Poinsetta Greenhouse Device

Euphorbia pulcherrima, or the poinsettia is a popular flower often associated with Christmas. The University of Idaho's Plant and Soil Science club annually grows poinsettias to sell as a fundraiser around the holidays. These poinsettias are located in the Sixth Street Greenhouse complex on the University of Idaho campus.

Problem Definition
Our main goal is to design a covering system that autonomously encloses the poinsettias with black cloth to block out all nighttime artificial light.

Background:
Poinsettias are very sensitive to changes in their photoperiod. This means that they require a definite period of darkness every day to flower properly, 14 hours is preferable. In nature this isn't a problem because any light up to that of a full moon won't affect its photoperiod. The Sixth Street Greenhouse, however, has streetlamps as well as internal lighting that invades the room where the poinsettias are stored. For this reason, the students involved in the Plant/Soils Science Club have had to manually cover and uncover the poinsettias every day.

Design Goals and Deliverables
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