is your costco habit of buying in bulk costing you? Retrieved April 25, 2021, from https://www.thebalance.com/how-much-does-buying-in-bulk-save-you-4165997

14. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2021, from https://projects.icomold.com/CustomerAddPart.aspx?quotenum=U-210422144304&customerid=36856