OVERVIEW

PLANT GROWTH FACTORS

Just like the human body requires optimum nutritional, environmental and various other optimum conditions for general well-being and growth, plants also need certain optimum conditions that promote their growth depending on the sources available for their survival. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Lighting Adequate light is perhaps one of the most important factors influencing plant growth and it is he quantity, quality and duration of light exposure is what matters. Various light sources can be used to provide light to the plants and the sources of light can be classified as natural and artificial sources. The natural source of light is the sun whereas the artificial sources include various types of lighting equipment. Lighting classification: Full Sun - At least six hours of direct sunlight Light Shade - About six hours of direct sunlight or lightly dappled shade throughout the day. Partial Shade - About four to six hours of direct sunlight or moderately dappled shade throughout the day. Full Shade - Less than four hours of direct sunlight or heavily dappled shade throughout the day Temperature Most plants prefer an optimal range of temperatures; the range may be wide, narrow, high, or low depending on the species. Some are susceptible to frost or cold damage while some require periodic extreme cold conditions. Plants are often classified by their cold and frost tolerances into hardy, half-hardy, tender, and very tender types. Humidity Moisture is a very important factor in growth of plants and is defined as the ratio of water vapor in the air to the amount of water in the air. The relative humidity in the air is used by the plants and is crucial for the transpiration of the plants. Transpiration is at its peak cutting hot, windy and dry days while transpiration slows down during cool and humid days.

Carbon dioxide and Oxygen The manufacturing of sugar by plants requires the presence of carbon dioxide and hence it is one of the vital elements for plant growth. It is a known fact that plants can use as much as 1500 parts per million of carbon dioxide. In case the natural carbon dioxide available in the air is not enough, there exist Carbon dioxide injectors that promote enhanced plant growth. Oxygen is essential for plant respiration and utilization of photosynthesis byproducts. NUTRIENT FACTORS Water Every species has their own water preferences and tolerances. Careful attention to the need for supplemental water can help you select plants that need a minimum of irrigation to perform well in the garden. Macronutrient The nutrients that are required by plants in larger quantities are termed as the macronutrients. There are six elements in the soil that are termed as macronutrients these are Nitrogen (N), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), and Sulfur (S). Micronutrient The nutrients that are required in smaller quantities by the plants are called the micronutrients. There exist eight elements, which are termed as the micronutrients. The seven micronutrients include iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn), boron (B), copper (Cu), and chlorine (Cl).

PLANTWATCH SYSTEM

WHAT IS PLANTWATCH Plantwatch is a Garden Monitoring System that helps gardeners detect condition of plants in their gardens based on environmental and nutrient factors; and provide them with nescessary information to improve their garden health. Plantwatch is usable for both household and commercial gardens. HOW IT WORKS Plantwatch functions in 4 steps: 1. Examine climate condition to determine environmental factors. 2. Collect current nutrient factors information of users plants. 3. Utilize these information and match them with specific plant species requirement. 4. Notify user tasks needed to improve their plant health. SYSTEM COMPONENTS Plantwatch Detector Detector, a censoring stick-form device, examines nutrient condition of plants soil and transmits these information to the Smart Pad. Factors examined by the detector are: water, macronutrient (N, K, Mg, Ca, P, and S), and micronutrient (Fe, Zn, Mn, Mo, B, Cu, Cl). Detector comes in 2 forms (7in and 10in), run by solar energy, and can be used in individual plant pot or a ground-level area of similar plants. Plantwatch Smart Pad Smart Pad is a wifi handheld tablet that serves as a global device utilizing all system data. Smart Pad has 3 main functions: Gather information detected from the environment (climate condition including temperate, humidity, sunlight exposure and air quality), and data received from the detectors (water, macro and micro nutrient condition) Compile data and match them with specific plants requirement based on an input code Compute necessary tasks for user based on processed data

Species Code Chart Species Code Chart is a table of systematic codes of plant species that Plantwatch system supports. When adding a new plant to the system, user will be asked to input a code of the plant found in this chart. This code helps the Smart Pad to match data with the right requirement for the plant. Plantwatch App The Plantwatch App lets user monitor their garden remotely on mobile devices. Though having similar interface, the app cannot function as a Smart Pad since it only acquires information that had been processed by the pad. SYSTEM DEMONSTRATION SMART PAD

Health Report
Left Rose
Group: Window
Detector code: PW0327 Category: Shrub - Rosa Date added: July 14, 2012 Edit

ENVIRONMENT
Macronutrients
NitrogenP hosphorous PotassiumC alcium Magnesium Sulfur

