Climate Controlled Terrarium

[blindfireak40]

Hey guys! I've not been around for a while; I've been super extra busy with my senior year of college, which is stressful yet exciting.

Anyways, one of the many projects I'm strapped with this semester is a programmable, automated, climate-controlled terrarium! I figured I'd start this thread to show the progress of said terrarium (prototype version only right now!) . I'll have a few pictures in a little bit, and a video of the interface working.

For you techies out there, it's powered by Arduino ;)

[smy_749]

Hey guys! I've not been around for a while; I've been super extra busy with my senior year of college, which is stressful yet exciting.

Anyways, one of the many projects I'm strapped with this semester is a programmable, automated, climate-controlled terrarium! I figured I'd start this thread to show the progress of said terrarium (prototype version only right now!) . I'll have a few pictures in a little bit, and a video of the interface working.

For you techies out there, it's powered by Arduino ;)

What variables does this control, only heat and humidity? Go into more detail about what an automated climate controlled terrarium does for those who aren't so tech savvy. Set it and forget it? haha

[blindfireak40]

It will control temperature and humidity, and be capable of adjusting either up or down to match setpoints. Currently provides for Hot Spot, cool side, and ambient air temperature control, as well as ambient humidity control.

And yes, it is set it and forget it! The video I'll link to shortly demonstrates the current interface (first run-through, so it'll get better). The duration of the video is approximately how long you'll have to work to set the system indefinitely. After that, you just need to top up the water for the misting system.

PICTURES! Please note that this is, at this point, proof of concept. I would not dream of putting an animal in this thing as it is built, but I would certainly like to make a much better one (in terms of construction quality) for the future.

Front View (back isn't in yet :rolleyes:)
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/20130425_174344.jpg (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/blindfireak40/media/20130425_174344.jpg.html)

Side view showing Fan for ventilation (dessication and temperature control)
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/20130425_174354.jpg (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/blindfireak40/media/20130425_174354.jpg.html)

Water Pump and spray nozzle for misting system
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/20130425_174400.jpg (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/blindfireak40/media/20130425_174400.jpg.html)
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/20130425_174409.jpg (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/blindfireak40/media/20130425_174409.jpg.html)

Video to follow.

[smy_749]

Which brings me to my next point, once you do build a finished product, what do you plan to put in it first ;P

[blindfireak40]

Here is the video, as promised. Please forgive the vertical phone recording and the various vocal flub-ups. Enjoy!

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Also, just as an additional disclaimer: I don't own Savs, and I haven't done any copious research, so DO NOT TAKE THE TEMPERATURE VALUES IN THIS VIDEO AS ACCURATE OR HEALTHY FOR SAVANNAH MONITORS (BOSC MONITORS). I used Savs as an example for the temperatures because they gave me reason to adjust the temperature into triple digits.

[blindfireak40]

Which brings me to my next point, once you do build a finished product, what do you plan to put in it first ;P

I've toyed with the idea of a Rhaco (Crestie, Gargoyle, etc) colony of some description. Failing that, maybe a smaller arboreal snake? This system is HIGHLY adaptable to any terrarium shape, so I might finally build a 4x2x2 for the Carpet I've been wanting for years :yes:

[smy_749]

I've toyed with the idea of a Rhaco (Crestie, Gargoyle, etc) colony of some description. Failing that, maybe a smaller arboreal snake? This system is HIGHLY adaptable to any terrarium shape, so I might finally build a 4x2x2 for the Carpet I've been wanting for years :yes:

Do something that records greater temp gradients than the cresties/gargs/leachies. If they can live with the entire enclosure basically the same temperature, youre new device won't be working to its full potential. Get a lizard or something that can utilize different basking spots at diff temps, make it more of a challenge :P

[blindfireak40]

Hahaha yeah, I'm thinking so, but I just LOVE the way that whole species complex looks and acts. We'll see.

I'm also thinking about taking the humidity control system to market. If I could expand it to cover 4 or 5 terrariums independently, I think there'd be a pretty good call for it.

[KORBIN5895]

You should send me a few to test for you....

[smy_749]

Oh right, me too. I won't charge you for my testing services...everything free of charge for a fellow forum member ;) but I get to keep the cages.

[blindfireak40]

You should send me a few to test for you....

Oh right, me too. I won't charge you for my testing services...everything free of charge for a fellow forum member ;) but I get to keep the cages.

Haha riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...I'm sure you guys would LOVE that :rolleyes:

We'll see how it goes. There's a lot of polishing that needs doing but I may well donate something as a contest prize....and of course if there's a beta test phase, I know where to come first! ;)

[pdomensis]

So basically what you're designing is a plant growth chamber with a glass front. I've been looking at my growth chamber for years wishing I could convert it to a viv. Glad to see someone is giving it a try.

