Impulse sprinkler opportunity

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Contents

Executive summary

The first task of this phase was to conduct some market research. Since our team dissected and studied an impulse sprinkler, we decided to do market research on the entire gardening/lawncare sector, to broaden our horizons and find more opportunity. Our market research interviews included professional gardeners at Phipps Conservatory, expert interviews with flower or gardening store owners, and user interviews with various homeowners, from which we learned of two major complaints. The biggest issue that arose from the professional and expert interviews was the difficulty in watering plants with the correct volume of water, with overwatering and underwatering plants both being major problems. From the user interviews, we found that people often complained about how much strength it took, whether it was for lugging around a watering can, or digging into solid packed dirt.

With these complaints in mind, we came up with 100 ideas that could be useful given the market opportunities we saw. Through a process of elimination, we decided on our top three ideas that we would choose from for the next phase. The first idea is a redesigned watering can system, that's attached to a frame with wheels (think of a suitcase), and can be pulled along with a hose attached to it. The hose is powered by a pump, which would be either electric or mechanical. The second idea was a 'Slap-Chop' dirt tiller. This was a portable device with blades that would be powered by impact from a foot. The repeated insertion of the blades into the soil would serve to loosen the dirt and make planting easier. The third idea was a pot with a built in undersoil watering system. This works similarly to aquaglobes, with the benefit that it's under the soil for aesthetic purposes, and the system regulates the water flow based on soil moisture level, to help prevent over or under watering of plants, as well as providing the proper watering cycle.

Market Study

Since the weather was really cold, as expected for a month of February, we were able to conduct interviews only in the field of indoor gardening. The Phipps Conservatory, from its proximity and its high level of professionalism, has been really a fruitful experience, covering a wide range of the indoor gardening issues.

We also went to flower shops, and to Home Depot where we could talk about the different watering solutions provided. Common issues we found here were overwatering of lawns and plants, as well as issues with sprinkler coverage

We also interviewed a woman who does a lot of gardening at home, this gave us a good perspective on the needs of the more casual user, as opposed to the professionals at Phipps.

Expert Interview

Home Depot

An extensive interview was conducted with an employee of Home Depot who works in the Garden Center of the store. When asked common problems consumers face with their sprinkler system and general gardening issues, there were quite a few responses:

  • If there are too many moving parts, one piece often breaks leaving the whole system useless
  • Many sprinklers have incredibly leaky seals
  • If there is uneven lawns, sprinklers can leave behind standing water which attracts bugs
  • People do not know how much water their lawn needs
  • People do not know how much fertilizer their lawn needs

Phipps Conservatory

We arrived at Phipps Conservatory at 7am, before the public opening, and one of the person in charge gave us a tour of the installation for 2 hours, then by 9am when the conservatory opened we went to the back of the building, where they grow the plants before putting them in the greenhouse, where we interviewed and observed employees doing their job, mainly watering. This is the transcript of the first part of this visit, the expert interview:

  • In a greenhouse, you don’t want to obstruct the sunlight+each plant has different needs, which means that you cannot put sprinkler on the roof to mimic rain
  • Plants need “rain” to wash up leaves from dust and insects (the one that plant their mouth inside the vascular tissues: it kills them by “cutting” them since their mouth stays in the leaves). That way you don't need too much pesticides.
  • Sprinklers are used to prevent cold damage from freezing (5-6 times a year). They do the same thing for apricots and oranges for instance.
  • Most watering is done by hand
  • Automatic watering is used only if all the plants are of the same kind, which is rare, there is only one such room (and rather small) at Phipps
  • Automatic watering is not aesthetic, and if it fails you can lose precious plants
  • When one plant in a whole bunch need a different watering, they put it in a pot
  • Air movement is REALLY important (4 reasons):
    • plants need some movement: it triggers the plant to have ligments and small internal links, the plant is therefore more resistant

Example: caoutchouc tree with leaves are so heavy that they bend by themselves and break in the middle
Short internodes gives prettier and stronger plant

