Computer Science

What automotive technologies could be used to ensure sustainability in the proposed solution?

The biophilic design could be enhanced by the automation of plant watering and maintenance, which would involve the installation of a microcontroller board, capacitive soil moisture sensor, relay module, a water pump, and connecting wires.

Microcontroller Board

The microcontroller board would act as the control center of the system. It contains all the functions of a computer’s Central Processing Unit (Arithmetic, logical, and control operations). Physical data from the sensor in the form of moisture would be converted into digital data using ADC conversion (analog to digital), which would in turn be read by the microcontroller. This data would then be used to decide whether to use the actuator (water pump).

Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor

The device functions by measuring the water content in the soil using a capacitor with plates which creates an electric field. Water has a high dielectric constant, so when the soil is moist, the capacitance increases, while when dry, the capacitance decreases. This property would be recorded in analog data and sent to the microcontroller.

Relay Module

This device is essentially an electrically operated switch. It allows for interaction between low voltage devices such as the microcontroller, and high voltage devices such as a water pump or other actuators. When triggered, it essentially opens or closes the circuit to control the water pump. So, when the microcontroller detects that the soil moisture is too low, it sends a signal to the relay module to turn on the water pump. When the soil is adequately moistened, the microcontroller instructs the relay module to turn off the water pump.

Water Pump

The primary function of this apparatus is to deliver water from a reservoir or water source to the plants. By controlling the duration and amount of water delivered using the microcontroller, the system can ensure that the plants receive the appropriate amount of water to maintain optimal moisture levels in the soil.

Implementation

The cooperation of external stakeholders such as the government would be crucial for the implementation of radical changes in urban design due to its power in deciding urban planning. Cooperation with the government would involve setting laws which incorporate biophilic designs into urban planning, ensuring the consistent application of biophilic design and mitigation of the urban heat island effect, and financial support through government tax capital would allow the new design to be implemented throughout the city.

However, it would be difficult to convince government institutions to implement changes to its urban infrastructure. In order for this to be achieved, government institutions would have to receive compelling evidence which proves the benefits of our proposed design, as well as demonstrate any economic advantages of this design.