My project is to make an automatic watering system for a succulent. The project utilizes the Arduino microcontroller to periodically send a signal for a relay to power a pump that will water a plant. The quantity of water pumped can tuned by how long a signal is sent to the pump, and the period of the signal can be tuned with the delay command.
The motivation for this project came earlier this year during winter break when I realized that it would be difficult to take care of my plants without asking for several people to take care of them. The purpose of this project then is to provide an independent way to monitor and water these plants in the event that I am not there to water them for a long period of time.
Below I've included a diagram for this project. The pump is rated for 5V with 1A max, and so the battery must be chosen to reflect this.
Attached is a picture of the setup and a video demonstrating the automatic watering system.
There are several things that I have learned throughout this project.