My work similar to Bonzai tree and mini landscape art

Amazon.com: Japanese Art of Miniature Trees and Landscapes (9780804802826): Yuji Yoshimura, Halford Giovanna: Books

Why do people creature miniature landscapes?

nice website layout and design- have a look for ideas

J A M E S - Modern Terraniums

miniature worlds

Patrick Jacobs’ Magnified Portals into Miniature Worlds | Colossal

James Modern Terrarium- good instructions

Good instructions use an inspiration for my instructions for filling Biopod: Deconstruction: James Modern Terrariums | Design Milk


Soil
I create my terrarium soil from scratch. One should choose a soil suited to the plants inside. If you’re creating a succulent terrarium, buy a succulent and cacti terrarium mix. Otherwise, use a regular potting mix. I mix a half-cup of activated charcoal into the soil mix. The charcoal will keep the soil fresh. In addition, being porous, the charcoal adds some needed lightness and drainage to the soil. I add layers of sand or other materials to add visual interest to the bottom of the terrarium, making certain these materials are inert and will not leach any harmful chemicals into the soil.



James Modern Terrariums | Colossal

RXTX processing mismatch

Every time I kept running processing it kept coming up with this error:

WARNING:  RXTX Version mismatch
Jar version            = RXTX-2.2pre1
native lib Version  = RXTX-2.2pre2


After much searching I have found the solution for mac:


-Go into your arduino folder under (contents/resources/java) then copy RXTXcomm.jar and librxtxserial.jinlib
-paste into processing (java/libraries/serial/library)
-also paste into (hd/library/java/extensions)


This seems to have solved the mismatch error. 

easybloom

us this website as imspiration for how to explain how it works, final image and also concept video

http://easybloom.com/learn/howitworks.html

just plug it into your usb port on you pc, install the software, and create an easybloom user account - all within 5 minutes

feedback
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E5DF66?tag=011080-20

http://zedomax.com/blog/2008/05/28/digital-plant-tells-you-their-feelings/

http://technology.nicefun.net/timelapse-garden-video-recorder-keeps-track-of-your-garden/

Ecotron: Biopod on a large scale

Graham told me about a radio program he heard about a project called Ecotron started during the 70s.

It has lots of great cross overs relating to my project so it could be a good group to contact/ future work.

Virtual Ecotron

Interior of Ecotron environmental chamber

Google Image Result for http://www.hubertraguet.com/_media/img/ecotron_iv292.popup.jpg

Ecotron: the answer to future climate | OpenMint

Ecology in a Bubble - CNRS Web site - CNRS

Web cam upgrades

So for now the webcam I have is alright but its not very clear and also isn't mac compatible.

Upgrades could include:

Wireless so could stream images to laptop

Higher resolution image even hd?

doesn't need to film so could just be used to take snap shots.

computer manual/ automatic focus

2.4GHz Wireless Webcam : Webcams : Maplin Electronics

Megapixel Webcam Pro : Webcams : Maplin Electronics

Neptune HD Webcam : HD Webcams : Maplin Electronics

Mars Webcam : Webcams : Maplin Electronics

Go to maplin and ask what is best to use?

Fruit fly capture device

Fruit Fly Trap Build a fruit fly trap out of a 2-liter plastic bottle. Fruit flies are easy to catch in warm weather. Once you catch some, you will be able to see their life cycle up-close.

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You'll need: 2-liter plastic bottle butter tub film canister masking tape fruit Make a small hole in the lid Cut top / tape it upside down Cut bottom off of bottle Tape film canister to butter tub

Add fruit to film canister / push pieces together 2 Weeks Later Watch carefully, they're tiny, it happens fast. The females in your trap will lay eggs, and in a few days they'll hatch. Watch for the different stages - eggs, larvae, pupae, fruit fly. The entire life cycle only takes about 2 weeks. Fruit Fly Colony Use your fruit fly colony to feed a spider or praying mantis living in a Predator-Prey Column.

http://www.thinkingfountain.org/t/2literbottle/2literbottle.html

Ecocolumns video

Found this nice video slideshow of peoples eco columns

window farm test

I began by trying to follow the pdf that window farms provided.

