FLORA: The Smart Garden Weather Station and Soil Moisture Monitor
In 2022, Europe faced its worst drought in over four decades. This marked a significant turning point for sustainable gardening practices across the continent. Amidst this crisis, there is an emerging solution that empowers communities to be more resilient and adaptive to extreme climates: FLORA - A Smart Garden Weather Station with Soil Moisture Monitoring.
The Need for Water-Efficient Practices in Europe's Gardens, Allotments, and Small Farms
The current climate crisis has made it imperative to rethink our approach towards water management and conservation. With the recent drought conditions across Europe, there is an urgent need to implement sustainable practices that can ensure a reliable food supply while conserving precious resources. The project at hand seeks to address this by creating smarter gardens and farms that are efficient in their use of water, thereby mitigating the risks associated with climate change-induced adversities.
Introducing FLORA: A Proof of Concept for Sustainable Gardening
FLORA is an innovative prototyping platform designed to enhance garden and farm productivity while promoting water conservation and sustainability. Built around a low-cost ESP32 SoC, it supports WiFi, BLE, and LoRa connectivity for efficient communication with other smart devices on the same network frequency band up to 3 km away. e
The platform includes an ambient sensor and various inputs for integrating soil moisture sensors, providing a comprehensive view of environmental factors that influence plant growth. The goal is not just about making gardens more efficient; it's also about bringing communities back in control of their food production systems by making gardening processes rewarding and as effortless as possible.
What Makes FLORA Unique?
Long Range Communication: With the LoRa module, FLORA offers long-range communication up to approximately 2 miles/3 km. This feature is particularly beneficial for expansive gardens or allotments that require monitoring over larger areas without compromising on connectivity.
Soil Moisture Sensor Integration: The companion soil moisture sensor, based on capacitive sensing technology and insulated to prevent corrosion, provides real-time data about the water content in the top layer of the soil. This information is essential for optimizing irrigation practices and avoiding unnecessary water wastage.
Solar Power: FLORA runs on a solar panel powered by coin cell batteries, ensuring it operates sustainably without relying on conventional energy sources.
Vinduino Project Inspiration
The inspiration behind the design of FLORA comes from Reinier van der Lee's project, Vinduino, which showcases how simple electronics sensors can significantly reduce water usage in agriculture by up to 25%. The underlying principles and technologies have been adapted for use in gardening applications.
Building on Plant-Bot Project Experience
Reinier's experience with the Plant-Bot project laid a solid foundation for designing FLORA, allowing it to evolve into an outdoor-focused system that caters specifically to multiple plants and gardens.
Key Features of FLORA:
Compatibility with WiFi, BLE, and LoRa connectivity for seamless communication
Temperature accuracy within 0.3°C and humidity accuracy up to 3% RH using the SHT20 sensor
Capable of integrating various soil moisture sensors with capacitive-based technology
Long-range communication capabilities, extending FLORA's coverage area significantly
Efficient energy consumption powered by a solar panel and coin cell battery system
User-friendly design that empowers gardeners to take control of their plant care processes
Versatility in customization and integration with other smart devices within the same network frequency band
Specification Details:
Microcontroller: ESP32-WROOM-32E
WiFi Support: 802.11b/g/n standard
Bluetooth Capabilities: BLE 4.2 version
Flash Memory: 8MB capacity for firmware storage and execution
Programming Interface: USB over UART (CP2102) for direct programming and control
Environment Sensor: Incorporates the SHT20 sensor to measure temperature and humidity accurately
Soil Moisture Measurement: Utilizes capacitive sensing technology for reliable soil moisture readings