IoT-Based HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant: A Design Thinking Approach and Business Model Analysis

The Internet of Things (IoT) generates new business opportunities by connecting physical objects with a multitude of sensors. IoT research mainly focused on technology and business models are relatively unexplored, although developing IoT business models is important for successful IoT service. The aim of this research is to prototyping business model for IoT development HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant. This research has a generic design thinking framework and business model for IoT through literature analysis and interviews. To create the developing of the HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant, the researcher undertakes case studies of a group of students who are in the process of finding problems, creating ideas, design product, to testing the HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant product using IoT that combines internet technology and smartphones. In addition, a group of students also made a Business Model which will later be used as planning, especially in the Competitive Advantages, Key Resources, Key Partners, Cost Structure to added value and sell products that will later be marketed to consumers. This research acts as a starting point for designing or developing business models for IoT services. The findings suggest that the HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant has a considerable chance of success rate for potential users, especially those who like to water plants but do not have enough time. The HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant can be a tool for caring (watering plants automatically) and this tool can provide information to users when their plants have been watered. This HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant has the potential to significantly impact for the community of agriculture sector and promote sustainable water use efficiency.


Introduction
The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a potent force, transforming how we engage with technology, changing the way businesses operate, and altering the fundamental structure of society.Essentially, IoT is a sprawling web of linked devices and sensors that effortlessly share data through the Internet, enabling previously unseen levels of communication among machines, equipment, and even people.This shift marks the onset of Industry 4.0, characterized by automation, data-centric decision-making, and unmatched connectivity [1].In the heart of Southeast Asia lies Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago that has borne witness to a remarkable surge in IoT adoption.This surge has been particularly pronounced during the tumultuous backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by an escalating reliance on internet-based devices for accessing essential goods and services.The ascent of IoT in Indonesia is propelled by two pivotal drivers: the proliferation of smart homes and the ubiquity of smartphones [2].Smart homes, equipped with an array of IoT devices, have rapidly gained prominence within Indonesian households.Year by year, these homes integrate an increasing number of IoT-enabled appliances, security systems, and energy management solutions, all aimed at enhancing convenience and efficiency in daily life.This burgeoning trend has culminated in a scenario where the typical Indonesian household hosts a minimum of five IoT devices, all harmoniously working together to ensure the seamless functioning of various facets of modern living.Concurrently, the number of smartphone users in Indonesia continues its meteoric rise.With enhanced affordability and accessibility, smartphones have emerged as the primary interface through which individuals connect with and control their IoT devices.This symbiotic relationship between smartphones and IoT is fueling the growth of both ecosystems, creating a fertile ground for innovation and transformative change [3] [4].However, this rapid expansion of IoT in Indonesia is not devoid of challenges.As IoT devices proliferate, concerns about data security, privacy, and regulatory oversight have assumed paramount importance.The escalating dependence on smartphones as a gateway to IoT connectivity has raised pertinent questions regarding interoperability, data management, and network resilience.Additionally, the absence of comprehensive regulations and standards in the IoT sector presents significant cybersecurity and data protection risks.The digital divide between urban and rural areas could potentially widen as IoT adoption accelerates, possibly leaving marginalized communities at a disadvantage [5].In a world facing the ever-increasing challenges of water scarcity and sanitation issues, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions has never been more pressing.The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have set forth a comprehensive framework to address these global challenges, with SDG 6 specifically focusing on clean water and sanitation for all.Achieving this goal necessitates not only efficient water management but also creative approaches that conserve, reuse, and distribute water resources wisely [6].This study explores a unique fusion of technology and nature, the self-watering plant system, as a novel and practical contribution to advancing SDG 6.While often seen as a decorative or leisurely pursuit, indoor and outdoor gardening can play a significant role in promoting sustainable water management practices and improving sanitation in our communities.These self-watering systems, designed to mimic the natural processes of water circulation in plants, can be harnessed as a powerful tool for change.In rural areas, the farming and cultivation of crops such as rice, wheat, and vegetables predominantly occur without access to advanced technology capable of automating large-scale production.Consequently, farmers dedicate a significant portion of their time to manual tasks in the fields, primarily focused on irrigating their crops, often at the expense of other responsibilities [7] [8].The concept of self-watering plant systems revolves around automating the irrigation process to ensure that plants receive just the right amount of water they need, minimizing wastage while promoting healthy growth.This not only saves water but also encourages responsible water use at a grassroots level.Moreover, the integration of these systems into urban landscapes, households, and community gardens aligns with broader sustainability initiatives [9].In today's fast-paced world, plant care faces its own set of challenges.Busy schedules and forgetfulness often lead to the deterioration of plant health.This paper delves into the development of the HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant, an innovative IoT-enabled solution.It employs a Design Thinking approach to address these challenges and explores its business model within the dynamic IoT ecosystem.

