Group:
This week, the group worked on completing the design report. We worked on our individual parts as we had previously split up. Sanjana was in charge of the first part of the report, including the introduction, use case requirements, and design requirements. Ines and Miffy split up the architecture and system implementation portions with Ines taking the lead on the hardware portions and Miffy taking the lead on the software ones. Additionally, Ines worked on the testing and validation section and Miffy worked on the product management portion. Outside of the design report which took up the majority of our time, Ines and Sanjana worked on getting all the components ordered so that we could jump right into the heavy work after spring break. Coming back, we expect to get working on pin outs and prep so that we are ready to work once our components come in.
Ines:
This week, our team split the design report so that we could all work different sections in parallel. I was responsible for the Hardware architecture, design trade studies, hardware system implementation, and testing and validation. While writing these parts, I conducted additional research in order to ensure all of our claims were supported by scientific literature and published papers. We also finished our list of hardware components to order, which will allow us to begin assembling and testing the system when we return.
Sanjana:
This week I finished up the design report. Our group has done a lot of research to help back up the choices we have made in our proposal and design presentations so our goal for this report was to try to get as much of this down in writing to help explain our thought processes. While writing the use case and design requirement portions, this was especially important to me. We had chosen all of these requirements very thoroughly and there is clear reasoning behind every choice we made so it was important to me to convey these things through the report. In the previous week, I had compiled all the sources I had been keeping track of so far and picked out the points that I wanted to include from them. This week, I used these sources to build the report and provide thorough reasoning behind each requirement. Other than the report, it was important for us to get all of our components ordered this week. On Monday, Ines and I filled out the sheet with all of the components, and a few days later we submitted the form. Our hope is that these components will be delivered as we arrive back from back so that we can begin our pin out design and assembly.
Miffy:
This week, I focused on completing the software-related sections of the design report and helping finalize the overall document. I wrote the software architecture and software system implementation sections, describing how the different components of the system interact and how the software will support data processing, analysis, and visualization. As part of this work, I designed and drew the full system diagram for the software architecture to clearly illustrate the relationships between the device, backend services, and user interface. I also worked on the product management section of the report to document the project timeline, development planning, and coordination of the different subsystems. In addition to the report writing, I implemented the initial version of the system’s frontend page using React, which will later be used to display the collected sensor data and analysis results. This helped us move from planning toward an early working interface for the system.
Insight into Additional Considerations:
A: Global Factors (Sanjana)
VineHealth’s entire purpose is focused on the consideration of global agricultural challenges, especially on the need for affordable agriculture technologies. Existing solutions for crop monitoring such as drone-based imaging systems or satellite platforms usually require significant investment as well as technical expertise. Even though these systems might work great for large commercial farms, they are not accessible to small-scale vineyards and farmers who might be in developing or resource-limited regions. Our project came from the need for solutions that bypass these financial and technical challenges. We want growers from a wide range of geographic and economic contexts to benefit from data-driven crop management.
Additionally, climate change is a huge issue that is increasingly affecting productivity in agriculture. VineHealth’s application of collecting environmental data allows farmers to view plant stress trends over time and enables them to respond proactively to changing environmental conditions. Our implementation of a wireless, scalable sensing system that provides data visualization through an easy to use mobile interface lets VineHealth be deployed in vineyards and agricultural environments around the world. This will ultimately support farmers who are facing the increasing stresses of climate change, but who may not have access to complex technical infrastructure.
B: Cultural Factors (Miffy)
Our project also considers cultural factors in how technology is adopted in agricultural communities. Many vineyard owners rely on traditional farming practices, so it is important that VineHealth integrates smoothly into existing workflows rather than requiring complex technical knowledge. The system is designed to present information in a clear and accessible way so that growers can easily understand plant health data.
We also consider the diversity of farming communities and varying levels of familiarity with digital tools. For this reason, the user interface focuses on simple visual indicators and intuitive design, allowing users to quickly interpret the data and make informed decisions about crop management.
C: Environmental Factors (Ines)
Our project considers several environmental factors, particularly how our device interacts with the ecosystems and agricultural environments. As our device is used in vineyards, we prioritized minimizing disruption to local wildlife and surrounding ecosystems. The device enclosure and stand will be designed visually to blend into the environment and operate quietly so that it does not disturb or scare away any animals that are crucial for the vineyards health.
In addition, we have taken into consideration various environmental conditions such as rain, win, and outdoor exposure when designing our device. The device is intended to operate under a range of weather conditions, such as light to medium rain and strong winds. As a result, the enclosure has been designed to be both water-proof and wind resistant to ensure consistent operation throughout the various environmental conditions seen in vineyards.