Micronutrients

BoronC

opper

Chloride

Iron

Manganese

Molybdenum

Zinc

Notification
- This plant is drying

Beautiful Flower

DETECTOR

USER

GC000

PLANT

MOBILE APP

SPECIFICATION
8 in 1.5 in 0.35 in

Signal Button with Imprinted Code Power Button

PW483

7 in Short Form Long Form

Screen Brightness Adjustment

10 in

10.5 in

Censoring Component Water-proof Rubber Duo-tone LCD screen

DETECTORS

SMART PAD

INTERFACE FLOWCHART

Sign-in

Home

New Plant

Dashboard

Task

Health Report

INTERFACE

GETTING STARTED

welcome to

Upon purchasing, a user is required to register their Smart Pads with an associated account in order to have their garden data and purchase history automatically backed-up on plantwatch server. At first launch, user is asked to sign in using their account ID, Password and a 4-digit PIN number provided at registering. A Smart Pad can only be used for one account. Disconnecting the device from an associated account will cause all existing detectors to lose connection with its central device. Therefore, sign-in is a one-time-only attempt without a sign-off option. Resetting a device can only be performed at the Plantwatch shop. However, user can monitor different gardens with different accounts on the Plantwactch mobile app.

Account Access User ID: Password: Pin:

Log in

8:53 AM
CURRENT CONDITION
9 AM 1 0 AM 1 1 AM 1 2 PM 1 PM

HOME Home screen features climate data of current environment in ones garden. These information include:
Weather - 6 hour range Temperature - Celsius & Fahrenheit Sun Exposure - Full Sun/Light Shade/Partial Shade/Full Shade Air Quality - CO2 and O2 Humidity

Temperature

Sun Exposure

From home screen user can navigate to 3 tabs: New Plant - Add a new plant into the system Dashboard - Global look of your garden

42 F | 6 C
Air Quality Humidity

Task - To-do list to improve garden health

51%
5

New Plant

Dashboard

Task

New Plant
Remember to WRITE YOUR PLANTS NAME on this stick

ADD NEW PLANT

New Plant

INPUT IMPRITED CODE on your plantwatch detector

Use , and - to add multiple devices ex: GC039, PW841 = add GC039 & PW841 PW841-843 = add PW841 & PW842 & PW843

User starts running plantwatch by adding new plants 1 INPUT IMPRITED CODE Remember to on your plantwatch detector WRITE YOUR to the system. By touching the New Plant icon one Added: PLANTS NAME FR026,be DH315, DH316, DH317 the home screen, user will taken to the New Plant on this stick tab. On this tab, there is a step-by-step guide to connect the detector and place them into a plants soil. 2 Stick detector into the soil 1. Connect detector(s) by inputting code(s) imprinted 3 INPUT PLANT INFORMATION on the button on the next screen Mutiple detectors can be inputted at once: using , Continue for devices with different codes (ex: typing GC039, PW841 will add GC039 and PW841) or - for devices that are in a range of codes (ex: typing DH315-7 will add DH315, DH316 and DH317). 1 2 adding 3 4codes, 5 62 turns 7 8 9 20 X C user V to After blue indicating follow step. Q W the E nexts R T Y
& PRESS SIGNAL BUTTON

FR026, DH315-7

GC000

GC000

2 Stick detector into the soil & PRESS SIGNAL BUTTON 3 INPUT PLANT INFORMATION on the next screen

Continue

1 Q A

2 W S

3 E D

4 R F

5 T G

6 Y H

7 U J

8 I K

9 O L
5

0 P Z

X B

C N

V M

U J

I K

O L
5

P Z

New Plant
Remember to WRITE YOUR PLANTS NAME on this stick

INPUT IMPRITED CODE on your plantwatch detector

Added: FR026, DH315, DH316, DH317

843

2. Stick detector(s) into the soil & press signal button. It takes a short moment for detectors signal to be transmitted to Smart Pad. After Smart Pad receives signals from all detectors, step 3 will turn blue. 3. Input plant information. Continue button will then be enabled. By that time user should have their plants name written on its detector in order to input right information on the next screen. User should also determine how to group their plants.

+
2 Stick detector into the soil & PRESS SIGNAL BUTTON 3 INPUT PLANT INFORMATION on the next screen

