Automated Greenhouse Watering System for Schenectady ARC

All people need to feel useful and able to perform productive jobs. Since 1952, the ARC has strived to provide people with developmental disabilities the resources, services, and support that enable them to advocate and participate within their communities. One way in which the ARC accomplishes this mission is by encouraging people with disabilities to develop skills and hobbies that give them independence and purpose. An integral part of their center is the greenhouse. Individuals at the Maple Ridge Center are responsible for operating the water system to irrigate the plot daily and ensuring that the proper amount of water is distributed to the plants. This task enables them to develop their participation in the community, participate in an engaging and rewarding activity as well as develop useful skills in greenhouse management and maintenance. However, the current equipment of the greenhouse that manages the care of seedlings is not accessible to people with disabilities as they are cumbersome, unintuitive, and require supervision to manage. The objective of this project is to communicate with the Schenectady ARC to develop an automatic irrigation controller and water delivery system that will ideally be affordable, easy to maintain, and simple to operate. We are concerned with developing a system that can automatically provide gentle, regular watering to a seedling bed and is, most importantly, operable by those with developmental disabilities with relatively little supervision and difficulty.