[blindfireak40]

So basically what you're designing is a plant growth chamber with a glass front. I've been looking at my growth chamber for years wishing I could convert it to a viv. Glad to see someone is giving it a try.

As it turns out, yes that's exactly it haha. Those things are pretty cool looking! I just looked up a bunch....the majority seem a little big for a viv though. And can you control individual climate zones within the chamber?

[pdomensis]

In a typical model you can program lights, day/night temps and humidity. They're supposed to be designed to provide uniform temps throughout the unit, but they're never that good. It might be a problem though to have a basking area and a cooler area, although I bet it's doable. I haven't used my temp gun in it to find out the temp range, but that's a good idea. You might be able to find some good equipment from a manufacturer to help your project along.

[blindfireak40]

You might be able to find some good equipment from a manufacturer to help your project along.

That is an excellent idea, and I think I might just use it! Thanks!! :D

[blindfireak40]

Just cranked out a ton of software work today, and I'm proud to say that I have ALL the sensors working, ALL of the display facets working, and a valid framework there for the climate control systems!! :D

This should be coming together in a week or two (it better, it's due the 7th of May :eek:)

[blindfireak40]

Video showing the completed interface (including some functionality improvements over last time!!) :yes:


irmwmDipEsc


Also, I took it horizontally, thereby saving your eyes. You're welcome ;)

[Terranaut]

Your vid is private :(

[blindfireak40]

Oh no! It shouldn't be! I coulda sworn I set it to Public :crazy:...oh well. It's fixed now! :yes:

[blindfireak40]

And yet another update!! I planned to have this system basically vary the humidity throughout the day according to some parameters, and that subroutine has just been verified to work!

The humidity settings are:

Mean (average) humidity--what you want the middle value to be.
Humidity Variation--the maximum distance up and down you want the humidity to travel.
Period (hours)--The time for the humidity to swing high, then low, and return to normal.

So say you have an animal that needs pretty high humidity-- 70% at minimum, 90% at maximum. You would set the Mean humidity at 80%, the variation at 10%, and say you want it to cycle high and low two times each day, so you'd set the Period at 12 hours. It would start out at 80%, be set at 90% exactly (ish) 3 hours later, 80% again at 6 hours, 70% at 9 hours, and back to 80%. This allows you to provide variation in humidity without having to "fudge" it by spraying and allowing to dry, and it is far more controllable and nuanced than the "Turn on for x minutes every y hours" style foggers.

In addition, if you want a constant humidity level, you can just leave the variation at "0" and it won't vary! :yes:

I can say, without reservation, this is the coolest class project I've ever done.

[blindfireak40]

Completed and working! Here's a video of the final prototype! :D

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[Mark Taylor]

That's a clever bit of kit I want one lol.

[blindfireak40]

How much do you reckon you'd fork out for it? lol...like Terranaut, and completely independently, I'm considering taking some of this to market.

[Mark Taylor]

Not a clue what its worth pall. I bet man hours alone is to much £ for me lol.

[pdomensis]

That is really cool! Does the university own the rights? You should put that sucker up on Kingsnake.com.

[blindfireak40]

As far as I know, the university doesn't own rights. I know of other people who have taken their work commercial without much trouble. In addition, I've just verified that I can use the microcontroller board that I'm using here commercially!

Mark, it's only worth what people will pay for it! Hahaha...and you'd be surprised about the labor. In terms of actual time spent working, we've got maybe 16 man-hours between two of us working on it.

[smy_749]

Pretty sweet. looks expensive though. I guess if I'll call you to invest in one when I get my next shipment of tuatara breeding pairs :-P

I have a question, what happens if it can't get the temps you want? Does it explode?

Example : I would like hot temps of 100, humidity at 100, and a cool side of 60? My tuataras like it really cold ? Lol

[Mark Taylor]

Would that not just boil them lol.

[smy_749]

Would that not just boil them lol.

Thats irrelevant. Don't question my husbandry practices!

[blindfireak40]

Pretty sweet. looks expensive though. I guess if I'll call you to invest in one when I get my next shipment of tuatara breeding pairs :-P

I have a question, what happens if it can't get the temps you want? Does it explode?

Example : I would like hot temps of 100, humidity at 100, and a cool side of 60? My tuataras like it really cold ? Lol

Well the logic is set up so humidity has slight preference over temperature. Basically, if humidity is ok, it will do everything it can for temperature...it won't explode, but if a person were to give it particularly extreme temperature, it'd simply always run the heat panel. Originally we were gonna put an air heater in, but it ended up needing a relatively massive amount of current, so we had to scrap that.

That said, even with the really lame set-up here, the humidity tracks remakably well. With a proper mister, I'm completely certain it could handle whatever humidity given with everything else as it is currently.