    • From heating prospective: increases heating efficiency
    • It brings more air around the plant to bring the CO2 to the leaves (plants tend (they grow like that) to keep the air inside the leaves -> bushes against wind). Up to 500ppm of CO2 lower if air still. It allows for a better plant growth
    • To reduce the amount of fungus diseases (stagnant air)

Ex: poinsettias are from the desert of mexico, and in the humid environment they get fungus (white) which spreads really really quickly It’s all about reducing the amount of chemical pesticides, and if you have to replace a full room of poinsettas it is really expensive (4000$) Example: fans in the orchid room cost 6000$ a year, with 3000$ in the summer that you can’t take of in any case. Out of the 3000$ remaining, is it worth to lose a whole crop? (cf. poinsettias)

  • Heating is conventional steam heating on the walls of the room, behind the wall so that visitors don’t see it. (there is a whole pathway going around the external walls)
  • They have to open the vents to renew the air EVEN IN WINTER to cool down the greenhouse, because the .radiators have thermal inertia. ->Computer control system (“ARGUS”) tries to optimize heating to save energy
  • There are no double glazed windows in a greenhouse (so more heat loss), because the exact wavelength plants use is reduced by 20% at each layer of glass, that is why they only use only one layer of glass
  • The fountains, water and others are mainly decorative and do not serve watering or moisturizing purposes
  • On Fridays, everybody waters more because on the weekend there is only a reduced team.
  • Insects come from both Pittsburgh and with the plants: sometime they even find frogs from Florida, those are the one you can hear in one of the rooms of Phipps. They also have birds living there during the winter, but it does not seem to be a problem, seem even to help by eating the insects and so reducing the amount of pesticides needed.
  • Indian forest (warmest room in winter/coolest in the summer): the key is the orientation of the glass:
    • Lower (for winter):simple layer
    • Roof (for summer) :double layer
    • Bottom: double layer because even in winter the sun is never this low
The glass windows in the Tropical Forest
The glass windows in the Tropical Forest
  1. Winter: The fans shoot the hot air down (heating pipes are on the glass ceiling, but he couldn't explain why when we asked him why they put the heater up there if they don't put sprinklers as seen previously)
  2. Summer: They shut down the fans, and use passive cooling: fresh air is brought from somewhere shady outside and injected in the greenhouse (up to about 5° cooler in the greenhouse than the outside with this system)
Air conduct beneath the bench
Air conduct beneath the bench
Other air conduct
Other air conduct

Anthropological study

Phipps Conservatory

We then went to the "hidden" part of Phipps, where they grow plants before exposing them.
The users were explaining what they were doing, what was their experience with the product and their feelings about it, and at the same time were doing it. Here are the main observations we made:

  • The fertilizer is dispensed by switching the source at the connection of the hose, which means that you lose a lot of water each time you switch from water to fertilizer, since you have to empty the whole hose from its previous liquid
  • They old the HOSE and the bar to operate the jet
  • The users unscrew the tube (diffuser) to wash leaves and have a stronger water-shoot.

We ask if it was inconvenient, but surprisingly the answer was no; and anyway, they have other nozzles if you want.

  • You have to screw and unscrew the hose, the nozzles, everything all the time: a clipping mechanism would probably be way more convenient
The two pipes bringing water and fertilizer
The two pipes bringing water and fertilizer
The user emptying (and wasting) the hose from its water, waiting for the fertilizer to come out
The user emptying (and wasting) the hose from its water, waiting for the fertilizer to come out

User interviews

Flower Stores

Two flower shops in the Pittsburgh area were visited to find out information about flower care. Alex's Flowers on Craig St. and Squirrel Hill Flowers on Murray Ave. workers were interviewed about maintenance procedures for the flowers that they sell. The flowers are bought from a distributor and then placed in pots or vases.

For the potted plants, it is a common problem that flower owners only see the dryness of the top layer of soil, while the lower layers near the roots might still be wet. If the plants are overwatered, then they will only absorb water and not the nutrients in the soil. A trick that Squirrel Hill Flowers uses is placing an ice cube on the top of the soil, so that the roots aren't flooded with water all at once.

