"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 13 May 2003 23:19:11 -0400, "Ted Byers"
wrote:

Automated horticulture is the solution.

Quite right.

I can envision a future in which each plant is tended by a solar
powered computerized system capable of sensing environmental
conditions and adjusting them to remain within preset bounds.
Irrigation, temperature, illumination, humidity, air movement,
nutrition, all independently manipulated optimally for each plant by
simple off-the-shelf technology available today.


Where can you find this kind of hardware off the shelf.

Thermostats and thermistors are readily available, as are photocells,
humidistats, fans. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of electronics
can cobble together a circuit that will sense the resistance between
two electrodes imbedded in the potting medium to sense moisture.
[snip]
If you can't find sensors available that are dedicated to the purpose
you need, construct your own from discrete parts.

But that is "the hard part". While I can get a computer to do literally
anything I want, just by writing a program to do it (I can even get a
computer to exhibit behaviours as complex as those of almost any animal; a
fact which raises countless interesting philosophical questions we probably
should avoid in this forum), I would likely be quite dangerous trying to put
together a circuit of any kind. Or maybe it is a question of simply never
having done it before. Do you know of any good reference books which would
show me how? I can read, and follow instructions accompanied by diagrams,
so maybe there is hope ...

The programming side is easy. And I can see the technology being
modular,
and therefore quite scalable from something small enough for a single
african violet to something large enough to handle the largest orchid
collection imaginable. I can even see a future in which such hardware is
connected to a relational database containing data documenting optimal
growing environments for each species/variety/grex/&c., at least given
common experience with the plants, so that all one need do is enter the
names of the plants being maintained and the computer will either tell
you
that it isn't possible to keep the named species together because the
best
environment for one will kill the other, or compute the best environment
to
keep all identified plants happy

What you describe is doable today.

Yes, I expected as much. Certainly the software involved is easy to
implement. While I expect the hardware required is available, my complete
lack of electrical engineering background puts me at a loss.


When the marketplace is willing to pay for such technology, the
products will appear. Until then, we'll have to develop our own
automated systems.

Yes, but I suspect that the development of a prototype or two will stimulate
both the early development of a market and the availability of more hardware
that could be used in our products.

Perhaps you'll find some useful information he
http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes10.c...category/ln/en


Thanks, I'll take a look.

Cheers,

Ted