Barbie's Greenhouse

"Barbie's Greenhouse" is an automated, smart greenhouse designed to maintain an optimal environment for plant growth without human intervention. Our team created this project to combine sustainable gardening with technology, using an electronics system driven by conditional logic to monitor and self-regulate temperature, soil moisture, and lighting. The entire structure features a sleek design inspired by the classic Barbie theme, complete with customized fuchsia details and real plants inside.

Materials for the Structure:

• Wood (for the load-bearing structure and the interlocking lid)

• Green paint for wood

• Plexiglass (for transparent side walls and the lid surface)

• Silicone adhesive (suitable for wood and plexiglass)

• Plywood (for laser-cut decorative flowers and logo)

• Fuchsia paint, bows, and ribbons

• Ceramic decorations (a caterpillar and a small bird)

• Cardboard, baking paper, and scotch tape (only if you wish to replicate the preliminary scale model)

Plants:

• Fuchsia carnations

• Climbing ivy

Electronic Components:

• Microcontroller / Arduino Board (as shown in the project pictures)

• Air Temperature and Humidity Sensor

• Ground/Soil Humidity Sensor

• Water Level Sensor (for the tank)

• Photoresistor (ambient light sensor)

• Water Pump

• 5V Fan

• LED Strip

• External Button (for manual LED control)

• Buzzer (audio alert)

• LCD Display

Every great build starts with a solid foundation. We began our journey by assembling a quick, low-cost scale model using cardboard, baking paper, and scotch tape to preview the proportions and the transparency effects of the final design.

Once the design parameters were fully defined, we moved to the laboratory to build the real parallelepiped greenhouse. First, we painted the wooden load-bearing components green to harmonize beautifully with the planned vegetation. We then precisely cut the plexiglass panels to form the transparent walls. Using silicone as our main adhesive, we securely bonded the wood and plexiglass together, ensuring robust, clean, and stable joints. Finally, we crafted an interlocking wooden lid with a clear central plexiglass surface, allowing anyone to easily peer inside the greenhouse from above.

To ensure our plants receive water exactly when they need it, we implemented an automated irrigation network controlled by conditional logic. This setup relies on two main components: a soil moisture sensor embedded into the plant substrate and a small water pump submerged in our reservoir.

When the soil moisture sensor registers a low humidity level dropping below our pre-set threshold, the microcontroller automatically turns on the pump to water the plants. Additionally, we installed a water level sensor inside the tank connected to an acoustic buzzer; if the water level drops too low, the buzzer sounds an alert indicating that a refill is necessary.

To guarantee total self-sufficiency, we integrated climate control and dynamic lighting systems into the core code:

Ventilation System: An air temperature and humidity sensor constantly scans the indoor climate. If temperatures spike past our set limit, a ventilation fan automatically kicks in to stabilize the environment and support steady plant growth.

Lighting System: A photoresistor continuously tracks ambient light levels. When outside conditions become dark, the system powers on an internal LED strip. For added user utility, we wired an external physical button that lets us manually override the automation and turn the LEDs on or off whenever we like.

Real-Time LCD Monitoring: Lastly, we mounted an external LCD screen on the frame. It pulls real-time environmental data collected by the sensors inside, allowing us to inspect the greenhouse's vitals at a single glance.

With all electronics operating reliably, it was time to inject personality and tie everything together under our signature theme. We lavishly decorated the exterior with fuchsia ribbons and bows the symbolic color palette of our logo.

Using a precision laser cutter, we engraved our custom project logo on plywood to glue inside the back wall, and cut three decorative wooden flowers for the front facade. After painting these flowers fuchsia, we fixed them on the front alongside the bold text reading "Barbie's Greenhouse". To round out the interior design, we introduced cute ceramic accents including a little bird and a green caterpillar that mirrors our logo character. Finally, we potted fuchsia carnations and draped climbing ivy inside, completing a lively, thematic ecosystem.