horto domi smart garden

the ‘horto domi’ open hardware self-managing garden system

‘horto domi‘ by US design/engineering team outer babylon (will bratton and sam bagot), is designed as an opensource project to facilitate the growing of fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs. recognizing that one of the biggest obstacles to home gardening is the individuals’ lack of time, the team developed a prototype for a raised-bed garden that automatically manages climate and soil conditions and interfaces with handheld devices to assist in management and control. the name, ‘horto domi’, in Latin signifies ‘home garden’, or ‘gardening at home’.

the prototype unit comprises the covered raised-bed itself, alongside a 1ft square electrical box with power supply and arduino controller. sensors within the system collect moisture and temperature data, with the intention that these levels can be automatically controlled and monitored via smartphone apps or desktop software. the raised-bed makes use of a vermiculture unit to distribute earthworms throughout the system, creating much more nutrient-rich soil; as well as fertilization injection and irrigation systems.

the designers are currently seeking funding on the ‘horto domi kickstarter‘ page, in order to provide an opensource hardware publication for the project, with the potential with increased funding to develop further control systems, better software, or DIY-style kits for the production of the garden.

watch the kickstarter introduction to ‘horto domi’ and preview of the prototype

full view of ‘horto domi’

detailed video walk-through of the electronics powering the prototype device see more construction and explanatory videos at the ‘horto domi’ youtube channel

rough design sketches

design concept