ARTEMIS (Under Construction)
PROJECT SUMMARY
An interdisciplinary product system inspired by the Sweden International Space Asset Acceleration Company's "Space for Agenda 2030" theme, aiming to improve farming in northern regions and extreme weather conditions.
TIMELINE
January – February 2023 (7 weeks)
ROLE
UX Design and UX Research
(in a 5-member team of 3 UX Designers, 2 Industrial Designers, and 1 Interaction Designer)
TOOLS
Figma, Google Drive, Miro
Problem Definition
PROBLEM SPACE
Currently, the absence of light, colder temperatures and the presence of permafrost inhibit the growth of crops and plant food sources in northern regions.
Applying space technologies to innovate agricultural practices in the North can help provide food for communities in 2030 as the permafrost melts, as well as regions facing climate change around the world.
How may we utilize technologies from space to assist farming and crop growing in extreme conditions on Earth?
Research
SPACE TECHNOLOGY
Our research started with looking at various space technologies related to farming.
- Space farming relies on closed ecological life-support systems (CELSS) to sustain food production in space, utilizing recycling of air, water, and nutrients.
- At the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts utilize "Veggie units," which include plant growth chambers with LED lights and a unique watering system using a syringe and water bag due to zero gravity.
- A water-soluble polymer seed film was developed to help with germinating seeds.
BENCHMARKING
Continuing with research, we also looked at how others have used space technologies or other techniques to address our chosen problem.
- Vertical farming involves arranging plants into stacked layers indoors and uses soilless farming techniques like hydroponics.
- Underground farming repurposes spaces with controlled-environment agriculture. UK-based company Growing Underground, turned an abandoned WWII air-raid shelter into a farm.
Additionally, we discovered Tim Meyers' innovative process in Alaska, which involves thawing permafrost and preparing the soil with manure, composted tundra, salmon slurry, lake water, and dry molasses to enable farming in cold climates.
AFFINITY MAP
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ECOSYSTEM MAP
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Ideation
SKETCHES
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MOOD BOARD
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Wireframing
LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Final Prototype
PROTOTYPE DEMO
Reflection
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