Design Thinking
Design thinking refers to the cognitive processes of design work or skills and thinking practices that designers use to create new products or ideas and solve problems in practice [10].These design thinking provide support and a flexible foundation for the field of open creative practice [11].Design involves directing creativity into goals, actions, and around real-world problems [12].Design thinking is considered as a people-centered approach that seeks to find creative and innovative solutions to various social and business problems using design thinking and tools design [13].Design thinking has become an educational phenomenon in higher education due to its wide relevance in many disciplines [14].The design thinking process is based on empathetic principles to understand user needs, identify needs, execute tests, prototyping, get user feedback, redesign processes, and express ideas think creatively besides using words and symbols [15].

Phase 1: Empathize.
Empathy is an essential starting point for design thinking.The first step is to understand the user about their wants, needs, and goals.To develop knowledge, students observe how people behave and interact with others and environment.They can also record predictions regarding answers to questions posed.

Phase 2:
Define.During this stage, the need is identified.Action-based problem reports will be raised after analyzing and synthesizing data obtained during the empathy phase.The problem identification phase supports creative thinking skills in the context of assessing a situation or problem from different perspectives, redefining existing patterns, and generating new information.

Phase 3:
Ideate.The third phase in the design thinking process is where creativity happens, and it is crucial to point out that the ideation stage is a judgment.Brainstorming is a phase aimed at producing many ideas in various categories devoted to finding a solution for the defined problem.Students can participate in brainstorming processes in different groups.

Phase 4:
Prototype.This step is key to testing each solution and highlighting any limitations and flaws.Any type of object with a physical component such as objects, role-playing activities, interfaces, visual scripting inherits the characteristic of being a prototype.
2.1.5.Phase 5: Test.During the testing phase, users can test the developed prototype and give their opinions to the designers.Solutions developed based on user feedback are evaluated and will be improved accordingly.

Business Model for IoT Development
The business model typically defines how companies generate revenue and make a profit through the overall structures of process, customers, suppliers, channels, resources, and capabilities [17].Some researchers developed IoT business models based on the business model canvas framework, which consists of nine key components: key partners, key activities, key resources, value propositions, customer relationships, channels, customer segments, cost structure, and revenue streams [18] [19] [20].Changes in technology require changes in business models [18].The characteristics of IoT, pervasiveness and ubiquity, drive the development of new business models.Moreover, companies need collaborate with competitors and other companies because of the nature IoT ecosystem [19].

Methods
In this study, qualitative research was employed to gain a deeper understanding of the complex phenomena under investigation.Qualitative research is particularly well-suited for exploring nuanced aspects of human experiences, attitudes, and behaviors.Data collection for qualitative study relied on semi-structured interviews, open-ended surveys, and content analysis of relevant documents and texts.These methods allowed for the collection of rich, contextually embedded data that facilitated the exploration of diverse perspectives and the identification of emergent themes [21] [22].In this study, we employed a qualitative research approach to explore the multifaceted aspects of the IoT-Based HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant, employing a design thinking approach and conducting a thorough business model analysis.The choice of qualitative methods was deliberate, as it allows for a holistic understanding of the diverse dimensions associated with the development and implementation of such a technological product within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT).Our data collection involved multiple qualitative techniques, including semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, such as designers, engineers, and potential users.We also conducted content analysis of relevant documents, such as project reports, market research, and design documents.This mixed-methods approach allowed us to collect comprehensive data on the product's design, functionality, user experiences, and market potential.The analysis used is a Design Thinking and some part of Business Model Framework.

