•

•

•

Published February 13, 2025

Sustainable technology in Urban Farming

Our aim is to design a low-cost smart watering system, which creates an eco-friendly, efficient and healthy growing environment for plants.

BeginnerShowcase (no instructions)92

Things used in this project

Hardware components

M5Stack FIRE IoT Development Kit (PSRAM 2.0)

SG90 Micro-servo motor

M5Stack Earth Module Grove Compatible Soil monitoring

M5Stack ENV III Unit with Temperature Humidity Air Pressure Sensor (SHT30+QMP6988)

M5Stack RGB Unit with NeoPixel RGB LED (SK6812)

M5Stack Light Unit with Photo-resistance

M5Stack I2C Hub 1 to 6 Expansion TCA9548A Module

Software apps and online services

fritzing

web uniflow

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Scissors, Free Fall

Tape, Clear

Hot glue gun (generic)

Story

Urban farming have been faces and brought many impact to the environment such as using exccesive water and high cost. Our aim for this project is to design a low-cost smart watering system which waters the plants depending on soil moisture, creating an eco-friendly, efficient and healthy growing environment for plants. By doing so, it can help reudce the stress of Urban farmers and use tecnology more sustainable.

Our Objectives:

Create a project that is more cost-effective and helps to save time
Reduce the risk of excessive and insufficient watering by creating a more reliable and consistent watering schedule using the M5Stack
Provides adjustable LED grow lights to ensure plants receive the proper light spectrum (blue and red) for optimal growth, even in areas with limited natural sunlight.

Research:

Urban farming uses high technology to create a healthy environment for plants, which results in a high set-up as well as maintainence cost.
In urban environments, many spaces may lack access to sufficient natural sunlight, especially for indoor farming or small spaces like balconies and rooftops. Buildings, walls, and other structures can block sunlight, limiting the amount of light available for plant growth.
An automated timer system can be implemented to the automatic watering systems, so it helps save time. As it delivers water directly to the roots, reducing water loss such that there is no need for frequent watering.

Our Project:

Sensor-
Auto watering function - Using the Earth Sensor to detect the mositure level, plants are able to get watered when low amount of water is detected in the soil
Light Sensor - RGB will light up when light sensor detect low amount of light. User are able to choose between white, red, blue light by pressing the M5Stack Button

Final Presentation

1 / 2 • Prototype

Main M5Stack

Secondary M5Stack

Schematics

Code

from m5stack import *
from m5ui import *
from uiflow import *
import time
import unit
remoteInit()
import machine

setScreenColor(0x222222)
env2_0 = unit.get(unit.ENV2, unit.PORTA)
earth_0 = unit.get(unit.EARTH, unit.PORTB)


var_mositure = None
Temp = None
Humi = None



label2 = M5TextBox(210, 87, "label2", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label3 = M5TextBox(19, 139, "Temperature Status", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label4 = M5TextBox(59, 170, "label4", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label7 = M5TextBox(36, 17, "Temperature Reading:", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label0 = M5TextBox(210, 16, "label0", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label8 = M5TextBox(59, 53, "Humidity Reading:", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label9 = M5TextBox(59, 87, "Moisture Reading:", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label1 = M5TextBox(210, 53, "label1", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label5 = M5TextBox(218, 139, "Soil Status", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label6 = M5TextBox(230, 170, "label6", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)


# Describe this function...
def Sensors():
  global var_mositure, Temp, Humi
  var_mositure = earth_0.analogValue
  Humi = env2_0.humidity
  Temp = env2_0.temperature
  label0.setText(str(Temp))
  label1.setText(str(Humi))
  label2.setText(str(var_mositure))

# Describe this function...
def Temperature_Check():
  global var_mositure, Temp, Humi
  if Temp > 30:
    rgb.setColorAll(0xff0000)
    label4.setText('Too hot')
  elif Temp < 20:
    rgb.setColorAll(0x33cc00)
    label4.setText('Too cold')
  else:
    label4.setText('Okay')
    rgb.setColorAll(0x66ff99)
  wait(0.5)

# Describe this function...
def Moisture_Check():
  global var_mositure, Temp, Humi
  if var_mositure < 10:
    speaker.tone(1800, 200)
    label6.setText('Need Water')
  else:
    label6.setText('Okay')



def gauge_Temperature_callback():
  global var_mositure, Temp, Humi, env2_0, earth_0, Moisture_Check, Sensors, Temperature_Check 
  return Temp
def gauge_Moisture_callback():
  global var_mositure, Temp, Humi, env2_0, earth_0, Moisture_Check, Sensors, Temperature_Check 
  return var_mositure
def gauge_Humidity_callback():
  global var_mositure, Temp, Humi, env2_0, earth_0, Moisture_Check, Sensors, Temperature_Check 
  return Humi
rgb.setColorAll(0x66ff99)
label4.setText('Okay')
label6.setText('Okay')
while True:
  Sensors()
  wait(0.5)
  Temperature_Check()
  Moisture_Check()
  wait_ms(2)

from m5stack import *
from m5ui import *
from uiflow import *
from servo import Servo
import time
import unit


setScreenColor(0x222222)
pahub_0 = unit.get(unit.PAHUB, unit.PORTA, 0x70)
pbhub_0 = unit.get(unit.PBHUB, unit.PAHUB0)
rfid_0 = unit.get(unit.RFID, unit.PAHUB1)
rgb_0 = unit.get(unit.RGB, unit.PORTB)


light_intensity = None
card_num = None



label0 = M5TextBox(61, 126, "label0", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label1 = M5TextBox(180, 40, "RFID Status", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label2 = M5TextBox(203, 84, "label2", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label3 = M5TextBox(186, 126, "RGB Color", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label4 = M5TextBox(203, 166, "label4", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label5 = M5TextBox(46, 84, "Light Reading:", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)


# Describe this function...
def Light():
  global light_intensity, card_num
  if light_intensity > 3800:
    rgb_0.setBrightness(20)
  else:
    rgb_0.setBrightness(0)

# Describe this function...
def Detect_Card():
  global light_intensity, card_num
  if rfid_0.isCardOn():
    label2.setText('Card is Found')
    if (rfid_0.readUid()) == card_num:
      speaker.tone(500, 200)
      rgb.setColorAll(0x33ff33)
      servo0.write_angle(90)
      wait(4)
      servo0.write_angle(180)
    else:
      label2.setText('Not recognised')
      speaker.sing(448, 4)
      wait(2)
  else:
    label2.setText('None')
    rgb.setColorAll(0xff0000)

# Describe this function...
def Choose_RGB_Color():
  global light_intensity, card_num
  if btnA.wasPressed():
    rgb_0.setColorFrom(1, 3, 0xff0000)
    label4.setText('Red')
  elif btnB.wasPressed():
    rgb_0.setColorFrom(1, 3, 0x33ffff)
    label4.setText('Blue')
  elif btnC.wasPressed():
    rgb_0.setColorFrom(1, 3, 0xffffff)
    label4.setText('white')



servo0 = Servo(17,50,500,2500,180)
servo0.write_angle(180)
rgb_0.setColorFrom(1, 3, 0xff0000)
rgb_0.setBrightness(0)
rgb.setColorAll(0xff0000)
label4.setText('Red')
while True:
  card_num = 'e0e61b4f52'
  light_intensity = pbhub_0.analogRead(0)
  label0.setText(str(light_intensity))
  Detect_Card()
  Light()
  Choose_RGB_Color()
  wait_ms(2)

Sustainable technology in Urban Farming