For the plants placed in vases, the flower store workers say to change the water in the vase when it gets cloudy or discolored. The packets included in a bouquet of flowers is chemicals that keep water clear for longer, and is not beneficial at all to the health of the plant. Also the stems of the flowers are cut at an angle instead of straight across so that the flower can absorb more water.

Phipps Conservatory

While in Phipps, these are the points that came the most frequently when asking users what were the main issues with the actual equipment. Users reports that the most annoying thing is that sometimes it leaks and there is nothing you can do about it on the go.

Main watering apparatus at Phipps
Main watering apparatus at Phipps
The really simple on/off switch that leaks from time to time
The really simple on/off switch that leaks from time to time

Orchids and some tropical plants don’t like city water (because of the salts) -> inverse-osmosis (from water they recapture from the greenhouse) But really inconvenient->bringing this water all the way from the orchis house in a big container… And they don’t have too much of that water

Other user: Main complaints about the individuals watering systems and that you cannot monitor how much water have the roots->sometimes it’s completely wet outside but there is no water for the roots…

Pots water dispensers
Pots water dispensers
Pots water dispensers in place
Pots water dispensers in place

Currently used watering pots systems are not convenient:

  • They are long to set up
  • when you have different plants on the same table/feeder and they need different watering, you cannot do much about it

Idea: monitor exactly how much water you have in the roots

Solutions we proposed: watering by the table?The answer was that there would be mosses and algae (big concern the algae), and you would have to wash it. Nevertheless they will try two of them soon with water already used in the greenhouse,so that there is no need to first purified the water. They also already used capillary mats on which the plants are put, but it was not a real improvement.

Homeowner

The subject of this interview was a middle-aged homeowner. She maintained a grass lawn in her backyard, and planted vegetable gardens in the spring and summer.
Her first major complaint was regarding the distribution of water from a sprinkler. For watering vegetable plants, the spray from most sprinklers is to diffuse, so the user has to stand there holding a hose for the duration of the watering. Some opportunities that arose from this included lighter hoses or hose attachments to make this process more efficient, as well as sprinkler modifications for a less diffuse spray. Her only other complaint was regarding the strength required to dig holes and move dirt during the planting process.
The user didn't have the strength to use a full length shovel, so had to kneel down to use a shorter trowel, which was strenuous on her back. Furthermore, she said that it required a lot of strength to break down any dirt that was packed hard, and it was painful with her arthritis.
Opportunities that arose from this included ways to loosen dirt, as well as ideas about a shovel that would require less strength to use.

Online Reviews

For the sprinkler that we dissected for the first report, the most valuable consumer feedback was available through Home Depot's online customer reviews [1].


The average grade from 43 sprinkler set reviews was 2.3/5. From going through the comments and keeping a tally of reported issues, a few major design flaws with the system became apparent.
  • The most common issue, surprisingly, was the supporting stake bending or breaking. Three users reported that the stake broke altogether and another eight complained that it bent when attempting to put it in the ground. This was somewhat surprising because it is made of zinc and seemed to be one of the more sturdy parts of the system.
  • The next most common issue, reported by 9 of 43 people who reviewed it, was that the sprinkler would often become stuck instead of rotating. This seemed to be mostly due to the design issue with clip height that was noted in the FMEA analysis in the first report.
  • There were also many other issues. Three people said that the sprinkler simply fell apart, and there were seven total reviews with issues stemming from inadequate coverage, including uneven and small coverage areas. Other reviews mentioned leaking, clogging, difficulty with adjusting the settings and making them stay, cracking of the plastic, leaning to the side on wet ground, and spinning off the spike.


In addition, five reviews stated simply that the sprinkler stopped working without going into further detail. The fact that all of these issues came up in just 43 customer reviews shows that there is a lot of room for improvement with this product.

