Box
The box is made from birch plywood and measures in at 22in x 8in x 5.5in. It houses all the electronics, the water storage tank and the peristaltic pump while providing the flat-top on which the user can place their plant. The box was assembled using wood glue then coated with a final waterproof polyurethane finish to protect it during use.
Components
The box is made up of 10 wooden components:
· Front panel (1)
The box is made up of 10 wooden components:
· Front panel (1)
The front panel was designed around the user experience and houses the user controls and interaction elements. The user has control over two settings, the frequency of notification and the amount of water that is poured for watering. Additionally, the user can see the level of the water tank and has access to the refill spout.
· Side panels (2)
· Side panels (2)
The side panels have slots through which the leads to the moisture sensor and the watering pipe can exit the wooden box. They also double as handles that make the box easier to carry.
· Back panel (3)
· Back panel (3)
The back panel includes an exit hole for the Ethernet cable. The hole was dimensioned specifically for this purpose.
· Bottom panel (1)
· Bottom panel (1)
The bottom panel includes guide lines for the inserts that are attached using wood glue. Further description of the attachment given in the inserts section.
· Top panel (1)
· Top panel (1)
The top panel includes surface lines as an aesthetic detail for the top surface on which the user places his or her plant.
· Inserts (4)
· Inserts (4)
The inserts are used on the inner surfaces of the bottom and top panel to align the box components. The inserts are glued at a distance of 1/4in away from each side edge, as seen in the Figure below.
Laser Cutting
Four 12in x 24in x 1/4in birch plywood sheets were used in creating the box. Each of the 10 components listed above were laser cut from the plywood sheets. The writing on the front panel was rasterized using the laser cutter. Moreover, leaves were cut then spray painted in order to house the metal leads for the moisture sensor. The images of the final cutting sheets are included below. Note: extra parts were cut on the sheets.
Four 12in x 24in x 1/4in birch plywood sheets were used in creating the box. Each of the 10 components listed above were laser cut from the plywood sheets. The writing on the front panel was rasterized using the laser cutter. Moreover, leaves were cut then spray painted in order to house the metal leads for the moisture sensor. The images of the final cutting sheets are included below. Note: extra parts were cut on the sheets.
