With their submissions of an app-controlled flower pot and a smart system for indoor gardening, students Jenny Reinhardt and Philipp Tschakert have won the ideas competition of the Association for the Promotion of the Lighting Engineering Group.
For several years now, the Association for the Promotion of the Lighting Engineering Group has been holding an annual ideas competition. At the members' meeting on November 11, this time even two submissions were awarded a prize and a travel voucher. Jenny Reinhardt and Philipp Tschakert convinced the jury with their innovative lighting ideas.
Jenny Reinhardt designed smart app-controlled flower pots that emit light and thus both illuminate the room and signal their need for water. She also provided an example of how the app might work as a small click dummy. Individual lighting for individual plants or even entire rooms, right up to a plant encyclopedia and a store, are envisaged.
Philipp Tschakert was already able to show a prototype of his Smarthome device for indoor gardening. The arrangement of plants and irrigation system is already well thought out. In the next steps, the lighting is to be optimized in terms of spectral distribution and timing. By means of an app, the prototype is to be controlled with regard to all relevant parameters (lighting, irrigation, fertilization, etc.).
The sponsoring association at the Department of Lighting Technology at TU Ilmenau has existed for over 30 years. It sees itself as a link between industrial companies and the department. It promotes scientific work by means of events and financial support. A special focus is to inspire students of all courses of study for the subject of light.