23 July 2012
Fortunately for us, we managed to pass the semi-finals. Of course, this meant that there was more work to be done in order to solve the faults of the current system, such as the leakage problem, and the make the extension.
The current plans we have made for the extension are as follows:
a. To include a dynamo system in the prototype. The dynamo will be able to convert kinetic energy from the running water to electrical energy which can be used to power up other things such as the fish tank's pump. This has never been produced in commercial set-ups and we want to try it out.
b. To make an extension system that provides more support for the base. The tray base of the prototype, being supported only at one end, is unstable when handling the weight of the tray (with water), hence, an extension can help provide more support for the C-shaped prototype to make it stronger and more efficient when facilitating water flow.
c. To make another extension system to allow for more plants to be grown with the system. This will include structures that can hold more trays. The current design revolves around the "staircase" design, in which water flows down each elevation with the aid of gravity.
d. To change the position of input and output holes of the prototype. This can help resolve the problem of water leakage in the current tray system. The current plan is to position the input hole on the cover of the tray and the output hold on the bottom of the tray so water is channeled downwards vertically instead of travelling sideways.
We would like to thank our mentor, who guided us through our designs and gave us suggestions for improving our design, Frankie, who helped us greatly with the construction of our prototype and our loved ones who have provided us with emotional support throughout the ups and downs of the invention process.
We promise to do even better for the Finals!
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