Embedded controlled gardening: An academically based service course

Abstract

A course intended to integrate concepts of basic physics, biology, electronics, and systems engineering for the benefit of University of Pennsylvania engineering students, plus teachers and students from three community public schools located in Philadelphia. The course engaged participants in the design and the implementation of an indoor cultivating system using photo-voltaic technology to energize Light Emitting Diodes emulating the needed solar radiation for plant growth, a liquid nutrient distribution system, sensors / actuators capable of selecting the harvestable plants and keeping track of overall system parameters.