“SmartMali”: an ESP8266-Automated Gardening System

Having green spaces in modern urban environments is key to maintaining a happy and healthy lifestyle. However, plants and flowers need attention and special conditions, in order for them to be able to grow and look beautiful.

Maintaining a small garden at home can also be a very rewarding experience. Yet, the pace of modern life gives little to no chances of keeping up with the needs of our plants. Ever so often, people are enthusiastic about starting a garden, but then are taken aback by the responsibilities behind such a project. Or, even worse, some people start gardening and, then, forget to pay the necessary attention to their plants until it is too late, thus being left with pile of yellow greenery. The main reasons for dying plants are excessive or limited watering, as well as temperature and light issues. Some plants need more light, while some may need less. Air temperature and humidity are also important factors.

SmartMali is a smart pot that deploys sensors for detecting sunlight, soil moisture, air temperature and humidity. These are the most critical parameters that indicate a plant's well being. SmartMali is also connected to the internet with the SparkFun ESP8266 Thing Dev Board. So, it will regularly send the values of these parameters to your mobile app. What’s more is that, with the above-mentioned specialized sensors, SmartMali can automatically monitor your plants in real time, water them, and provide artificial sunlight, if necessary. So, you never have to worry about your plants dying out again. This automated smart pot will take care of your plants, as if you were at home doing the job yourself. The pot has a motor and a reservoir, which you can fill in with water every once in a while; normally, once a month.

To learn more about SmartMali, click here.