Design concepts (top 3)

  • After three sessions of brainstorming, each of us picked five ideas out of the 100, and then we all voted for those 25 ideas. Out of the 10 remaining, we got rid of five more. We were left with five ideas of project: Water Can Redesign, Automatic underground water dispenser, Slap-Chop dirt loosener, a Hornet Nest Capture System and a Fulcrum Shovel.
  • After some brainstorming about how to actually implement those ideas, we realized that the Hornet Nest Capture System couldn't be efficient whatever is the way the nest was fixed on the wall/ceiling/corner, and that it would probably be out of the scope of this class to design a system efficient in all those configurations. The fulcrum shovel was eliminated for similar reasons.
  • We then thought about how to technically implement these concepts, and divided the team in three groups, each assigned to one of the three remaining concepts, to write down the report for each of them and compare them to existing products.

Water can redesign

Design Reasoning

One thing we learned from market research was that the watering can was not a particularly praised product. Professionals at Phipps had much more efficient tools and home owners didn’t often use them when it came to outdoor plants either. The watering can’s use was limited to indoor plants and plants where a hose could not easily go. Often times these plants were higher up, as indoor plants can be placed on shelves or left to hang from windows. We thought most individuals with gardening ambitions would go outside and not really bother with cans, save perhaps the elderly, who would be unable to go outside to get down and dirty. Having used cans ourselves and talked to others who had used them, we learned the standard watering can is a common, simple, and elegant device, but not without drawbacks. For a starter, water is heavy, and the watering can’s design requires the user to carry it around. If plants are high up, the user must lift the can up over their heads. Depending on the amount of water in the can, this can range from annoying to fairly difficult. We set out to design a new watering can. The idea as to create a watering can that reduces the effort required to carry around the water, and reduce the effort in watering difficult to reach plants. Here is our initial prototype design.

Design Description

A redesigned watering can
A redesigned watering can

The first thing we wanted to do was to change the method of carrying the watering can. Instead of a handle that you lug around in one hand, we looked to modern suitcase design for a wheel and handle system that was not difficult to drag along. Two wheels on one side of the bottom and two stubs on the other allow the watering can to be tilted and dragged quite easily. When not tilted, the can should be stable to stand. We initially were going to make it a box with a handle that pulls up, but decided that making it taller would allow use without bending over, a problematic motion for someone with reduced mobility, our target market. The water can be poured into a cap on the top. There it is stored inside the watering can until it is ready to be extracted. The idea is for the watering can to reach up to around the user's waist. We speculate this will make it tall enough to be easy to grab, while small enough to be un-en-cumbersome.

The extraction system fixes the other problem the watering can causes. We wanted to reduce difficulty in watering high or difficult to reach plants. Instead of lifting all of the water up to the higher plant, we figured we'd do what people do outside and use a hose. The hose is not in the drawing, but would be wrapped around the two "L" shaped blocks on the front face. The hose wrapping system was taken from modern vacuum cleaner chord systems. It would be interesting for it to be spring powered and automatic, but we are not sure yet if this would really give the consumer more satisfaction.
An other retractable hose with a funnel would allow to fill the tank of water from a regular sink without having to lift the whole think up and twist it to fill it directly from the sink faucet.

To get the water flowing through the house, there are several solutions which we are still considering. An electrical pump seems like the easiest way to get the water flowing. You would have to charge the watering can, which is a pretty big con, but you could get water flow with the press of a button. This would be the solution that makes it really appeal to the elderly.
Additionally, we are also considering some sort of manual pump. A foot pump would not be difficult to use for most people, although with reduced stability from the target user, it may not be the best solution. The height of the device also allows for a hand pump to be a feasible solution. Finally, we could get energy from other sources, such as pump embedded in the wheels and powered by their rotation.

See through version of redesigned watering can
See through version of redesigned watering can

Relevant Competitor Products and Patents

1. Normal Watering Can - "Behrens 2GCWC 2GAL Galv Water Can": Standard watering can, lifted by handle.

2. Ergonomic Watering Can - Akro Mils RZWC1G0B91 Watering Can, Evergreen, 1-Gallon: Similar to the normal watering can but with an ergonomic handle design.

3. Intelligent Watering Can - US Patent US 20130249689 A1: Patent is for a watering can with a motion sensor and a timer, and it notifies you if the watering can hasn't moved in a set amount of days, so that you know to water your plants again.

