2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Toward Intelligent PlantWall Systems: An Engineering Multidisciplinary Educational Project for Sensor Integration and Automation

Presented at Smart Agriculture and Emerging Technologies in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Division (BAE)

The PlantWall project at Oral Roberts University exemplifies a successful interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering and biology students. Now in its third year, this initiative has evolved from a structural and irrigation design challenge into a platform for advanced experimentation with sensor technology and automation. The project is situated in the Biological Sciences Center and serves as a living lab that merges theoretical instruction with applied research.
In the first year, engineering students focused on the mechanical design of the modular plant wall system, including the structural frame, custom pot holders, and passive irrigation. Biology students selected plant species, developed watering schedules, and addressed pest management. In year two, students enhanced irrigation efficiency and structural durability, and the system was showcased at conferences across the United States, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, and Canada. It was recognized as an Outstanding Project in both the School of Engineering (2024) and the Department of Biology (2025).
In its third phase, the project pivots toward full sensor integration and intelligent control. Students will deploy PASCO soil moisture sensors alongside temperature, humidity, and light sensors to enable real-time environmental monitoring. The engineering team will implement embedded systems and write software to process sensor data and control irrigation via a dynamic threshold-based algorithm. The biology team will assist in interpreting sensor feedback in relation to plant health indicators and environmental factors.
To deepen system capabilities, sensor fusion techniques will be introduced to combine readings from multiple sources for more accurate environmental assessments. The project will also pilot the application of machine learning to detect watering patterns, predict irrigation needs, and provide early warnings for pest or nutrient issues. These upgrades are intended not only to improve plant health and sustainability but also to expose students to real-world applications of embedded systems, control theory, and AI in agricultural contexts.
The PlantWall continues to provide a robust experiential learning environment aligned with pedagogical goals in engineering education. Assessment will be conducted through student reflections, team deliverables, and performance-based evaluation of automation subsystems. This ongoing project promotes interdisciplinary communication, hands-on learning, and innovation in sustainable agriculture technologies.

Authors

Dr. Pavel Navitski http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9752-9298 Oral Roberts University [biography]

Dr. Pavel Navitski is Associate Professor at Oral Roberts University from 01/2020 after a stint as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Oklahoma State University, where he was researching drift detecting using sensor systems for field spraying and guest lecturing. He is originally from Belarus, where he was the head of the department of agricultural machines at the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy. The Belarusian State Agricultural Academy is where he earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Dr. Navitski’s professional interests are mostly in modern agricultural machinery: setting the main types of agricultural machines for quality work; device features of configuration of new agricultural machinery; perspective cropping systems; precision agriculture; modern machines for chemical plant protection; renewability and bio-energy. He represents Oral Roberts University at ASME and Tulsa Engineering foundation.
Rachel L Budavich Oral Roberts University
Simeon Spiess [biography]

Senior at Oral Roberts University studying engineering with a mechanical concentration
Dr. Elena Gregg Oral Roberts University [biography]

Dr. Elena G. Gregg is a Senior Professor of Physics at Oral Roberts University, where she has taught since 2006. She holds an M.S. in Theoretical and Applied Spectroscopy from St. Petersburg State University and a Ph.D. in Optics from the State Optical Institute, Russia . Her research background includes molecular spectroscopy and light–matter interactions, with current scholarly work focused on experimental physics education and cosmic ray cascade investigations in undergraduate laboratory settings.
Dr. Gregg is an active member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), and she has contributed extensively to advancing physics pedagogy through curriculum development, laboratory innovation, and student-centered research experiences . She has co-authored multiple conference presentations on cosmic ray cascades and experiential learning, and her work has been recognized with an Honorable Mention Best Paper Award at the ASEE Midwest Section Conference.
In addition to her teaching and research, Dr. Gregg is deeply engaged in service, including curriculum advisory roles for the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability and mentoring undergraduate engineering and pre-med students. Her recent work integrates environmental factors into cosmic ray detection experiments, enhancing hands-on learning in modern physics laboratories.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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