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13. Applications and implications

Objective of this week was answering questions related to my final project and propose a final project that integrates the range of units covered, answering the following questions.

  • what will it do?
  • who’s done what beforehand?
  • what materials and components will be required?
  • where will they come from?
  • how much will it cost?
  • what parts and systems will be made?
  • what processes will be used?
  • what tasks need to be completed?
  • what questions need to be answered?
  • what is the schedule?
  • how will it be evaluated?
  • projects can be separate or joint, but need to show individual mastery of the skills covered where possible, you should make rather than buy the parts of your project

What will it do

My Final Project Name Is : Annadanam [The offering of food]

I have taken this name from india ancient culture. We indians owe our spiritual wealth not just to the sages, seers, masters and enlightened beings who walked the path, but also to the community that nurtured them. In our tradition, serving people was of utmost importance. In fact for many, this was a path in itself. The most beautiful expression of this was the Annadanam, the offering of food. I am planning to build a food computer and can’t find more appropriate name than this. It showcase our culture which focussed on inner wellbeing and not external wellbeing, which is founded on the principle of giving and not on wealth.

I am trying to combine aquaponics, hydroponics and food computer concept into one idea.

who’s done what beforehand?

There is tonns of material online with information around how to grow your own food. But for the project i am working through i have found below ideas more relevant.

What materials and components will be required? - where will they come from? How much will it cost?

I am looking to digitally fabricate the food computer in fablab. So first priority is to look at what we have locally available in fablab and what can be easily fabricated. So my preference is build vs buy to keep the cost as low as possible. Final cost would become clear as i progress through the upcoming weeks. The overall cost of Food computer i am targetting is < 5000 Rs

Food computer box : This i am planning to fabricate using CNC machine with 18 mm Plywood as part of Fab Lab Inventory

PCB based on Satsha Kit as part of Fab Lab Inventory: Guillaume has shown how he has fabrited the PCB using Satsha kit in his project

Aquarium for fish 1000 Rs: This i have to buy or use laser cutter and using Vinyl cutter to decorate the same

Sensors 1000 Rs: I am planning to try out various sensors as part of input and output week.

  • DHT22 - Temperature and Humidity Sensor Module link

  • DS18B20 Water Proof Temperature Probe link

  • IIC SPI Serial 128X64 OLED LCD LED Display

GrowBed as part of Fab Lab Inventory (Buy vs Build) So looking at composites week to build this up

Water Pump This i will buy 300 Rs

SMPS for power supply 250 Rs

Grow LED Lights 850 RS

PVC pipes to build Bell Siphon 200 Rs

what parts and systems will be made?

  • Food computer Box
  • PCB with sensors
  • Grow Bed Tray
  • Decoration using Vinyl Cutter
  • Laser Cut Aquarium Box

what processes will be used?

  • Composites
  • Laser Cutter
  • PCB milling
  • CNC
  • Vinyl Cutter
  • 3d Prinitng for Electronics Enclosure

what tasks need to be completed?

  • Main focus is getting electronics up and running to attach various sensors
  • Testing out the bell siphon mechanism for Aquaponics
  • Testing out the integration of food computer brain with Satsha based fabricated PCB

what questions need to be answered?

  • None for now

what is the schedule?

  • April fabricate Aquarium, Grow Bed, Food Computer Box
  • May fabricate Satsha kit based board
  • Mid june Vinyl cutter and end to end testing

how will it be evaluated?

  • Key KPI is that i am able to digitally fabricate a prototype
  • How the electronics section for project is working
  • That i am able to use CNC, Laser Cutter, Vinyl cutter and key fabrication technology
  • Focus for this project is to learn digital fabrication and not on actually testing whether food is growing. As shared by Neil its a big project that can work as a joint project. So if anyone want to collobrate on building some part and check food recepie i would be happy to collobrate. But the focus for me is to learn most of the machines that shows the digital fabrication skills.