RHS(Research based Hydroponics System)
Project history:
Since the establishment of the Engineering Society in Fall 2012, opportunities have been sought after to give back to our campus community at Camden County College. This search lasted to mid-November when Assistant Professor Pascht presented the hydroponics project to us. The Engineering Society saw this as an opportunity to show its devotion to better the campus community via providing the Biology Department a hydroponics system designed to their specifications. Further more, we saw this as a great opportunity to explore and possibly pave a new path of horticulture research.
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponic systems are a subset of hydro-culture and are a practical method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions without soil.
What is the "RHS"?
The RHS is a Research-Based Hydroponics System which is designed to provide students and professors alike from high school to university level the ability to grow plants in a semi-enclosed software controlled environment which monitors, records and controls/simulates different environmental changes on plant behavior and growth. The unique aspect of our system is due to our created and programmable software supported by micro-controller technology. Our software has our smart algorithms to efficiently and autonomously keep the environment without the need of constant human assistance, run the system based on the researchers desired settings; variables are monitored and controlled by the feedback from the 8 sensors included in the system.
Mission Statement:
-Our hydroponics system would allow students to participate in the designing and building of the system through the help of our engineering professors Dr. Chatman and Dean Roberts and Dr.Biddle of the Biology department. Thus, provides students in any major an opportunity to apply the academics they have learned in a real world application. Not just academic but other applications of skills such as business, teamwork, leadership, design, and project managing.
-Current and future generations face threats of environmental changes on agricultural growth, if we(our system) can allow an easier way to grow and study plants and their behavior we can get better head-start on dealing with future problems and creating future solutions.
Since the establishment of the Engineering Society in Fall 2012, opportunities have been sought after to give back to our campus community at Camden County College. This search lasted to mid-November when Assistant Professor Pascht presented the hydroponics project to us. The Engineering Society saw this as an opportunity to show its devotion to better the campus community via providing the Biology Department a hydroponics system designed to their specifications. Further more, we saw this as a great opportunity to explore and possibly pave a new path of horticulture research.
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponic systems are a subset of hydro-culture and are a practical method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions without soil.
What is the "RHS"?
The RHS is a Research-Based Hydroponics System which is designed to provide students and professors alike from high school to university level the ability to grow plants in a semi-enclosed software controlled environment which monitors, records and controls/simulates different environmental changes on plant behavior and growth. The unique aspect of our system is due to our created and programmable software supported by micro-controller technology. Our software has our smart algorithms to efficiently and autonomously keep the environment without the need of constant human assistance, run the system based on the researchers desired settings; variables are monitored and controlled by the feedback from the 8 sensors included in the system.
Mission Statement:
-Our hydroponics system would allow students to participate in the designing and building of the system through the help of our engineering professors Dr. Chatman and Dean Roberts and Dr.Biddle of the Biology department. Thus, provides students in any major an opportunity to apply the academics they have learned in a real world application. Not just academic but other applications of skills such as business, teamwork, leadership, design, and project managing.
-Current and future generations face threats of environmental changes on agricultural growth, if we(our system) can allow an easier way to grow and study plants and their behavior we can get better head-start on dealing with future problems and creating future solutions.