Jia-Hao Chang

Introduction

In this 18-week program, I have learned a lot of digital manufacturing techniques. About the final project, I made a hydroponic system called “aquaponics system” in Taiwan usually. General hydroponic system is combined by several big boxes, which is too monotonous, boring and unsightly, and lacking of interaction with human beings, As a result I have built up this hydroponic system as a landscaping of green wall, which is installed with different sensors and micro-controllers to achieve the function of automation. Wood used as the pool and the main framework is covered by transparent plastic cloth to avoid moldy decaying in the part of the wet. The pool water will be pumped to a filter tank made of plastic boxes in the top, and the filtered water will be flow out from the hole located in the side of the tank. Eventually, the water will fall back to the pool – just like a waterfall, completing a cycle. Plants grown in the farming tube combinated by PVC pipe, are hanging verticaily on the guideway. The guideway group is driven by a DC motor. In addition to the speed reducer itself, an additional the speed reducer group is combined by 3D printing and rubber bands together. The sliding block is applied by 3D printer to print out the needed shape as well, including bushing block and screw nut inside. When the spinning of the motor drives the rotation of bolt, the sliding block can be moved the front and rear on the sliding bar, and links the farming tube. I added the self-made humidity sensors on the tube to detect the adequacy of water via using the voltage difference and to collect data from self-made micro-control panel. When moisture content falls below a certain value, the motor will drive the sliding block to back to the waterfall with the farming tube in the progress of drip irrigation. When the drip irrigation is enough, the farming tube will return to the normal position that will not touch the water, and achieve the control of moisture in order to avoid plants’ death due to too much or too less moisture. The communicate between several control board used in the whole process is I2C. The information about the environment , including temperature, humidity and light is collected by Satchakit and then sent to cell phone. The pool can be used to fish farming, and the waste of fish can be the plant’s nutrient after bacterial digestion. Therefore, just providing the feed, plants can obtain the nutrients to grow via water circulation.
After this program, I would like to add some functions on it such as solar power and rain recycle system. Storing and using solar power can reduce the additional consumption of electricity. Similarly, it will be more environment friendly if the source of circulating water is collected from rain.

在長達18個星期的課程中，學習到各種不同的製造技術，最終的專案我做了一座水耕系統，台灣常稱魚菜共生系統。一般的水耕系統多為數個大箱子組合而成，過於單調且乏味，不美觀也缺乏與人的互動性，所以打造這一座植栽牆造景的水耕系統，並使用許多感測器及微控制器達到自動化功能。機構上使用木頭做為水池及主要的框架，會碰到水的部分使用透明塑膠布包覆，避免沾濕後發霉腐朽，水池的水將由幫浦抽至上層的塑膠盒所製成的過濾槽，過濾後的水將由塑膠盒側邊所開孔洞流出，最後如同瀑布般由高處掉落回水槽，完成循環。植物種在由PVC管所組合而成的養殖管，垂直吊立於滑軌上。此滑軌組由直流馬達帶動，除馬達本身減速機外，額外減速機組由3D列印及橡皮筋組合而成。滑塊亦由3D列印出所需的形狀，內部包含軸承及螺母。當馬達轉動帶動牙條旋轉時，滑塊可於滑桿上前後移動，下方則連接上養殖管。我在管上加裝了自製的溼度感應器，利用電壓差感知水分是否足夠，並由自製的微控制板收集資料，當水分低於一定數值時，驅動馬達使滑塊帶著養殖管退到瀑布牆，進行水的澆灌；當澆灌足夠時，養殖管再回到正常不碰到水位置，達到水分控制的功能，避免植物太多或太少的水分而死亡。整個過程使用到數塊為控制板，其相互的通訊使用I2C，並且也收集環境溫度、濕度、光照等資訊，由satshakit收集後由藍芽發送至手機。水池用來養殖魚類，魚的排泄物經由細菌消化後，將成為植物的養分，如此一來只要給予飼料，植物同樣可獲的養分而成長，藉由水的循環而帶動。
後續我會想再加上太陽能發電及雨水回收。利用太陽能儲存電力並使用，減少額外電力的消耗。同樣，循環的水也取自於雨水的收集，更趨環保綠能的精神。

BOM:

Skill cover & Manufacture

Final project slide

Final project video clip