Urban Origin: The Automated Growing Solution for Small-Space Living

The Problem

More Australians are living in apartments and units where garden space is limited or doesn’t exist. Growing your own vegetables in these spaces is a challenge due to lack of both soil and space and the biggest barriers aren’t necessarily just space, they’re time and upkeep. Hydroponic systems can work in small spaces but most still need daily checking and manual nutrient dosing and few can handle fruiting vegetables whilst looking like they asthetically suit the enviroinment they’re intended for.

How might we make growing fresh vegetables at home easy enough to fit into busy lives and small spaces?

primary research CONDUCTED

To understand what actually stops people from growing their own food at home, I ran an online survey through and shared it across around 20 Brisbane community groups related to apartment living and growing produce at home. Forty people responded, from people living in apartments and townhouses to people in free-standing homes and from current growers to people who had given up or never started. The survey asked about their living situation, what they grow or want to grow, what gets in the way and which tasks they’d most like a system to handle for them. I also did a 40-minute semi-structured interview with staff at a local hydroponics supplier to hear what problems home growers bring into the store. The same message kept coming up — people want fresh produce but don’t have the time or confidence to keep up with the daily care.

Key Findings – survey

55% — LIMITED TIME WAS A BARRIER

50% — MAINTENANCE WAS A BARRIER

72% — WANT WATER MONITORING AND ADJUSTMENT

69% — WANT AUTOMATED NUTRIENT DOSING

90% — FACED AT LEAST ONE BARRIER TO GROWING

PEOPLE WHO HAD STOPPED GROWING WANTED THE MOST AUTOMATION

TOMATOES WERE THE MOST WANTED CROP AT 70%

Retailer interview

— TIME IS THE MAIN REASON CUSTOMERS MOVE TO AUTOMATION

— NUTRIENT AND pH AUTOMATION EXISTS BUT IT’S AN EXPENSIVE ADD-ON

— AUTO DOSING USUALLY NEEDS A 50–100 L RESERVOIR WHICH IS TOO BIG FOR SMALL SPACES

— DIFFERENT CROPS AND GROWTH STAGES NEED DIFFERENT NUTRIENT STRENGTHS

benchmarking (32 products)

— MOST SYSTEMS AUTOMATE BASIC WATERING ONLY

— NONE ADJUST NUTRIENTS AND pH AUTOMATICALLY

— NONE COMBINE FRUITING CROP SUITABILITY WITH GROWTH PHASE AUTOMATION

— DRIP SYSTEMS CAME CLOSEST TO THE GAP

THE TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE, BUT NO SINGLE PRODUCT BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER FOR HOME GROWING.

The Solution

Urban Origin is an automated hydroponic planter for use in small spaces such as apartment balconies, unit courtyards and houses where traditional gardens are subject to limited sunlight. It takes care of the daily work of growing so you can grow fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicums and zucchini at home without worry if the plants have been watered or if they require fertilising.

SO, how does it work!!

Urban Origin runs on a low-power 12V system that handles the daily work of growing for you.

01 — Monitor

pH and electrical conductivity (EC) sensors continually check the nutrient solution.

02 — Top up

12V transfer pumps draw mains-connected water into the nutrient reservoir as needed.

03 — Dose

Peristaltic pumps and add nutrient and pH adjuster, based on sensor readings and pre-programmed optimal values.

04 — Check levels

Level sensors make sure every tank stays at the right level.

05 — Water

A timer-controlled pump feeds the solution to four overhead drippers. The timer is preset but can be manually programmed. This keeps the growing medium moist and the plants in healthy growing conditions.

design features

Meet urban origin

Link to Youtube video

thank you

Thanks for taking the time to look through my project. A big thank you as well to everyone who completed the survey and to the local hydroponics retailer who gave up their time for an interview. If you’d like more information about the project or the full report, feel free to get in touch.