Thoughts, ideas, and input on using load cell sensors to know when a plant is dry and needs water

[Bandit420]

First time caller, long time listener...

@moe.red , @Stoneyluv you two are prolly my best bet here....

I'm kicking around this idea about using load cell sensors placed under pots to know when they're dry and need water.
Weight of a pot is something I often use to know when to water but with 20 or more plants the task of lifting each one is not ideal.

So what if there were weight sensors, just like what's in a digital bathroom scale all wired up to a digital display under each plant? You could see in real time how fast they're drying up and see which are not drinking so fast and if there may be an uptake issue happening.
Briefly looking over these things I think it would have to be one sensor per one display, IDK.
This doesn't seem like it's too far out of the realm of possible.

Here's a link to the sensors. I'll hang up and listen

Amazon.com

 

[Neueregel]

First time caller, long time listener...

@moe.red , @Stoneyluv you two are prolly my best bet here....

I'm kicking around this idea about using load cell sensors placed under pots to know when they're dry and need water.
Weight of a pot is something I often use to know when to water but with 20 or more plants the task of lifting each one is not ideal.

So what if there were weight sensors, just like what's in a digital bathroom scale all wired up to a digital display under each plant? You could see in real time how fast they're drying up and see which are not drinking so fast and if there may be an uptake issue happening.
Briefly looking over these things I think it would have to be one sensor per one display, IDK.
This doesn't seem like it's too far out of the realm of possible.

Here's a link to the sensors. I'll hang up and listen

Amazon.com

i thought about putting them on a scale and leaving them on it, just prep it so moisture doesn't get into scale part with lightweight see through plastic.

 

[Stoneyluv]

First time caller, long time listener...

@moe.red , @Stoneyluv you two are prolly my best bet here....

I'm kicking around this idea about using load cell sensors placed under pots to know when they're dry and need water.
Weight of a pot is something I often use to know when to water but with 20 or more plants the task of lifting each one is not ideal.

So what if there were weight sensors, just like what's in a digital bathroom scale all wired up to a digital display under each plant? You could see in real time how fast they're drying up and see which are not drinking so fast and if there may be an uptake issue happening.
Briefly looking over these things I think it would have to be one sensor per one display, IDK.
This doesn't seem like it's too far out of the realm of possible.

Here's a link to the sensors. I'll hang up and listen

Amazon.com

it is definitely doable. it comes down to how accurate and reliable the sensors are. reading a value from them and having a display wouldn't be to difficult. one thing that would concern me is the water, might have to seal the sensors.

it would be a lot of cables, one for each plant. and also one of those modules and one sensor for each plant.

we were always interested in something similar for our R/C cars, we wanted to be able to weigh all four wheels at one time to adjust load balance.

 

[Zen_seeker]

First time caller, long time listener...

@moe.red , @Stoneyluv you two are prolly my best bet here....

I'm kicking around this idea about using load cell sensors placed under pots to know when they're dry and need water.
Weight of a pot is something I often use to know when to water but with 20 or more plants the task of lifting each one is not ideal.

So what if there were weight sensors, just like what's in a digital bathroom scale all wired up to a digital display under each plant? You could see in real time how fast they're drying up and see which are not drinking so fast and if there may be an uptake issue happening.
Briefly looking over these things I think it would have to be one sensor per one display, IDK.
This doesn't seem like it's too far out of the realm of possible.

Here's a link to the sensors. I'll hang up and listen

Amazon.com

Like the idea, however execution is everything.

Mother and wife both have a fake bird on a stick sensor. It chirps when the soil gets dry. Bloody annoying but it works. Reminds me of a cheap water meter.

So a nice quiet one that tells you when the pots empty sounds good. Will you calibrate it with a pot that needs water? Can it give a percentage of remaining water?

Would it look like a hygrometer with a long set of wires with a sensor at the end to go under?

 

[Stoneyluv]

Like the idea, however execution is everything.

Mother and wife both have a fake bird on a stick sensor. It chirps when the soil gets dry. Bloody annoying but it works. Reminds me of a cheap water meter.

So a nice quiet one that tells you when the pots empty sounds good. Will you calibrate it with a pot that needs water? Can it give a percentage of remaining water?

Would it look like a hygrometer with a long set of wires with a sensor at the end to go under?

it would just be a plate or something that would sit under the container. you'd have to take one that you wanted to be watered and read the value. then water it to where you want then read that value. now you know your value limits, assign a half way 3/4 and 1/4 mark in the numbers. now ya got plant fuel gauges to tell you how dry they are at a glance.

