Over the summer, an IFRoS student from the 2023–2025 cohort joined IRIDIUM NETWORK DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, SL, the company behind cdmon, to contribute to the Iridium Hydroponics Project — a fully automated, AI-integrated hydroponic system. During the internship, the student helped upscale the system while reducing hardware costs, gaining valuable hands-on experience with embedded electronics, automation, and open-source technologies. Want to know more about this innovative internship? Read the full story below.
“The system is based on 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼, an open-source, AI-powered platform for prototyping and rapid creation developed by Protofy.xyz. Through Vento’s intuitive, programmable interface, the Iridium Hydroponics system is designed to be fully customizable. The long-term goal of the project is to provide an affordable, fully integrated, open-source hydroponics solution that can increase crop yield by up to 10x compared to traditional methods, using the same seed quantity. Current market solutions are primarily built for industrial-scale farming and remain too costly for individuals.
During my internship, I developed an extended (upscaled) version of the Iridium Hydroponics system, while also achieving a significant reduction in electronic component costs. This version allows users to grow twice as much produce, powered by AI-driven automation (via ChatGPT) integrated with the Vento platform.
While building the Iridium Hydroponics system, I also strengthened my understanding of the MQTT communication protocol, conda virtual environments, JavaScript, ESPHome, Home Assistant, and the ESP32 development module architecture. In addition, I gained valuable hands-on experience with electronic and mechanical tools, and significantly improved my skills in circuit design, wiring, and documentation. I loved every bit of this experience!
The Iridium Hydroponics system is open source, with comprehensive documentation available for enthusiasts to replicate and adapt the solution for personal use.
A big thank you to Jaume R. Palau for giving me the opportunity to be part of this journey, and to the Protofy.xyz team for your support throughout the project. And of course, thank you to the IFRoS Master for the opportunity to make this happen. I’m excited to keep building and innovating! “