4. Aquaglobes - Aqua Globes AG011706 Glass Plant Watering Bulbs, 2-Pack: Glass bulb that can be inserted into soil and left there, will automatically release water over a two week period into the soil.

Behrens 2GCWC 2GAL Galv Water Can (source: [http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/313gGStoLyL.jpg Amazon.com Images)
Behrens 2GCWC 2GAL Galv Water Can (source: [http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/313gGStoLyL.jpg Amazon.com Images)
Akro Mils RZWC1G0B91 Watering Can, Evergreen, 1-Gallon (source: Amazon.com Images)
Akro Mils RZWC1G0B91 Watering Can, Evergreen, 1-Gallon (source: Amazon.com Images)
Patent US 20130249689 A1(Source:Google Patent Images)
Patent US 20130249689 A1(Source:Google Patent Images)
Aquaglobes (Source:Amazon.com website)
Aquaglobes (Source:Amazon.com website)

Pugh Chart

The Pugh Chart compares our design to the existing concurrent products presented before, with the datum being the standard watering can. It is assumed that a watering can is being used to water a number of plants (perhaps 5-6 plants within a house), so comparisons of the aquaglobe to the watering cans is based on using and maintaining at least that many aquaglobes.

Description Standard Watering Can Ergonomic Watering Can Intelligent Watering Can Aquaglobes Redesigned Watering System
Sketch
Criteria weight Datum Competitor 1 Competitor 2 Competitor 3 Design
Durability 2 0 0 - - -
Flower Aesthetics 1 0 0 0 -- 0
Refill Frequency 1 0 0 0 ++ +
Refill Ease 2 0 0 0 - +
Cost 2 0 0 0 -- 0
Plant Health 2 0 0 ++ ++ 0
Simple to Use 2 0 0 - - -
Comfortable to Use 2 0 + 0 + +
Strength Required 2 0 0 0 ++ ++
+ 0 2 4 12 9
0 9 8 6 0 5
- 0 0 4 9 4
Net score 0 2 0 3 5

Slap-Chop Tiller

Design Reasoning

Our market research indicated that there is potential for innovation in the market of home cultivation. There are two kinds of personal use tillers on the market today. The first kind is simple manual tillers that are operated by driving the claws on the bottom into the ground and then using a torsional motion to break up the dirt. These models, which usually cost between $15 and $30, are simple mechanically but require a lot of strength and endurance to operate. An elderly person or someone of less than average strength would be challenged to operate the system at all and even someone in good shape would be challenged to have the endurance required to till an area the size of a normal garden. The other option is an electrical model, which does not require the strength or endurance, but models usually cost between $100 and $300.

Therefore, there is a potential for improvement in this market. A tiller that reduces the repeated force required while being cheaper than an electrical alternative could gain a share of the market. To start, we looked at the manual tiller to identify the potential solutions. One large disadvantage is that the large torque required to turn the tiller is exerted by the operator's upper body, which is traditionally weaker than the lower body. Therefore, making a system where the turning motion could be made by the operator's lower body could reduce fatigue. To transform the vertical motion of the foot into rotational motion, the mechanical action of a Slap Chop was ideal because it does just this.

Design Description

Our general design for the Slap Chop tiller
Our general design for the Slap Chop tiller

As mentioned above, we loosely based our design on the Slap Chop food chopper. Our system is operated by placing the claw and outer shell onto the area to be tilled and then pressing down on the pedal at the top of the claw housing. The handle, which can be seen in the general design drawing found above, gives support to the operator and makes moving the tiller easy while in operation. The system uses a screw to transfer the downward motion of the operator's foot into rotational motion of the claws used to churn the dirt. To address the issue of driving the claw into the ground, there is some distance between the equilibrium position of the pedal and the position where the claw actually starts turning. This allows the operator to push the claw into the ground and then turn it all in one motion, as opposed to the two step process involved in operating the manual tiller. Eliminating this two step motion reduces the fatigue of the operator and makes the process work quickly and more smoothly. A spring attached to the pedal coils when the pedal is depressed so that, when the pedal is released, the spring forces the claw back into its original position, allowing for quick, repeatable motions to operate the tiller.

