PLANT_SURVIVAL_SYSTEM

Team Details

Project Pics

Team DreamCatcher at Demo Day – showcasing their innovative plant monitoring system and receiving recognition for their work.

SIDE

Hardware views of the plant monitoring system – highlighting sensor integration, compact design, and component layout from multiple angles.

1. Video Presentation

2. Project Summary

Device Description

The Plant Survival System is a real-time environmental sensing and response unit designed to automate plant care and provide rich telemetry via the Internet. Built on a SAMD21 microcontroller with FreeRTOS, it integrates sensors and actuators for smart irrigation, climate monitoring, and deterrence systems.

We were inspired by the lack of reliable, scalable, and low-power plant monitoring solutions suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. This device helps automate watering, air quality tracking, and soil nutrient monitoring — solving problems for both hobbyists and agriculture tech use cases.

How the Internet Augments Functionality

The system uses Wi-Fi (via the SAMW25 chip) to send live sensor data to a Node-RED dashboard, enabling real-time remote monitoring. It also supports Over-The-Air (OTA) updates and email notifications, expanding usability and eliminating the need for physical intervention. All key data (e.g., soil moisture, air quality, NPK) is visualized remotely, enabling data-driven plant care.

Device Functionality

The device architecture includes:

Challenges

Prototype Learnings

If we built it again:

Next Steps & Takeaways

What We Learned in ESE5160

This course taught us complete embedded prototyping from hardware interfacing to cloud integration. We learned:

3. Hardware & Software Requirements

Hardware Requirements Specification (HRS)

Overview

The IoT Plant Monitoring System was developed for real-time plant health monitoring and management using a combination of sensors and actuators. The system was powered by the SAMW25 microcontroller, which provided integrated Wi-Fi communication for data sharing and supported peripherals for environmental monitoring and actuation.

The hardware integrated soil moisture sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, a light sensor, motion sensor, air quality sensor, and a soil NPK sensor. Actuators such as a water pump and motion deterrent system ensured automated responses. The system also featured a microSD card for efficient data logging.

Definitions and Abbreviations

Functional Requirements

Validation of Hardware

Hardware Requirements Review
HRS 01 Achieved.
HRS 02 Achieved.
HRS 03 Achieved.
HRS 04 Achieved.
HRS 05 Achieved.
HRS 06 Not achieved. The water pump does not deliver 500 ml/min. The water pump only delivers approximately 100 ml/min, as specified in the datasheet. The feature to determine whether to water based on the forecasted weather was not implemented.
HRS 07 Achieved.
HRS 08 Achieved.
HRS 09 Achieved.
HRS 10 Achieved. Data collected by NPK sensor and other sensors was able to be stored in SD card. The firmware image was able to stored in SD card.
HRS 11 Achieved.
HRS 12 Achieved.
HRS 13 Achieved.
HRS 14 Achieved.
HRS 15 Achieved.

Software Requirements Specification (SRS)

Overview

The system software managed real-time sensor data collection, automated actuation, and remote monitoring through Wi-Fi. It was developed using FreeRTOS and integrated cloud support.

Definitions and Abbreviations

Functional Requirements

Validation of Software

Software Requirements Review
SRS 01 Achieved. All data were collected every 5 seconds and displayed on the serial terminal and Node-REsD dashboard.
SRS 02 Achieved. All data were displayed on the Node-RED dashboard which is shown in the Node-RED dashboard images.
SRS 03 Achieved. NPK level was measured every 5 seconds and stored in SD card. Email notification was sent when nutrient levels dropped as shown in video.
SRS 04 Achieved. The water pump was activated when soil moisture measured below 400 capacitive value as shown in video.
SRS 05 Not achieved. The PIR motion sensor activate a buzzer, fan, and servo for 5 seconds. However, the button to stop the motion deterrent system was not implemented. To tackle this we used a shade to block the motion sensor filed of view.
SRS 06 Achieved. The firmware update and gold image copying were initiated via buttons on the Node-RED dashboard.
SRS 07 Achieved. An email notification was successfully sent to the address entered by the user in Node-RED when a critical condition occurred.
SRS 08 Achieved. The real-time data from the sensors were displayed on gauges on website. The historical data were displayed on line charts. The LED indicates system status of actuators.
SRS 09 Not achieved. Data collected by NPK sensor and other sensors was able to be stored in SD card. Data synced with cloud functionality when Wi-Fi was not implemented
SRS 10 Achieved. The fan was activated when motion was detected by motion sensor. The status of the fan is whether on or off is displayed on the Node-RED dashboard.

4. Project Photos & Screenshots

3D Model for Case

The Altium Board design in 2D view

OUTPUT JOB PDF

The Altium Board design in 3D view

3D PDF use Adobe

Design-to-hardware pipeline – starting with vector outlines in Adobe Illustrator, imported into SolidWorks for 3D modeling, then integrated into Altium Designer to finalize the board shape and electrical layout.

The standalone PCBA

Manufactured PCBAs – final assembled boards from our custom design, ready for integration and testing.

Thermal camera images while the board is running under load


System under load testing – validating sensor stability, power management, and communication reliability under operational conditions.

External sensor

External NPK sensor (UART, Model: DFROBOT SEN-0462) and soil moisture & humidity sensor (I2C, Model: Stemma) were used to monitor soil health while keeping the main board safe from moisture and corrosion.

Node-RED Dashboard:

Node-RED Dashboard

Node-RED Dashboard – visualizing real-time sensor data and system control interface for the plant monitoring application.

Node-RED Backend:

Node-RED Dashboard

Node-RED backend dashboard – featuring real-time visualization, control logic, and wireless data monitoring interface.

Block diagram of the system:

Hardware Setup

Comprehensive system diagram – illustrating the functional flow of data between sensors, microcontroller, communication modules, and cloud interface, along with power distribution showing how each component is powered within the plant monitoring setup.

5. Codebase

Task Breakdown

Task Description
SPI TASK SD Card communication
I2C Task SHT4x, Soil Sensor, SGP40 polling
ADC Task Photoresistor peak sampling
UART Task NPK sensor polling with timeout protection
Motion Handler Task Interrupt-based motion activation + actuation
Schedule Task Aggregates all sensors and manages pump logic

Notes