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STEMinds
Environmental Sensing
Elecrow

Eduponics Mini v2.0

Give your plants what they need with this next-generation, ESP32-based, smart-agriculture IoT kit

$4,636 raised

of $1 goal

Funded! Order Below

Funding ended on Mar 09, 2023 at 03:59 PM PST.

Recent Updates

You'll be notified about news and stock updates for this project.

Eduponics Mini v2 is a smart-agriculture IoT board built around the popular ESP32 microcontroller. It features a number of sensors, including those for temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, ambient light, water level, and soil moisture. Thanks to its energy efficiency and built-in support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, Eduponics Mini v2 is equipped for real-world IoT applications.

We provide industrial-grade products at an affordable price, whether you’re looking for an automatic-watering solution, a ready-made irrigation system, a research tool, or educational hardware capable of collecting highly accurate sensor data. Version 2.0 of Eduponics Mini series brings with it dramatic improvements, including more memory, more sensors, a brand-new four-channel valve-extension board, and a 4-pin Grove-compatible interface that accommodates sensors from popular brands like Elecrow Crowtail. Eduponics Mini v2 also comes with a hackable mobile app that leverages the MQTT protocol to give you remote control over your plants from wherever you might happen to find yourself.

Eduponics v1.0 smart-garden build created by @traverseda
Eduponics v1.0 smart-garden build created by @traverseda

Useful In a Variety of Applications

Applications for Eduponics Mini v2 include:

Features & Specifications

Changes to v2 of the Eduponics Mini Board

We have made a number of significant improvements since we released the previous version of Eduponics Mini:

Eduponics Mini v2 Kit Contents

Eduponics Mini v2 kit
Eduponics Mini v2 kit

The Eduponics Mini v2 Kit includes the Eduponics Mini v2 board and multiple accessories, including:

STEMinds Water-Level Sensors

We have replaced the previous, third-party contactless water-level sensor with our own custom-made sensor to bring down the price for backers who need additional sensors. (Having multiple water-level sensors is extremely useful for applications where you need to measure both top and bottom water levels, for example, or where you need to monitor various level indicators, such as 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% full.)

Eduponics Mini v2 water quantity sensor
Eduponics Mini v2 water-level sensor

Creating our own contactless water-level sensor will also help us ensure that all kits ship on time as it allows us to avoid delays caused by third-party suppliers.

STEMinds Long & Short Soil-Moisture Sensors

Eduponics Mini v2 soil-moisture sensors
Eduponics Mini v2 soil-moisture sensors

New, Four-Channel Valve-Extension Board

Eduponics Mini v2 valve-extension board
Eduponics Mini v2 valve-extension board

We’ve also created a brand new Eduponics product: the Four-Channel Valve-Extension Board, which provides additional IO support while also giving you control over an external valve so you can redirect water to whichever plants need it the most.

Improved Eduponics Mini Extension Board

Eduponics Mini v2 extension board
Eduponics Mini v2 extension board

We’ve worked hard to develop a custom extension board that includes the extremely accurate ADS1115 ADC and the MCP23017 IO-extension IC, but our previous extension board had 3-pin XH-2.54 interfaces, which weren’t compatible with popular analog available sensors.

In addition to adding HY-2.0, Grove-compatible interfaces for more integration and support, we’ve also fixed a wiring issue in the previous version of this extension board.

Comparisons

Eduponics Mini v2Smart agriculture kitEcoDuinoSmart Plant CareGardening Add-On Kit
Manufacturer STEMinds ELECFREAKS DFRobot Seeed Studio STEMpedia
MCU ESP32 MicroBit ATmega None None
Soil-moisture sensorYes (custom design) Yes (corrosive) Yes Yes Yes (corrosive)
Extension IO pinsYes Yes No Yes No
Wi-FiYes Yes No No No
Bluetooth/BLEYes Yes No No Yes
Environmental sensorsBME280, QMP6988, SHT30 DHT11 DHT11 DHT11 None
Low-power operationSupports deep sleep No No No No
Protective enclosureSTL files provided No Yes No No
RTC moduleYes No No No No
Ambient-light sensorYes No No Yes Yes
Water-level sensorYes Yes (corrosive) No No No
Mobile IoT appYes (Eduponics app) No No No No
IndicatorsRGB LED OLED Display OLED Display OLED Display Blue & Red LEDs
EEPROMYes No No No No
Support for battery & solar powerExternal module No No No No
Open sourceSchematic+SW+STL SW SW HW+SW SW
Programming languagesArduino, MicroPython Arduino, MicroPython Arduino C Arduino C Arduino C
USB interfaceType-C Micro-USB Micro-USB None None
Supported extensionsYes No No Yes No
Grove compatibleYes No No Yes No
DocumentationComplete (Arduino & Python) For the MicroBit IDE Minimal Varies Minimal
Kit price$60.00 $59.99 $53.90 $59.90 $54.00

Soil-Moisture Sensors

While looking for soil-moisture sensors to use with our kit, we found ourselves struggling. The sensors we were finding just weren’t good enough! We purchased and tested multiple sensors and eventually decided to make our own. As you can see in the comparison below, our sensor has the highest voltage range and sensitivity between all the sensors we’ve tested, allowing you to create a stable and precise high resolution smart agriculture and IoT applications.

