In a world with approximately 854 million undernourished people, access to nutrient-packed foods is more crucial than ever. Sprouts are bountiful in nutrients and do not require soil or light to germinate. This allows for a 365-day indoor growing season, and, paired with vertical farming, can require 95% less land and water than traditional farming methods. Aeroponics allows excess water to be reused for conservation which benefits arid regions with low rainfall. SproutBot is a growing system that can autonomously plant, water, and harvest mature sprouts. This project specifically focuses on the seeding mechanism which will culminate in a fully functional prototype of a vacuum drum seeder. Interchangeable sleeves will allow the apparatus to accommodate a variety of seeds and autonomously distribute them into allocated positions for consistent growing results. With an intent to scale, SproutBot will grow sprouts to serve populations who may not have access to such nutritious foods.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Kraus, Cole

Subject

• Project-Based Learning
• Food
• Sustainability
• Well-Being
• Innovation
• Inclusion
• Community

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042822-142934
• 65561

Mot-clé

• Autonomous
• Seeds
• Growing
• Agriculture
• Axiomatic Design
• Sprouts

Advisor

• Brown, Christopher A.

Year

• 2022

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 2 - Zero Hunger
• 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
• 13 - Climate Action

Date created

• 2022-04-28

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright