A planned embedded plant-monitoring and pot design for a lavender plant, combining drainage, ventilation, layered soil design, sensing, and a weather-aware enclosure.
Davey was designed for a lavender plant. It began as a personal CAD and embedded-sensing exercise: could a pot become a small support system for a plant that is compatible with California’s environment but still needs help to thrive?
The project was not built because printing something at this scale became expensive. It remains a useful design study in sensing, drainage, ventilation, and restraint.
The design includes:
The physical pot matters as much as the electronics. Drainage, airflow, and soil structure are part of the sensing problem.
| Decision | Selected direction | Why it fits the plant | Tradeoff / next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-first geometry | Pot, saucer, and airflow designed together | Supports drainage and root health before adding sensors | Larger print volume raised cost |
| Sensing | Soil moisture and light awareness | Measures conditions that matter to lavender care | Sensor calibration depends on soil mix |
| Drainage | Removable lower tray | Makes excess water visible and serviceable | Needs prototype testing before electronics |
| Power | Rechargeable battery, possible solar input | Matches a small outdoor-ish monitoring device | Weather sealing and charging strategy need review |
| Build path | Mechanical prototype before full embedded system | Tests the water-routing problem before adding electronics | Slower path to a polished electronic demo |
Design plan and CAD model. Not fabricated because of cost at the intended size and material.
Build notes
01
Davey started as an embedded sensing idea for a lavender plant, but the useful design lesson is more mechanical than electrical. If the pot does not drain, breathe, and keep the soil structure sane, a moisture sensor only measures a bad habitat with more confidence.
That is why the CAD work puts drainage, a removable lower tray, ventilation, and layered soil ahead of a polished dashboard. The plant is the system under test.
02
Soil moisture and light awareness are useful only after the geometry is behaving. Lavender does not want the same water behavior as a generic houseplant, so the soil mix, drainage path, and watering pattern would define the calibration problem.
The next honest build step would be a mechanical prototype with no electronics: pour water through it, watch where it collects, check whether the tray is serviceable, and only then add sensing.