This design is more mechanically complicated, and therefore more expensive, than the manual tiller. It does, however, have a significant cost advantage over the electrical models available on the market. This provides a less expensive, non-electrical option for people who do not have the strength or endurance to operate a manual tiller.

Relevant Competitor Products and Descriptions

  1. Garden Tiller: Sharp claws attached to a shaft with a handle on the end (Price: $29.24)
  2. GreenWorks Corded Cultivator: Electric motor attached to spinning circular blades that dig up soil(Price: $139.97)
Garden Tiller (Source:Amazon.com website)
Garden Tiller (Source:Amazon.com website)
GreenWorks 27012 8 Amp Corded AC Cultivator (source: Amazon.com website)
GreenWorks 27012 8 Amp Corded AC Cultivator (source: Amazon.com website)

Pugh Chart

The Pugh Chart compares our design to the existing products presented before, the garden tiller and the corded cultivator.

Description Standard: Garden Tiller GreenWorks 27012 8 Amp Corded AC Cultivator Slap Chop Dirt Loosener
Sketch
Criteria weight Datum Competitor Design
Durability 2 0 + -
Aesthetics 1 0 0 +
Affordability 4 0 ($29.24 each) -- ($139.97 each) - ($69.99 each)
"Quality" of tilling 2 0 ++ +
Complexity (manufacturing) 2 0 -- -
Easy to use 3 0 + ++
+ 0 9 9
0 6 1 0
- 0 12 8
Net score 0 -3 1

Automatic underground water dispenser

Design Reasoning

One issue that was pointed out by both professionals (Phipps Conservatory) and "hobbyist" (flowers store and many others questioned people) is that plants in pot die as often from a lack of watering than from an over watering. And when you water from the top, it can be totally wet but the roots are, in fact, completely dry...
One of the Phipps employee said that it would be great to have for instance something that you put in the ground and by itself decides whether or not it has to give water, how much, and that would be done directly into the roofs. The flowers shop owner told us that the aqua globe are great so that people don't forget to water, or over water their plants, but it maintain a constant level of humidity in the soil, and the plant need a cycle dry-humid (depending on the time of the day, the season, the temperature, the lighting...)
We addressed this need with an automatic (underground) water dispenser. Powered by small solar panels and a small Lithium-Ions rechargeable battery, with a very simple interface (say on a scale from 1 to 5 how much water this type of plant needs) and sensors (moisture sensor at least, but we could add sensors for temperature external/internal, light, external humidity...) a small micro-controller (probably based on an Arduino for the prototype) would act on a valve to dispense water when the plant needs it, and where the plant needs it, i.e. the roots, and with the appropriate cycle.

Design Description

Automatic underground watering system for potted plants
Automatic underground watering system for potted plants



Our design consists of a tank of water, in the soil of the pot ("underground") or even built-in the pot (for obvious aesthetic purposes, even if it would be possible to make for instance a really design glass water tank), on which the stopper would consist of the assembly solar panel- control electronics (c.f. drawings for more details)

The design is such that you only need to buy one cap (the most expensive part), and you can buy tanks of different volumes for low price (less that 5$). By such providing, at relatively low cost, a wide variation of colors, functions, and water tank sizes, the product could be diversified to satisfy each client, who will probably be someone living in the city and travelling at least once a year, with only a few interior plants, giving much importance to the aesthetic, even if more expensive, and not really inclined to spend a lot of time maintaining those potted plants.

The main challenges in the conception of the realization design would be to have:

  1. A convenient an efficient way to connect electrically the stopper to the tank, since the stopper has to be removed to fill the tank and holds the electronic. It also has to be put on and off easily (For instance with a magnetic lock)
  2. Low power valve
  3. How to embed the different electrical components and cable into the tank to reduce costs
  4. Create a simple user interface water-resistant
  5. Keep cost al low as possible (around 20-25$)





