What it does
Modular Smart Garden System: Simplifies home growing with AI water-recycling irrigation, solo/cluster flexibility & smart controls. Offers fresh organic produce, companionship, and nature education, effortlessly enhancing healthy living.
Your inspiration
Born from urban fragmentation: disconnected nature, unmet generational needs, and unsustainable practices. Our modular design restores planting freedom—Lego-like adaptability eases space anxiety, medical ergonomics empower elders, aquaponics-inspired water recycling enables eco-efficiency, and toy-block logic sparks children’s exploration. Technology assists without replacing human touch: letting elders nurture life, aiding busy lives to harvest vitality, and guiding young hands to feel the soil’s breath.
How it works
Simply add water to the top reservoir to activate the system: AI identifies plant types in each module (e.g., frequent mist for vegetables/low volume for succulents) and pumps water through hidden tubes to micro-nozzles for precise spraying. Excess water drains along 15° leak-proof slanted bases into the collection tray, undergoing 3-stage purification (debris filtration → UV sterilization → mineral rebalancing) before being recycled to the reservoir (<5% loss). Each module self-regulates its environment—LEDs auto-adjust spectra (blue for seedlings/red for flowering), side vents activate <25dB silent fans when humidity >70%, and soil sensors notify nutrient needs. When used solo, foldable stands stabilize the pot, with a built-in USB-charged micro-tank (7-day battery) and AI switching to single-plant mode for seamless flexibility.
Design process
The design emerged from observing 42 urban families: 78% planting failures stemmed from complex maintenance (elders forgetting schedules/professionals traveling). The first vertical-farm prototype felt "too industrial"—elders feared circuits, kids called it a fridge. Pivoting to modular freedom, we drew inspiration from Chinese medicine cabinets and Lego: decoupling the system into standalone units, with the base as energy/water hub. The core challenge was leak-proof yet cleanable design—after 11 iterations, a 15° slanted base with silicone sealing reduced soil residue to <3%, while the slide-back cover cut elders' cleaning effort by 67%. The water loop borrowed from aquaponics, but traditional siphons were noisy (>45dB). We engineered split-chamber low-pressure pumps + sound-absorbing tubes to achieve <25dB operation. Materials used recycled ocean plastic and food-grade steel, with modular molds cutting production costs by 30%. Final testing involved Alzheimer’s patients confirming intuitive "slide-pour-clean" motions, and children assembling 3×3 gardens via block-like clasps.
How it is different
We disrupt smart gardening with "human-centric automation": While rivals swing from sterile black-box systems (killing engagement) to decorative pots (no tech), our true independent modules—each with onboard AI/battery—keep basil alive when traveling; Our active 3-stage water recycling (UV+mineral+filter) achieves 90% savings (vs. industry’s 45%), with transparent purifiers letting kids watch "dirty to clean" magic; We ditch complex apps via base light codes (blue=water OK/orange=clean needed) + tactile-groove lids (18mm spacing), enabling 70% physical control (100% success by Alzheimer’s users); Lower cost (recycled plastic + modular molds cut price 30%) yet delivers "negative-cost sustainability"—saved water trades for eco-seeds, where elders regain dignity in tactile cleaning, kids play-grow tomatoes, and professionals harvest worry-free basil.
Future plans
Next phases evolve the "home ecosystem hub": ① Add composting modules to convert kitchen waste into fertilizer via worms, closing 98% resource loops; ② Enhance cross-generational engagement—AR lenses diagnose pests (elders scan leaves for audio guidance), kids build 3D growth diaries; ③ Climate resilience: integrate condensation harvesting (water from air) and root-heating for cold zones; ④ Build community farming networks—users share surplus crops (order tomato modules from neighbors), water savings trade for city eco-points; ⑤ Material revolution: test mycelium biodegradable pots (buried post-use to nourish soil).
Awards
The Jingkai Cup National College Digital Art & Design Competition (2025) --Provincial Second Prize
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