IoT Development: HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant
HydroM8 is an automatic plant sprinkler, which implements an IoT system, where later users can water plants remotely using smartphone.Watering the plants can be scheduled or carried out independently according to the wishes of the plant owner.HydroM8 is intended for watering plants that are not too tall, such as ornamental plants, seedlings, and the tools are specifically for indoor which do not have big space.With this tool, the user who don't have time to care for plants can watering easier to plant from anywhere especially watering plants that are maintained because this tool can water automatically according to an existing schedule or users can water independently via the button on the application that has been provided.The IoT Planting has two main parts, software and hardware.The software part shows the details of iOS application designed for the plant sprinkles including two main functions such as watering plant and set the schedule and temperature.The hardware part shows the component details of the prototype.The process development of HdydroM8 Self-Watering Plant shows below use Design Thinking process.

Phase 1:
Empathise.In this phase, a group of students see the problem that today's urban communities who have plants at home do not have time to water plants because of their busy lives.In addition, because of the dense busyness, sometimes they also forget to water the plants.Therefore, a group of students tried to provide a solution for those who want to keep watering plants automatically without the need to water their plants manually.

Phase 2:
Define.In this phase, a group of students begin to explore problems and what solutions can be given to a group of people who will water plants, but they have a busy life.A group of people want information when plants have been watered, and they need reminders if they forget to water plants.With a minimalist space in watering plants, it is hoped that the plant sprinkler can be compatible with the room owned by the user.

Phase 3: Ideate.
In this phase, a group of students came up the idea to make the HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant product.This product is an automatic plant watering tool combined with IoT control, where later users can monitor if the plants have been watered or not.Watering plants will be carried out IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1324/1/0121055 using a timer.HydroM8 is used for watering plants that are not too tall such as ornamental plants, seedlings, and indoors.Hydro M8 Self-Watering Plant has features: soil moisture detector, reminder to customers that plants will be watered automatically, watering plants can be done automatically, software application that is user friendly and easy to use, watering time that can be controlled.Step 1 Sketch the Product In these steps, the picture has begun to show where the upper pipe tool has a motor that can move automatically to water the plants.In this picture, the engine that turns on will move according to the instructions of the user who uses the smartphone to carry out the function of regulating watering plants.

Figure 1.
Step 1 Sketch the product (source of picture comes from a product sketch a group of students) Step 2 Assemble the Hardware Assemble the base frame for the project using the 1/2" PVC Pipes into a block shape and use the pipe PVC elbow connectors.Attach the tube to the 3D printed linear slide part and glue the edge with glue gun.