GC000

Continue

V M

1 Q A

2 W S

3 E D

4 R F

5 T G

6 Y H

7 U J

8 I K

9 O L
5

0 P Z

X B

C N

V M

Plant Info
Detector Code: PW841 Disconnect Date Added: JUNE 03, 2012 Previous

Stages of inputting multiple plant info 1st plant inputted

Finish

Next

GROUP
Limit 10 characters. Ex: Backyard, Door, Plot 1, Plot 2, etc

After 1st plant inputted

NAME
Limit 20 characters

Previous

Finish

Next

CATEGORY CODE
Look up plantwatch Species Code Chart

Last plant inputted

Previous Previous

Finish

Next

Finish

Next

NEW PLANT INFORMATION

At this stage user is able to input information for all the plants they had added in the previous step at once. Plants are shown in alphabetical order of their codes. Detector Code and Date are automatically added. User can switch or cancel connecting a detector by choosing Disconect right next to the code. Group Plant info starts with group name. Grouping helps users who have big garden or who place their plants in mutiple locations to identify and locate plants. Group names are suggested to be types of plant or locations (ex: Rose, Daisy, Window, Entrance, Balcony, Plot 1, Plot 2, etc.) Name Plant name is limited to 20 charcters including space. Two plant in a group cannot have the same name. Catergory code This code can be found in the Species Code Chart that came with the device. User has to look up codes that match the species of their plants. As a matter of fact, plantwatch only works with plant species listed in this chart. User should look for updated Species Code Chart regularly on the website or check with the saleclerk at purchase if their plants are supported. Upon finishing adding these information, user will be taken to the plants Health Report screen if only one plant is added. When multiple plants are added, user will be directed to the Dashboard.

Dashboard
View by: Group | Health Edit Arrangement

Dashboard
View by: Group | Health Done Editing

WINDOW
Left Rose Left Lily

WINDOW
Left Rose Right Lily Left Lily

Right Rose

Right Lily

Right Rose

BALCONY
Yellow Daisy 1 Yellow Daisy 2

BALCONY
Yellow Daisy 1 Yellow Daisy 2

Pink Petunia 1

Pink Petunia 2

Pink Petunia 1

Pink Petunia 2

Purple Petunia 1

Purple Petunia 2
5

Purple Petunia 1

Purple Petunia 2
5

DASHBOARD
Dashboard is the most important feature of the Smart Pad. Users monitor their garden mostly by looking at dashboard where essential information of plant health such as water level, macro and micro nutrient condition is presented. Group view In this mode, plants are arranged in groups. By default, they are in order of date added.However, user can change this order by dragging plants around in the Edit Arrangement option. Plants can be switched within a group or move to another group. Health view Health view mode arranges plants in order of attention needed. This mode helps user keep track of plants that are not in healthy condition.

Dashboard
View by: Group | Health

ATTENTION NEEDED
Left Rose
Group: Window

Right Lily
Group: Window

Pink Petunia 2
Group: Balcony

Purple Petunia 2
Group: Balcony

CONDITION CHANGE SOON

Tomorrow
Left Lily
Group: Window

In 3 days
Front LiLy 1
Group: Entrance

Front LiLy 2
Group: Entrace

Tasks
View by: Group | Task

TASK
Task screen is a to-do list of garden work needed. By default, tasks are listed in order of difficulty. Watering is the easiest task, adding macronutrient need more work and adding micronutrient is the most difficult.

WATER
Window | Left Rose

MACRONUTRIENT
Balcony | Pink Petunia 1 Low on Calcium Balcony | Purple Petunia 2 Low on Nitrogen

Like dashboard, there is also an option to view tasks by group. This mode helps users to get tasks done in one place then move on to another. By predicting weather condition and plant nutrient condition, Smart Pad also lists out tasks needed to be done in the coming time ranging from 3 days to one week. Taking advantage of these prediction, users are able to plan ahead for garden work. To save energy, detectors only update plants data hourly. When a task is checked as completed, Smart Pad will direct the detector to run an imediate update.

MICRONUTRIENT
Window | Right Lily Low on Iron Balcony | Pink Petunia 1 Low on Chloride

Today

In 3 days

Next week

Health Report
Left Rose
Group: Window
Detector code: PW0327 Category: Shrub - Rosa Date added: July 14, 2012 Edit

HEALTH REPORT
Health Report is specific condition report of an individual plant. While dashboard only shows sumarized information of macro and micronutrient, in this Health Report user can find detail information of these nutrient factors. In this screen view, there is an editting mode in which Smart Pad directs user back to the Plant Information screen where they can change plants name and group, switch or cancel a detector by editing detector code. Notification tells user task(s) needed to be done for the plant.

Macronutrients

Nitrogen

Phosphorous

Potassium

Calcium

Magnesium

Sulfur

Micronutrients

Boron

Copper

Chloride

Iron

Manganese

Molybdenum

Zinc

Notification
- This plant is drying

MOBILE APP

THE PLANTWATCH APP This app is a remote view of the Smart Pad. It adapts the interface of the Smart Pad though cannot function as one. The Plantwatch app only acquires information that the Smart Pad had processed in order for users to monitor their garden virtually. It cannot receive data from the detectors as well as detect climate condition at the garden. The Plantwatch app shows real-time climate condition at the monitoring garden as well as dashboard and plant health reports. Though having the Smart Pads interface, certain features are disabled on the Plantwatch App. Users are not able to add new plant or edit information via Plantwatch app. However, they can check tasks as completed and data will be transfered to the Smart Pad. While a Smart Pad can only work with its associated account, the Plantwatch app is accessible to multiple accounts. It also displays purchase history associated with an account in order to better assist users experience.