2016

food computer: a tool for urban farming

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The personal food computer (PFC) 1.0 is an open-source semi-controlled hydroponic environment that uses sensors and actuators to monitor and control climate and plant growth variables. Developed by the Open Agriculture Initiative at the MIT Media Lab (active from January 2015 to April 2020), the PFC 1.0 was intended for experimental, educational, and personal use. It is able to monitor air and water temperature, carbon dioxide, electrical conductivity, and control light and humidity.



Building a PFC 1.0 was my first complex project and my first contact with GitHub, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, digital and analog sensors, and it exposed me to several fundamental concepts in chemistry, electronics, software and robotics that were new to me when I was 11 years old.

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Over time, the PFC at the Media Lab evolved into more sophisticated versions and there even was a Tree Computer. In 2019 there was a scandal that liquidated this initiative: four researchers who worked at the Open Agriculture Initiative said that the project’s leader had made exaggerated or false claims about the project to its corporate sponsors.

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Besides the scandal (it was very unfortunate), I had fun and harvested several rounds of incredible arugula, basil and lettuce, and learned key concepts that I used in my next scientific and engineering projects.