STEMinds (Short) STEMinds (Long) DFRobotGrove Seeed studioGeneric v1.2
Type of sensorCapacitive Capacitive CapacitiveCapacitiveCapacitive
Operating voltage5 V 5 V 3.3 - 5.5 V3.3 - 5 V3.3 - 5 V
Min voltage output0.987 V 0.561 V 2.468 V2.378 V1.022 V
Max voltage output3.3 V 3.3 V 3.112 V3.570 V2.300 V
Min output value154 106 260494214
Max output value668 683 517745480
Output resolution (max - min)514 577 257251266
Operation current7 mA 7 mA 5 mA8 mA6 mA
Grove compatibleYes Yes NoYesNo
Sensor price$6 $7 $5.90$5.90$1.6

Support & Documentation

We’ve created over 15 detailed lessons to help you get started with Eduponics Mini v2. You can find these tutorials, which are available for both Arduino IDE and MicroPython, in our official documentation. The documentation is open-source and anyone can contribute to it by submitting a pull request.

Hardware schematics and 3D models of the Eduponics series and the Eduponics Mini v2 enclosure will be available in the Eduponics Mini GitHub repository. Our code is entirely open source (under the MIT license) and available for anyone to use, distribute, or modify. While Eduponics Mini supports both MicroPython and Arduino IDE, MicroPython is currently given a higher priority. Arduino Platformio is officially supported as well.

Manufacturing Plan

STEMinds products are manufactured by our trusted partner Elecrow. We have produced several prototypes in Elecrow facilities, done significant testing, and planned out a manufacturing and execution plan for once the campaign reaches its end. Elecrow is a company with years of experience, a great reputation, and deep knowledge of manufacturing, testing, packaging, and global shipping.

We have already secured critical components. By the time our campaign reaches its conclusion, we will be in a position to begin manufacturing and testing immediately so that we can deliver our products to backers on time.

Fulfillment & Logistics

After our production run is complete, we will box everything up and send it along to Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner, Mouser Electronics, who will handle distribution to backers worldwide. You can learn more about Crowd Supply’s fulfillment service under Ordering, Paying, and Shipping in their guide.

Risks & Challenges

There’s no doubt about it, building hardware is challenging and risky. The most common challenges faced by hardware manufacturers are component-availability issues, faulty parts, PCB fabrication defects, and design flaws, among other pitfalls. With our previous campaign, we faced multiple challenges, including undetected layout issues, supplier oversights, component shortages, and drastic price increases. We were able to overcome all of them, and we trust our team, our process, and our partners to do the same, if necessary, for Eduponics Mini v2.

Eduponics Mini v2.0 is STEMind’s second campaign, and our primary concern is producing a quality product and providing our backers with a positive experience. We will do everything in our power to deliver your Eduponics Mini v2 boards as quickly and reliably as possible, no matter what challenges arise.

In the Press

Linux Gizmos

"This IoT board is equipped with useful sensors in agricultural apps such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture, etc."

CNX Software

"The new board builds upon the Eduponics Mini introduced two years ago, but based on the 8MB flash version of the ESP32-WROVER-B module, a different mix of sensors, a BM8563 RTC module replacing the DS1307 RTC chip, and the addition of Grove connectors"

Geeky Gadgets

"Designed to provide your plants with what they need this next generation ESP32-based smart agriculture system is now available from just $40"

The Techno Hub

"With the help of this ESP32-based, next-generation smart-agriculture IoT kit, you can manage your plants."

Produced by STEMinds in Eilat, Israel.

Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.

Eduponics Mini v2.0 Kit

Everything you need to build your own DIY smart garden, including an Eduponics Mini v2 ESP32 dev board, a water-level sensor, a soil-moisture sensor (short), an HY 2.0 cable (for the soil-moisture sensor), a 12V/2A power supply, a water tube, a pump, a water regulator, and a USB Type-C cable.

$60 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

Eduponics Mini v2.0 Board

ESP32-based smart-agriculture and IoT development board

$40 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

3-Pack of v2.0 Soil-Moisture Sensors (Long)

Three Long v2.0 Soil-Moisture Sensors. Includes a 50 cm HY 2.0 cable

$20 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

3-Pack of v2.0 Soil-Moisture Sensors (Short)

Three Short v2.0 Soil-Moisture Sensors. Includes a 50 cm HY 2.0 cable

$19 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

Eduponics Mini v2 water quantity sensor

3-Pack of STEMinds Water-Level Sensors

Three STEMinds contactless water-level sensors. Includes a 50 cm HY 2.0 cable

$16 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

Eduponics Mini v2 extension board

Eduponics Extension Board v2.0

Eduponics Mini v2.0 extension board with IO extension and precise external ADC

$36 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

Eduponics Mini v2 valve-extension board

Eduponics Valve Extension Board v2.0

Eduponics Mini v2.0 valve extension board. Includes external 4-channel water valve

$35 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

About the Team

STEMinds

 ·   ·   · 

Cutting-edge learning kits. Turn your hobby into a real-life industrial deployment, design practical applications, and leverage the right kind of hands-on learning to grow your skill set.

See Also

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