Figure 2.
Step 2 Sketch the product (source of picture comes from development product a group of students) Step 3 Setup Main Code This is the main code that use to develop our IoT project.In this code that a group of students have provided, it is the latest version.The libraries are all included in the platform.ini.A group of students coded our program using Semaphore RTOS since there will be some programs that will be executed at the same time.A group of students void setup is used to setup some initial values from the GPIO pin such as the MOSFET pin, Stepper motor, the limit switches and setup for the OLED display to be able IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1324/1/0121056 to display.A group of students also locate the WIFI setup void in the void setup so that the ESP32 understands that it needs to connect to the Wi-Fi as it begins to initiate the program.In the void setup a group of students also give out each void the function for its own semaphore task and give stack sizes for each void.After that they configured the void WIFI Setup that they use to connect to Wi-Fi.In this case a group of students are using the Wi-Fi manager (Libraries will be included in the platform.ini)Afterwards the ESP2 will try to connect and authenticate to the Firebase that its connected to.The ESP32 will then fetch from the firebase.In this case it will be in the form of JSON data as they have a feature of user able to set alarm for when to water the plant and thus it fetches the initial information for the Boolean value of each day from Monday to Sunday.Once it is connected, the ESP32 will configure the NTP and gets the time directly from the NTP server with small configuration from the program to change it into Indonesia current time as per Waktu Indonesia Barat.Then it will read the humidity from the DHT11 sensor and the soil moisture sensor.After that it will update the data that the sensor has fetched from the previous void and updates it to the firebase.Both for the RTDB and the Fire store.A group of students use the RTDB to fetch the data in real time as the sensor detect changes from the surrounding environment.As for the Fire store, they configure it so that it's able to store the data historically.Step 4 Flutter Application Design Here a group of students have the mobile application developed by using flutter.The code will be represented in the GitHub link below for reference.In the mobile application, they have the homepage view of mobile Apps showing RTDB Temperature, Humidity and Soil Moisture data.A group of students also designed a Button that functions to send Boolean data to firebase.If the Boolean value is true then the system will start to run and water the plant.The temperature page, Humidity page and soil moisture sensor page all shows RTDB temperature data, chart, and history of temperatures and lastly there's a page that shows the time to water the plants automatically and the data is saved to firebase.Step 5 Setup Firebase In this step a group of students would setup the Firebase for the RTDB and the Firestore.They configured the RTDB to fetch the real time data from the sensor that it fetches and the Firestore is used to store historical data.

Conclusions
IoT-based smart watering systems represent a practical solution to the challenges faced by individuals who struggle to maintain their plants due to time constraints and forgetfulness.These systems offer automation, remote monitoring, and customization, ensuring that plants receive optimal care and remain healthy.Additionally, they contribute to water conservation efforts by reducing unnecessary irrigation.
As IoT technology continues to advance, smart watering systems are becoming increasingly accessible and user-friendly, making it easier for people to enjoy the benefits of greenery without the stress of constant upkeep.In summary, a Design Thinking approach and thorough business model analysis can significantly benefit businesses in the IoT space.By focusing on user needs, iterating on product development, and aligning business models with the customer experience, companies can create innovative, user-friendly, and sustainable IoT solutions that meet market demands and drive profitability.This is especially important in the rapidly evolving field of IoT, where staying agile and customer-focused is key to long-term success.The HydroM8 Self-Watering Plant exemplifies how a Design Thinking approach can lead to innovative IoT solutions.Its business model reflects the evolving nature of IoT and the importance of collaboration within this ecosystem.Further research and refinement are needed to address the challenges and opportunities in the expanding field of IoT in Indonesia.

4. 1 . 4 .
Phase 4: Prototype.In this phase, a group of students carried out several steps carried out for product development.The steps are:

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Step 3 Setup Main Code (source of picture comes from setup code a group of students)

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Step 4 Flutter Application Design (source of picture comes from development from mobile application group of students)

Figure 5 . 8 Step 6
Figure 5. Step 5 Setup Firebase (source of picture comes from setup firebase group of students)

Figure 6 .Figure 7 . 10 Step 7
Figure 6.Flow Chart 1 (source of picture comes from design flow chart group of students)

Figure 8 .
Figure 8. Step 7 Block Diagram (source of picture comes from design block diagram group of students)

Table 1 .
Business Model IoT DevelopmentThe researcher finding is based on literature review analysis and interview result.In Table1shows only part of the Business Model Framework elements.Three elements in the main blocks the Business Model such as key partners, key resources, cost structure are emphasized in literature analysis and interviews, while the Competitive Advantage element is a supporting element in the Business Model Framework.Attached below is table 1 of each element that is planned in the IoT Development Business Model Framework.Business Model for IoT Development