Materials
Substrate Covers
Covers for the rockwool and clay pebble substrates — holding material in place through microgravity while keeping moisture sensors and roots within reach.
Rockwool Cover
Clay Pebble Cover
Testing Methods
To test whether both covers would hold the substrate, we filled one of the aeroponic modules with the substrate being tested, held the cover over the opening where the substrate sits and gripped it tight, turned the whole system upside down, and shook it to see if the cover kept the substrate inside the system.
Design Evolution
20
Total iterations
2
Rockwool cover
18
Clay pebble cover
- The first clay pebble concept used a center hole, which was abandoned because it restricted plant growth.
- After consulting with our teacher, the final design moved to a horizontal grate pattern.
- We sourced larger clay pebbles to allow better spacing in the grate.