My Plant
This is my plant!
Its name is Pelle and has red stems with green and white leaves.
Log: 26.08.20
Todays task is to identify the species and the name of this being. I will consult with my sister who has some knowledge of plants. I will also try to get some opinions from my friends on Discord who have no knowledge of plants (as far as I know), to get something to compare against. After I’m done gathering info from my friends and relatives I will try to find info online on the internet. By then I should have a clear picture of what the name and species are.
For now, I’ve put it by the window where it should get enough sun and made sure it’s not dried up. As of today its height is about 5 cm.
Log: 03.09.20
I have now gathered some information surrounding the species of this plant. I first consulted with my sister who did not recognize it based on the picture I sent her. She guided me to a facbook-group where others can share images and asks questions about household plants. I have not joined the group yet, but it may certainly come in handy in the future. Next I asked one of my friends in the gaming-community on discord. You could say it went as expected earlier, he had no idea. He did however say it reminded him of a small Rhubarb, but adviced against eating it. I agreed with him on that front.
Next I took to the internet. I googled the phrase “Red stem green and white leaves”. It immediately showed pictures of plants with red stems, especially. After some comparisons I landed on Iresine Herbstii. My sister also asked if it could be an Iresine which furthered my own suspicions.
After reading more about it I have concluded that this plant enjoys plenty of light and water. The soil should not dry up. I also think this plant could be further categorized under the species: Iresine Herbstii Aureoreticulata, But I have to gather further confirmation on this.
For now my next task is to design some kind of sign for it. This sign should tell the name, how much water, light and care it needs to survive. It should be easy to understand, so that a person with no knowledge or experience could take care of it. I will start sketching potential sign ideas soon.
As far as I can tell Pelle is still alive and kickin’ and are now 5,5cm tall.
Log: 09.09.20
Here I have the sketches I’ve been doing.
As my plant is relatively small (for now), I was thinking that I want the sign do be a part of the pot or hanging from the pot's upper rim. Having a sign that sticks out of the dirt and upwards could work, but its important that it conveys enough info without taking up too much space. This plant has leaves close to the dirt and a sign there might be too intrusive. I've sketches some ideas where the sign could be "hooked" onto the pot for easy removal in case I have to repot the plant to a bigger pot. I have also played with some ideas that the sign could be some sort of "booklet" or have sliding covers that reveal more info, but where the most important information would be clearly visible on the front. Maybe I could include magnets for a "snappy" experience of sorts?
As for what the sign should say or what the symbols on it should look like, I have to do more research on. Today I plan on visiting (several, if able) houseplant shops and Gardening markets to look for inspiration regarding this. Maybe I can snap some photos of what I find.
My Iresine have defininately taken root and started to grow! It's now just above 7cm tall on the highest leaf!
Log: 01.10.20
I’ve been a bit busy so I haven’t had quite the time to update on here. This log entry will be about the process of selecting some of the designs I liked the most and making lo-fi paper-prototypes of it and getting feedback on those. Initially the ones I liked best was the ones hanging from the pot. I also liked the concept of having the sign “wrapping” around under the pot and could almost work like a stand. But making this work in reality would take too much planning and work to make right. I would have to make it able to transform based on potsize in case I need to repot.
Here are the sketches I liked the most:
Cons: Too complicated to make based on time given, have to rotate the plant to read both sides, difficult to remove.
Cons: A bit boring, limited space for info
Cons: A bit more complicated to make. would maybe need other materials like magnets, and metal rods.
Cons: takes up too much space on top of the pot, limited space for info
Here are the lo-fi paper models I made. I followed my sketches but started experimenting and figuring thing out as I went as well. I made some simple models and new ideas developed during the process.
On the last 2 images I made a standing sign with the ability to flip down a page and reveal more info. I liked this idea and made a sketch where this mechanic is used but on a sign that can hang from the edge of a pot. I will proceed to make this into a lo-fi prototype and test it out.
I will now take these paper prototypes and gather some feedback from my friends and family, as well as test them out.
Log: 06.10.20
Sad news! My Iresine got infected with bugs! Small white bugs sitting on the stem and leaves. I consulted with my sister and she thought it might be something called "trips" in norwegian. After looking it up, it seemed very likely. I got some bugrepellant-spray and started my retributional defence! Sadly my sister also said that the plant will most probably die...
