These systems all feel like the worst parts of failed industrial automation projects. They take something that is extremely simple (growing lettuce) and claim to make it “easy” by attaching robotic watering systems and lighting systems that “work automatically” which then ends up being a very timeconsuming hobby project to keep alive.

Gardening isn’t all that hard in the first place. Put seeds in the ground, water occasionally. If you buy a sprinkler you’ll have a more reliable system than 90% of these arduino based 3d printers hacked into “growing systems”. Of cause for all the startups the focus is on the “IOT crowdsourced disruption” not about actual end user value.