In the hydroponics group we are currently moving on with our second phase design. This design will be a lamp that will be designed to grow an orchid hydroponically. Building this product will be the culmination of our entire year and will require us to use everything we have learned over the course of this project. In this design, the electronics, nutrient solution, and pump will all be located in a modified flower pot. At the rim of this pot we will put our flood-drain table which will support the orchid. We purchased an LED bulb that we will screw into a mount that is traditionally used for a regular lightbulb. One of the ways we are considering maximizing the light that gets to the orchid is lining the inside of the lampshade with tin foil. This would have the added benefit of keeping the UV radiation from being dispersed around the room.
In addition to working on designing and building our project, we are also continuing are market research. We have gone to florists in our area and asked them if they think our project potentially has a market with their current customers. We are also reaching out to various people who currently live in cities to see if they would be interested in autonomously growing a plant in their homes. We are reaching our especially to those in cities because they typically have limited space and light. We hope that these contacts can give us a better understanding of our market.