After a couple of days with plant-cure the bugs were gone, but the Iresine looked worse and worse. Leaves fell off without whiltering first, (I may have given it too much water in the curing-process)... I ended up uprooting the whole plant and checking the roots and cleaning the dirt. I could not afford new soil so I had to clean it as best I could. I did find lots of white woolly things around the roots.
Not many leaves left now... It will most likely die. I will have to see if I can buy myself a new one when I can afford it. I'll leave it for a couple of days and check in on it later.
RIP Pelle.
I will now continue work on the signs.
Log: 07.10.20
I have now collected some feedback via Discord using a webcamera and voice to communicate and show the signs I made. One point that was made, was that if the sign would be sticking out from the soil itself, it could be use as a supporting pole for the plant if needed. This is a fair point, but as the Iresine doesn't grow tall on a single stem I don't think this would be necessary. The most liked designs were those who hanged on the pot and could reveal extra info if opened.
After some discussion and feedback I went back and re-designed the "sliding compartment sign". I made it smaller, added a hook on the backside and made the "mechanics" cleaner.
This may be my new favorite design! I need to get some more feedback on it just to make sure there isn't anything I've missed. Using this design I don't have to include magnets or rods to make it work. One thing I noticed, its tilting to one side when the opened all the way. To fix this I would have to make sure the hook i clamping tight to the rim of the pot. I think this could be done with 3D-printing materials we are using.
I went ahead and drew a plan of how i might make a higher fidelity prototype of the "sliding compartment sign". I've decided to try and make a version of it using hard paper/carboard
Log: 26.10.20
Here is the result of my carboard prototype. I'm happy with how It turned out and I've also got some feedback on it. It was all positive, and they said they were impressed by the design. This could be result of bias and me not asking the right questions or "digging deeper", in the user testing. If I had more time right now I would countinue user-testing, but as I'm starting to fall behind on this assignment, I have to move on for now.
I will now move on with the assignment and start looking into the electronics-kit we have and see if I can either implement some electronic componements into this design or if I should make a new one that is better suited.
Log: 04.11.20
After tinkering around with the microbit-kit i managed to make a device that would measure the soil moisture and give water to the plant when necessary. Since I've yet to get a new Iresine, I cant decide on the exact values the device should go by. Im also undecided on if I should use the little LCD screen as well.
Something I figured out quick was that my sign would be too small to fit everything needed on it for the watering device to work. Some component will be separated from the sign itself, but most of it should be mounted directly onto it. Here are some sketches I did for a higher fidelity prototype.
I worked out some dimentions and layouts. I planned on having the electronic components on the front side of the sign, and written information on the sliding compartment. I had to extend the height so I had somewhere to fit the batteries. So far I did not plan anything special when it came to the cables. I think I will tie them up together with zipties or something else to make it more tidy and easy to look at, instead of having it loose and hanging all over.
Here are the results of my first 3D-print of my MVP.
As you can see it did not turn out good enough. The printer messed up and "slid" the whole process by a couple of millimeters, making the first couple of layers off-centered to the rest. After consulting with someone who managed the print-lab, they told me it could be a result of having the printing layers too high. They also adviced me to have a higher percentage of infill to make the top layer smoother.
The dimention of the inner sliding part were also too big. It did not fit inside the rest of the sign. Even after chipping it down with a plier the friction when sliding in and out were too high.
Using this new-found knowledge, I went back and did some tweaks on the dimentions and settings of the printer. The result, were much better!
The parts came out MUCH smoother and higher quality. I also printed some of the handle of the sliding part, and brackets that I will use when glued together. Here is an exaple of how the parts could be placed onto the sign itself.
The smaller brackets will be glued on and hold each component in place. I have to wait till I get some superglue or something to know for sure if it will work. My plan is to have it so that you can easily remove each component when needed. After finalizing on a design i might make the electronic components fit more securely and "permanently". I am still missing the brackets for the batteries and a "hook" of some sorts on the backside of the sign. I will design those when I have tested out if what I already have, works.
Now that I have some knowledge with 3d-printing, (and soon, lasercutting), I'm starting to get new ideas of how to develop this sign further. But first I should work, and test out with what I already have.
Log 09.11.20
As mentioned earlier I was starting to get new ideas on how I could make this sign, and I think I should explore that more. One thing I found out when testing the sign based on its new size: its too big...
