UC Berkeley MEng Course Project · Fall 2023
HydroHive
"Revolutionizing Urban Farming, One Drop at a Time"
"Revolutionizing Urban Farming, One Drop at a Time"
Hydroponic systems are a way to grow plants directly in water without using soil. Instead, the plant's roots get their nutrients from a water-based solution. This method can be more efficient than traditional soil farming, often leading to faster plant growth and bigger yields. There are different types of hydroponic systems, but they all share the common goal of providing plants with a balanced supply of water, nutrients, and oxygen. These systems are popular for growing vegetables, herbs, and other plants, especially indoors or in areas with poor soil quality.
Note: This is a team project done as part of the course Human Centered Design (ME 292C), for the fall 2023, at the University of California, Berkeley as a part of the MEng program. This documentation provides brief information on the project and mostly about my contribution to the project.
HydroHive's modular design adapts effortlessly to your needs, offering easy expansion and a hassle-free gardening experience for both enthusiasts and beginners. Customize and grow at your own pace – a perfect fit for any home. It features an external shell inspired by beehives. Slots and connectors enable users to connect multiple units together. The cups support the substrate and the roots of the plant. The tray supports the cup and covers the water. The container holds water with nutrients and supports the plant.
Identifying Opportunities by Research on Product Opportunity Gaps
Gathering data and in-depth Understanding conducting User Research
Translation and Visualization by Concept Generation and Selection
Bringing concept to life by using the Prototyping Plan and Showcase
For phase 1, I came up with 15 Product Opportunity Gaps (POG) and as a team, we came up with 60 POGs. Through a peer-review process, the initial list was filtered down to 26 POGs. To refine their focus further, the team categorized these opportunities into six distinct categories. The final selection was made using a weighted matrix that assessed each POG against criteria such as cost, size, feasibility, and more. This quantitative evaluation led to the identification of a single POG:
"How might we design an energy-efficient and resilient hydroponic system that minimizes electricity usage and promotes renewables for wider adoption?"
During the in-depth phase 2 period of our project, we focused on user research. The research in this phase heavily involved learning from existing products, competitors, articles, research papers, and interviews which I and my teammates conducted. Interviews included discussions with Tina Wistrom, UC Berkeley Oxford facility manager, and Ivan Wang, president of the Vertical Farming at Berkeley club. These interviews were held during a visit to their facility and they offered valuable insights into the current status of hydroponics systems, either technological, economic, or social.
Following the user research, we redefined our POG and increased its scope to better accommodate other possible solutions:
"How might we revise existing hydroponics systems in urban environments and optimize them for wider adoption?"
After learning more about hydroponic systems from the user research, we proceeded with the study of our market and the competition. Our research on existing competitors gave us deeper insights into the needs of the user and the hydroponics market dynamics. Based on my and my team's research, we found 3 direct competitors. Then, we used the categories to create a VOA (Value Opportunity Analysis) chart for our desired product, for the Kichgarden garden kit, and for the farmshelf vertical farming system, after defining all the features for VOA. It helped us determine the needs of our products which are to emphasize ease of use, scalability, and affordability while being aesthetically pleasing.
In this phase, we embarked on a creative journey to transform our gathered insights into tangible concepts. We employed several ideation techniques like Lotus Blossom, Morphological Analysis, and SCAMPER to generate a diverse range of ideas. Each member of the team contributed unique perspectives, resulting in a rich pool of potential solutions.
After generating numerous concepts, we utilized a concept screening matrix and the Pugh chart to systematically evaluate each idea. This process helped us identify concepts that best aligned with our defined criteria, such as ease of use, scalability, affordability, and aesthetic appeal. The chosen concepts were then refined into detailed sketches and prototypes, setting the stage for the realization phase.
During phase 4, we decided on the final concept design by voting which was my second concept design out of the 10 I developed. After that, we proceeded into the prototyping phase where we first worked on the two prototyping canvases laying out the assumptions, questions on prototyping, resources, and challenges. I worked on the prototyping canvas shown in the picture here. The solution to the challenge that our prototyping canvas presented was 'designing and implementing male and female connectors for hexagons and piping system connections.'
I extensively worked on sketching the proposed prototype to study the feasibility of the product for manufacturing and also to come up with a minimalistic design. After team discussions and a review from design stand-up, I created the final sketch for the prototype which was later designed in 3D in SolidWorks.
I really enjoyed the Human Centered Design course throughout the semester. The course design was very practical and unique for me. Getting to work on a project since the beginning of the semester and working step by step, considering all the factors needed to create a human-centered design, was a wonderful experience. Also, I have my huge respect and gratitude for the faculty team, Prof. Kosa, and our GSI/TA Ananya. I really appreciate their effort to make this learning experience a successful one. Their teaming strategy was very practical and I really loved this team and enjoyed working with each of them the whole semester. Overall, the project HydroHive turned out to be a successful course project for the time and budget allocated. The team did a fantastic job. Thanks to everyone involved in this process.
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