Redefining accessible gardening for everyone.

How can we rekindle the joy of gardening for those facing dexterity challenges?
‍Our answer: an all-in-one smart soil dibber, seed sower, and garden monitor that eliminates the demands of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

INTRODUCTION

We were inspired by the countless individuals around us who've had to set aside their cherished pastime due to arthritis and back pain. As part of our 'Industrial Design Engineering' module, we journeyed from initial paper sketches to a fully-functional electronic prototype to create Evergarden: A Garden for Everyone.

HIGHLIGHTS

Automated sowing mechanism
Extension mechanism
Custom soil moisture sensor
Designed for manufacture and assembly (DFMA)

MY ROLE

User/market research, product design, CAD, FEA, UI/UX, prototyping

THE TEAM

4 design engineering (2nd yr) students

THE APPROACH

In order to design a comfortable experience for those with dexterity challenges, we explored different ergonomics through anthropometric user research that would minimise the amount of force and precision required by the user. We went back and forth the drawing board and engineering checks, to ensure that our design choices were feasible for real-life implementation.

Watch this short product video to see how it works >>>

PROTOTYPING PROCESS

We created a functional prototype that operates both physically and electronically. The size and design choices derived from user research were integrated into a comprehensive CAD assembly model, undergoing continuous refinement alongside electronics prototyping. This iterative process ensured a seamless fit for all components and efficient cable management, as well as the best balance between sleekness, size and wall thickness/strength. Further details on CAD decisions are displayed in the Load Testing & DfMA section below.

Kneeling or bending down to garden in outdoor conditions was an issue that often overlapped with problems associated with dexterity. Having an easy to fit, snap in place extension mechanism helps to make our product more accessible. Button magnets are used to hold the different parts together. Magnetic connectors allow for circuitry to be disconnected and reconnected at different lengths.

Employing a linear actuator mechanism enabled the integration of soil dibbing and seed dispensing functionalities. A needle, affixed to the end, digs small holes and creates cavities for seed dispensing. Overcoming the challenge of maintaining compactness within a cylindrical housing while meeting mechanical performance requirements, we adopted a double-deck design using two servos, two pinions, and two racks in parallel.

The following electronic considerations were further needed to fulfill our product requirements: microcontroller, power supply/charging, moisture sensor, OLED screen, touch sensor, haptic motors. Off-shelf components were used, however, there wasn't a moisture sensor that could fit within our cross-section, thus we prototyped our own potential divider circuit, using galvanised steel wire as electrodes. All wires and components were finally soldered, ensuring there is no excess wiring.