Introduction: Hoberman Krop Dynamic Greenhouse

About: Former United States Navy Corpsman. After my service, I received a biomedical engineering degree, with a concentration in tissue engineering, from Drexel University. I enjoy reading, cooking, working out, biki…

My proposed solution for growing outrageous red lettuce beyond Earth is a dynamic shape changing greenhouse. To achieve this goal we must understand the geometry of the growing plant. The plant grows towards the light and out from its body. The geometry that best encompasses the plant and the point grow light would be a cone. A dynamic cone can be simplified using triangles in the shape of a dodecahedron. Having no directional constraints growing in space, six dodecahedron having the same point grow light can be simplified as a sphere. As volume is a limited and valuable commodity, the volume should change as a function of the plant's growth cycle, i.e. seedlings should take up less volume than a mature crop. To accommodate a dynamic growing sphere, I propose using a Hoberman Sphere as the grow structure.

Step 1: The Crop - Outragous Red Lettuce

It takes 40 days for a seedling to grow into a fully mature plant ready for harvesting.

Step 2: Geometry of the Outrageous Red Lettuce

The geometric shape of a full grown Outrageous Red Lettuce Plant with a light source can fit inside a cone.

Step 3: A Cone Can Be Simplified Into a Dodecahedron

The math involved in calculating a dynamically changing cone is quite difficult and challenging. However, a cone can be converted into a dodecahedron, using a series of triangles. These triangles are easy to work with using Pythagorean theorem.

Step 4: Hoberman Sphere As the Frame for the Grow Base.

Having no directional constraints and taking advantage of the same light source, six dodecahedrons fit together nicely. The overall shape is similar to a sphere. The Hoberman sphere is dynamic shape-changing sphere that would work nicely as a grow frame.

Growing Beyond Earth Maker Contest

Participated in the
Growing Beyond Earth Maker Contest