I first collected materials from the hydroponic shop

and ordered a air pump which arrives next week

Hailea ACO9610 4 outlet

I will possibly buy a digital timer

Grasslin Digital Timer

I first found it difficult to find 1.5 litre bottles but eventually found 1.5 litre pepsi bottles in poundland

I then cut out the hole in the side of the bottle and a small circle out of bottom

Then I put the clay balls into the little basket and the small pellet of peat which I put seeds in to get them to germinate

Manage something you don't know?

"8.7 million species on this earth are related to each other, we are all related, the knowledge of that relationship is ecology"

"Ecology, the knowledge of all relationships"

"now I asked these learned professors, learned students and graduates please tell me how are you going to manage something which you don't know?

The world in miniature "small is beautiful, E.f. Schumacher

Knowledge of harmony is science

Satish Kumar from the Schumacher conference 2011

To be or not to be this is the question

Lucky with my project it doesn't rely on the system to survive which Is one of the worries my lecturer is concerned about.

The whole idea is you can see what damages a system as much as what makes it flourish. Part of the process will be allowing users to learn what a natural system needs through seeing what destroys it.

People who play games such as Sims or Sim city learn through the destruction of their small worlds, when things go wrong this is when they learn.

How send sensor data to webpage

Not sure if I need a ethernet shield?

Arduino - ArduinoEthernetShield

Arduino temperature and light data-logging and chart plotting webmonitor | codetorment

Sending temperature data from the arduino to a server | jankreuter

Arduino - BarometricPressureWebServer

Components I might need or would be useful?

Prototino ATMega328 kit

Make: Arduino

Arduino Mega ADK

Data logging shield for Arduino makes saving data to files on any FAT16 or FAT32 formatted SD card really easy. The included Real Time Clock timestamps all your data with the current time, so that you know precisely what happened and when!

Data logging shield for Arduino

Keep track of time stamping

DS1307 Real Time Clock breakout board kit

FTDI Friend v1.0

It could be conveniently used as sensor hub or integrated data collector for monitoring, tracking and etc. Seeeduino Stalker - Atmega 168 Arduino Ethernet Shield

usb as data storage

If want to take computer away but still record data then it could be recorded onto a usb stick then uploaded next time you connect the computer to the biosphere.

Networked camera- pan tilt to see

A future progression to the camera would be enable it to be moved and tilted by the user and to zoom in on each part of the biosphere.

You could allow others access to your biosphere camera.

Here is a pre networked camera that allows other users to control a camera through a website.

Motorised pan and tilt head can be controlled remotely via web browser or mobile phone

• View footage remotely via web browser or mobile phone

Pan /Tilt Wireless Indoor Network CCTV Camera : IP Cameras : Maplin Electronics

Although it looks like I will be preoccupied and wont have time to integrate a camera oh well it could be a future attachment.

Adaptive Biophere

Once my biosphere have been bought then then can be adapted to make different measurements through added sensors by the user which allows the user to personalise their biosphere to how they want it.

Much like how this guy took his hex bug and made it swim

Introduction

Before environmental pressures forced Hexbugs to evolve to operate on land, they were originally amphibious creatures that were found in damp environments. Perhaps like humans losing their gills and the ability to breathe underwater, Hexbugs may have lost their waterproofness during the evolutionary process. They may however retain the innate ability to swim.

Hypothesis

If they were waterproof, Hexbugs would be able to swim.

Conclusion

Once waterproofed, Hexbugs operate underwater just as effectively as they do on desks and floors. This is also a quick and fun experiment that creates a minimal amount of mess and doesn't require soldering.

Future Work

Future experimenters may look at using bristlebots to search for pollution released into sewer systems

I Heart Robotics: January 2010

codes for each biosphere

Each biosphere when bought would come along with a unique code which could then be typed in and would tell your account what size and shape of biosphere you had bought.

This idea came from playing with Hexbugs which I recieved in a christmas cracker.

Hex bugs come with a code on a little slip of paper along with the instructions. This code can be typed in online to link your hexbug with your online account.

Optionally It could use a 3d barcode to link your biosphere to your account:

Glass or plastic Modules?

Should I make my modules glass or plastic?

Glass:

pros-Air tight

good finish/ professional

Crystal clear

cons-Breakable and could be dangerous

Plastic:

pros-Less likely to break

Cheaper to have made

cons-Less clear possibly

Less professional if not done well

Slug eggs seen in Biosphere