 

[Bandit420]

it is definitely doable. it comes down to how accurate and reliable the sensors are. reading a value from them and having a display wouldn't be to difficult. one thing that would concern me is the water, might have to seal the sensors.

it would be a lot of cables, one for each plant. and also one of those modules and one sensor for each plant.

we were always interested in something similar for our R/C cars, we wanted to be able to weigh all four wheels at one time to adjust load balance.

Here's my new container and catch tray system I'll be using






The bottom of the tray is flat so it could sit on top of a sensor embedded into the table

( for reference so everybody knows about my new tables, they will have a 35"x40" plywood surface and raise up and down with an electric hydraulic lift)

So I was thinking I could map out a grid on the tables with a square designated each plant space.
From there I could use a router to make a little cubby like hole in the table where the sensor would be then the tray on top and then plant in the tray.
Also, with the router I could carve out channel paths for all the wiring, install the wiring, and seal it up it up with silicone to make it water proof then paint over it so the wiring would all be hidden and sealed up

The base known weight would probably be at upcan so I have a reference of a water loaded plant then just go from there.
The scale wouldn't be the only thing I use as I'd still poke around and feel how dry it is but knowing wieght would be a good metric to have when I'm watering since all plants won't need water the same day and the scale would be an ez way to remember what got water yesterday and what needs water today

 

[Stoneyluv]

So I was thinking I could map out a grid on the tables with a square designated each plant space.
From there I could use a router to make a little cubby like hole in the table where the sensor would be then the tray on top and then plant in the tray.
Also, with the router I could carve out channel paths for all the wiring, install the wiring, and seal it up it up with silicone to make it water proof then paint over it so the wiring would all be hidden and sealed up

thats some work but yeah i think that would do it.. just the accuracy and reliability of the sensor. you'd have to make it so it could be replaced if you needed. but for $10 might be worth a test. i mean you can put your multi meter on the signal wires and set a pot on off a hundred times and see how many times it's the same reading then you would know your percentage of accuracy. also leave a weight on it for a few days and make sure the reading stays the same the whole time. kinda just test the overall accuracy and dependability. it's a lot of work for a stupid $2 sensor to fail two weeks in.

 

[Stoneyluv]

just being a smart ass but luggage have sensors in them too, but every time i go to the airport they tell me it weighs more than that!!! funny how all my scales are always off on the lighter side... hehe

it's a great idea, but like Zen said, execution is everything.. but i guess that could be said for every single thing in manufacturing. without it you just got parts!

 

[moe.red]

First time caller, long time listener...

@moe.red , @Stoneyluv you two are prolly my best bet here....

I'm kicking around this idea about using load cell sensors placed under pots to know when they're dry and need water.
Weight of a pot is something I often use to know when to water but with 20 or more plants the task of lifting each one is not ideal.

So what if there were weight sensors, just like what's in a digital bathroom scale all wired up to a digital display under each plant? You could see in real time how fast they're drying up and see which are not drinking so fast and if there may be an uptake issue happening.
Briefly looking over these things I think it would have to be one sensor per one display, IDK.
This doesn't seem like it's too far out of the realm of possible.

Here's a link to the sensors. I'll hang up and listen

Amazon.com

You may be disappointed in the reliability with the cheap chinese ones. I did the same thing and it was super frustrating.

I think they are not made to hold the weight continually and give a constant reading. Rather they are more like a scale, you start with nothing, set current voltage output as 0, then add the load and measure the delta.

Seems like over time if the weight is on them constantly, the zero point floats all over. Basically making it useless.

 

[growsinse79]

First time caller, long time listener...

@moe.red , @Stoneyluv you two are prolly my best bet here....

I'm kicking around this idea about using load cell sensors placed under pots to know when they're dry and need water.
Weight of a pot is something I often use to know when to water but with 20 or more plants the task of lifting each one is not ideal.

So what if there were weight sensors, just like what's in a digital bathroom scale all wired up to a digital display under each plant? You could see in real time how fast they're drying up and see which are not drinking so fast and if there may be an uptake issue happening.
Briefly looking over these things I think it would have to be one sensor per one display, IDK.
This doesn't seem like it's too far out of the realm of possible.

Here's a link to the sensors. I'll hang up and listen

Amazon.com

Good idea, if it works.