Relevant competitor products and Patents

  1. Aquaglobes: A bulb full of water keep the moisture level constant in the soil by letting water go out when the soil is dry (Price: 8$)
  2. Inovalley AA02 Automatic Water Dispenser for Plants (Price: 50$)
  3. Ceramic Watering Probes (Price: 7$)
  4. Most relevant Patent: Self-contained automatic plant watering apparatus system and method for operating same US 20130205662 A1
Aquaglobes (Source:Amazon.com website)
Aquaglobes (Source:Amazon.com website)
Inovalley AA02 Automatic Water Dispenser for Plants (source: hifi-tower.co.uk)
Inovalley AA02 Automatic Water Dispenser for Plants (source: hifi-tower.co.uk)
Ceramic Watering Probes 6001-TC (Source:Amazon.com website)
Ceramic Watering Probes 6001-TC (Source:Amazon.com website)
Self-contained automatic plant watering apparatus system, (Source: US Patent 20130205662 A1)
Self-contained automatic plant watering apparatus system, (Source: US Patent 20130205662 A1)

Pugh Chart

The Pugh Chart compares our design to the existing concurrent products presented before, with as Datum the Aqua Globe.

Description Standard: Aquaglobe Inovalley AA02 Automatic Water Dispenser Ceramic Watering Probes Automatic Underground Water Dispensor
Sketch
Criteria weight Datum Competitor 1 Competitor 2 Design
Durability 1 0 + - +
Aesthetics 3 0 0 - ++
Time between refills 2 0 0 ++ +
Affordability 2 0 (8$ p.) -- (48$ p.) 0 (7$ p.) - (~20$ p.)
"Quality" of watering (cycles...) 2 0 ++ 0 ++
Complexity (manufacturing) 1 0 -- - --
Ease of integration 1 0 0 0 -
Easy to Use 2 0 + 0 +
+ 0 7 4 15
0 8 3 2 0
- 0 7 5 7
Net score 0 0 -1 8

Finding and Recommendations

From our market research, we determined that the two best areas for opportunity would be a system that regulates water flow to prevent under or over watering, or some kind of system that mitigates how much strength is needed for gardening or watering. Our top three ideas reflected these findings. The underground watering system contains moisture sensors that keeps the plant soil at the desired moisture level (including dry-moist cycles). The watering can design makes it so that a heavy watering can does not have to be carried around to water plants, while the slap-chop dirt tiller should help to reduce the strength taken when loosening dirt. Of the three, our group feels that the underground watering system may have limited mechanical complexity for this class, while the slap-chop dirt tiller would be difficult to manufacture, as it would likely require steel parts, so we have chosen the redesigned watering can as the system to go forward with into the prototyping phase.

User scenario

Christina is a 55 year old woman with two children and a husband. She is a stay at home mom, taking care of her home and her kids. To make her house look nicer, she has a number of potted plants in the living room and entrance area, as well as a few out on the deck. She uses an ergonomic watering can, and watering these plants used to be easy enough, but arthritis is starting to set in and it's getting increasingly painful lug around a gallon of water. And when she wants to water her caoutchouc tree, she has to bend down, and for her suspended orchis, she has to bring up the heavy can of water, which is painful. So, she needs at least to watering cans, a big one for the caoutchouc tree, very inconvenient to fill of water on the sink, and a small, light one for the orchis and all the other smaller plants.As a result, her plants are slowly dying off, as she's increasingly reluctant to water them.
With the redesigned watering can, she can now drag around gallons of water at minimal strain to her hands and arms, it's easy to fill on the sink with the funnel and the retractable hose, and the only lifting she has to do is for a small hose! Watering her plants has never been easier, and now she can keep her home beautiful while remaining pain free.

Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is provided below, mapping out the team schedule for design and manufacturing of the three prototypes for the remainder of the semester. A generous amount of time is given over to parts procurement, due to this section being the most likely to have unexpected delays. The Gantt chart was made using Microsoft Project 2010. The 1 week break during the first prototyping phase where nothing is scheduled is for spring break.

The above Gantt Chart shows the planned schedule for the prototyping phase of the project. Each member of the team will contribute to each phase of prototyping, however each phase will have a leader to oversee the process. Justin will oversee conceptual design and hand analysis, Tristan will oversee the CAD process, Louis will be in charge of ordering and keeping track of parts, Hira will be the manufacturing leader, and Billy will be the leader for the user study of each prototype.

