StrawPodGrow strawberries with AI
A smart countertop hydroponic system that grows strawberries at home.
5 kg fresh berries every 6–8 weeks • 24/7 automation • Telegram control
About
StrawPod is a compact home hydroponic system (~30L) that grows strawberries automatically. It collects sensor + camera data, keeps history, sends Telegram alerts, and controls lights, pumps, and ventilation via rules (and later ML predictions).
In Asia, strawberries are often expensive, inconsistent, and disappointing in stores. StrawPod is for people who want fresh, tasty berries at home without learning pH/EC/light schedules. Think of it like an appliance: monitoring, automation, and fail-safe behavior during outages and software issues.
The same platform can scale: bigger volume, more plants, and other crops for a home mini-garden.
MVP goal
- 5 kg from 8-12 plants in 6-8 weeks
- 3-4 harvests per year
- Minimal manual work
Control
- Telegram bot + alerts
- Web admin for settings
- Live charts + history
What pain we solve
- Store berries are expensive, spoil fast, and often taste bland
- Hydroponics is easy to mess up without pH/EC/temperature control
- One outage or bug can kill plants overnight
Who it’s for
- Apartment residents in dense cities (especially in Asia)
- Busy people who want a 'set-and-forget' experience
- Smart-home & gadget enthusiasts
- Families who want a clean home mini-garden
Key features
Grow recipes
Phase-based targets for pH/EC/light and simple checklists. Reminders for sensor calibration and solution changes make results more repeatable.
Telegram alerts
Get alerts and control basics from Telegram: check status, acknowledge warnings, and safely toggle devices with time limits (TTL).
History & harvest log
Track charts and a photo timeline, and log harvests (weight + notes). Learn what changes actually improve yield.
Flood protection ready
Designed around real-world failure modes: leak + level sensors, refill timeouts, and dedicated drain/fill/overflow ports for future auto water changes.
Auto monitoring
Real‑time sensors for air/solution temperature, humidity, pH and EC + internal camera. Charts, history and photo timeline help you see trends instead of guessing.
AI insights
Health scoring from images, early warnings and actionable recommendations. MVP starts with reliable rules and later upgrades to ML as more data is collected.
Fail-safe
Safe defaults on software issues and power loss. Optional backup power for up to 8 hours with smart priorities (aeration first, then cooling, then lights).
Easy maintenance
Modular lid + serviceable components so you don’t have to move the whole tank. Future‑ready for refills and cartridge UX (nutrients / pH) to keep it appliance‑like.
Prototypes
Overall view
Compact 40×30×50 cm footprint. 8–12 planting spots. 30W full-spectrum LED.
Electronics module
Raspberry Pi 5, sensors (DHT22, DS18B20, pH/EC via ADS1115), CSI camera, 8-channel relay.