This sign is way to big for a smaller pot like this one. There is also the issue of how I should hook it on. A 3D-printed hook made by the materials available to us would be too stiff. It might break off, and there is also the issue that the whole angle of the sign would be pointing downwards. This is not optimal for visibilty, (unless the plant is placed high up).
Based on this, I decided to go back and re-design it all from scratch. First of I took measurements of all the electronic components I would use. I did not do this on the first design, since I didn’t have the component yet.
Here are the result when skecthing ideas.
I tried to come up with a design that would make the sign itself a box which contained all the electronical components. This would be really handy when transporting or carrying it with me. I could have necessary information printed on the lid also. I really wanted to keep the "sliding compartment"-element for extra info.
These design are all based on something that would stand alone beside the pot instead of hanging from, or being placed onto the pot. This way I would not need to make some uncertain hook, or running into it being too big. When coming to size, having everything inside a box would still make it too big for my taste. I also want the sign to be highly visible from a distance, so having the key information pointing slightly upwards would be optimal.
This way I drew a sign, that would be able to stand by itself, fit all the components onto it, having a sliding compartment revealing information and being visible. I made a lo-fi paper prototype to see if it would physically work.
Here it is! It is actually pretty small. When hiding the sliding compartment, the sign easily fits inside the palm of your hand. Here I have also included the LCD-screen as well, that can convey some extra, small info when needed.
After getting some feedback I came to the conclution that is fills the criteria of visibility, funtionality, size and being able to convey information easily, so I went ahead and made it ready for 3D-printing.
Until next time I should have the new design printed and assembled. I should also be able to go and buy a new Iresine if I can find one, and have it potted.
Log: 25.11.20
First off, I have been looking for a new Iresine to buy, but were told at the gardening store that Iresine is a plant mainly had outdoors. So they are most often only sold in summertime. And everywhere I looked, they didn't have it. I am uncertain of what to do next. I could get a different type of plant that are suitable to have indoors. Luckily the design of my sign is not constrained by plantsize and potsize. So I dont have to take the dimentions of the plant too much into concideration. A small indoor plant would be preferable though. Using the micro.bit-set, watering would be automatic anyway the way it is set up now. I know I was supposed to take care of the plant, and i did (to the best of my ability). But there is not much I can do when the roots of the plant, (most likely) were infested from the start. I should how-ever be more prepared to fight back infestations earlier on in development, in the future.
I should get some guidance on what to do next about the plant itself. For now, I have to continue development of the sign.
I have now printed and assembled a new sign based on the cardboard-prototype I made, and I must say, I am very happy with the results. I made some measurement-errors earlier on and had to reprint parts of it. I still made this measurement-error after drawing up precise (enough), measurement of the electronic parts. I did not how-ever concider the "inside"-dimentions and various thickness on certain areas when making the model in TinkerKad. This proving that I have to pay more attention when making the measurements on the model itself. Lets hope this can be used as a mental note to double and tripple-check all measurements before sending it of to print in the future.
I would say this is a design I could definitely use and develop further. There is missing a bracket on the backside that will hold in place a small electronical component. Overall the feedback I've gotten is positive, and those I showed it of to really liked the design. There are however some questions about the electronic components being exposed and how to solve the wiring-"mess" that comes with it. I must admit that I have not given it much thought, but should definitely look into a solution. There is also the waterpump that will be used to pump water from a container to the plant. It falls over easily and need some kind of support.
I have now done the laser-cutting course and could use this in the development. Having the sign made of MDF-wood would make it prettier, but making small intricate parts could be difficult. I will try to use subtracting design to my advantage if possible.
Log: 03.12.20
This will be the last update before delivering. My task since last update have been to get hold of a new plant, find relevant information I need, before designing and print a sign displaying some information as well as some key points when it comes to taking care of it. This way, if someone takes care of it for me, they will have necessary information readily available to minimize risk of it dying.
There were also some things I had to solve on the construction of the sign it-self. The main part of the micro:bit was loose when seated in its socket and needed some sort of support on the backside. I solved this by using some spare parts from previous prints and made a make-shift support pillar.
After making this support pillar I realized by modifying it a bit more, that I could use this as a hook to hold cables more secure and collected. In this simple way the electronic components of the microbit fits more securely into its socket and can only come out in a special orientation.