Team member roles

Hira Ahmad: Team Leader/User and expert interviews/Snap-Chop dirt loosener

William Bullard: User and expert interviews/ Customer Reviews/ Slap-Chop dist loosener

Louis Dufour: Wiki Leader/Phipps Interview/ Underground automatic water dispenser

Tristan Greiner: Phipps Interview/ Water can redesign

Justin Hui Bon Hoa: Gantt Chart/ Water can redesign / User Interview


List of 100 ideas

Sprinklers Other Outdoor Gardening Professional Gardening Indoor Gardening
Roomba SprinklerTiny HoseFertliilzer Hose AttachmentFertilizer Sensor for hydroponic garden
Improved Sprinkler - overall redesignGallon Readout (attached to hose nozzle)Dual Hose System for FertilizerIndoor UV Lamps, focused glow
Pressure Regulated Plant DrippersRetractable HousingWater level sensorAdaptative bottleneck flower vase
Antler SystemClick Lock for Hose, instead of screwed inUse quartz instead of glass in the greenhousesWatering can Redesign
Retractable sun roof/showerheadAutomatic water turnoff when unclippedSpace: electrostatic assited watering because of low gravityFilter your own water at home with plants since the city water is disgusting
Underground watering systemAdapter or hybridization for aboveAnimal belly seed dispenserpencil sharpener that turns shavings into fertilizer
Wind-up roomba sprinklerRainwater Recycling Diameter varying flower pot.
Water powered roomba sprinklerAutomatic undeground water dispenserPot with built in undersoil aquaglobes
Sprinkler stand instead of stakeTrowel with dirt loosener
Gallon readout with automatic cutoffGreen paint
Sprinkler with sensor to turn on.Lawnmower sprinkler (zamboni)
Preset tank for sprinklers - can fill to desired volume and will not over or underwaterGutter Cleaner
Automated sprinklers based on rain levelsAll-in-one gardening vehicles
Flying Drone sprinklerGrass clipping grinder
Lawnmower powered by water going out of the tip of the bladesHelium Balloon carrier.
Lots of really tiny porous hoses in the ground under the grassSlap-chop dirt loosener
System to prevent riding mower overlapVacuum Shovel
Fulcrum Shovel
Ultimate RoombaElectric cables in hose/sprinkler
Underground porous big pots full of waterUV Lamps
Swivel sprinklerNo Farmer's Tan Shirt
Energy harvester sprinklerAerator + fertilizer combo
Sprinkler attached to river/pondAutomatic undeground water dispenser
Sprinkler on the top of a tall tree or stickCompact Lawnmower for slopes
Laser Grass Cutter
Ghetto Roomba
High Pressure Water to cut grass
Boomerang Blade
Seed Guiadnce System
Magnetic lock for hose
Pedal Powered Lawnmower
Wheelbarrow redesign
High Frequency Speaker for Animals
Compost Bin Aerator
Compost Railroad System
Hedge Shredder
Laser guided hedge trimmer
Hornets Nest Capture - sharp square bucket
Bayblade Lawnmower
Long term fertilizer
Ipad Lawnmower Fix
Calorie Counting Lawnmower
Spray kinda paint at the base of your plants in your vegetable garden so not to have weeds growing
Weeding robot
Underground net to prevent rodent from getting in the garden
Wall hanging table garden
Catapult for fertilizer/seeds
Seeds gun
Vacuum for water
Squirrell killing laser robot
vacuum rake to collect leaves as they are being raked
Lawn Cover for cars
tree shaker
Emergency watering explosion system
Temporary collapsible greenhouse
Small rubber balls in pipes
Rolling leaf collector
Large leaf collecting net
Hornet Removal
Hornet Removal
Fulcrum Shovel
Fulcrum Shovel
Ultimate Lawnmower
Ultimate Lawnmower

Citations

[1] Home Depot Customer Reviews

Amazon.com Website

hifi-tower.co.uk

Google Patents

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