The last electronic component that would be sitting on the sign would need its own 3D-printed bracket. It would not fit on the front, so I planned from the beginning to have it on the backside. This way, more of the cable-mess would be hidden behind the structure.
After printing the bracket some measurements were off by a couple of mm, but I could easily fix this by shaving it down with a knife and sandpaper. The way cables are routed helps holding the component in place in case of an accident where everything would flip over or fall of a table.
Till now everything looked like this:
When testing the setup now and getting more feedback a huge problem were the stability of the waterpump. It is tall, thin and unstable and easily falls over and need some sort of support. I took measurements and made a model that could be 3d-printed. I could use mdf and lasercut it in layers that would glue together. But I dont think wood would last long, being constantly submerged in water. If how-ever this was made for something above water, lasercutting would definitely be beneficial here.
As you can see, some measurements were off (again), but the pump fits tightly and wont come out even if turned upside-down. There are also some water-vents close to the bottom on either sides to make sure the pump have access to water.
Next step was making the sign of my new plant display some key information. When buying the plant the cashier could not tell me the name, only that it was a succulent. This was obvious and not much help to me. So I had to look for information online. My succulent have a single stem with odd-looking leaves looking like they folds onto themselves. It took some searching, but by searching on google for "succulent long stem folded leaves", I eventually found the scientific name of my new succulent; Peperomia Asperula!
Being a succulent it is a hardy and relatively easy plant to maintain. This one likes moist soil when growing but later on the soil should completely dry up between watering, like other succulents. It prefers hot and humid climate, but should survive in colder air in wintertime by my window. I have to make sure it wont get too cold for it. A more important issue is light. Succulents prefer alot of light, this being the reason I'm having it by my window to make sure it gets as much sunlight as possible.
Here is how I designed the information needed on printed paper.
I made sure to tell what to look for when it comes to susceptible bugs and pests as well. I think this is important, having experienced my previous plant dying from bug-infestation.
At last, here is the end-result of my work!
After setting it all up I had to do some minor tweaks to the Micro:bit code and watertube. The tube were too long for the weak pump so I had to shorten in with scissors. I stuck a wooden pole from a barbeque skewer deep into the soil and taped the tube onto it. The code is set up so it detects three different stages of moisture in the soil: "wet", "almost dry" and "dry". I gave each stage a face to convey the happines of the plant. For now the small LCD screen works to secure the batteries in place more that anything else. But if I can figure out how it works I could convey more detailed information on it in the future.
End Reflection
Overall I would say this course have been highly interesting. I've learned some of the process when it comes to ideate on what is needed, recieving feedback, conceptualization and developing prototypes from low-end to medium-viable-products.
In the beginning I were highly motivated to get started, but after some time I struggled a bit with motivation and creativity. I tried to use the materials available on Blackboard to my advantage during the project. But I wished I started reading through it earlier so as to make my logs here on research-catalogue more thorough. Having it all available on blackboard from the beginning and being up to myself on when and what to read made me often forget it was there and did not bring much motivation. I think, me not having any knowledge of the course and the designing-process in particular made it overwhelming for me to have all reading-materials available from the beginning. Having more class structured education with an introduction to different concepts and specifics on what to read through in chunks would have benefitted me more.
Using ResearchCatalogue as a platform has served its purpose well enough. It took some time getting used to and some unclarity and/or bugs made it difficult at times. I the beginning I could scale the imported images to my liking, but later on they would always show as large images. This made it diffucult to design the page to my liking, but since this is not something that will be graded it does not matter much.
Later on I realized that having one post each week showing progress and results based on the matrix handed out to students were preferred. Since I had already started with a log for when I had something to show for, I decided to continue with it. I wish I tied in more information or thoughts regarding the course in my log entries, I should have been able to refer to specific elements of the reading materials provided. I'm afraid my lack of motivation when it came to reading through it, did not help me here.
For my part, using the micro:bit-kit and additive and subtractive prototyping were a pleasant experience. I really enjoyed learning about 3D-printing and ended up using this exlusively on my design. I now know that I would greatly benefit from using lasercutting on certain aspects of the sign. If I were to make a new iteration of my design i would definitely use a combination of the two methods.
This course have so far been a positive and interesting experience, and i want to continue delvelopment and work on my sign.