DGP
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So, here goes another adventure:
Problem statement: Gardening in general (especially Indoor) and hydro can be labor intensive both from a monitoring standpoint (recording good daiy logs) as well as an automation standpoint.
Project Primary goal:
-Affordable data collection
-Affordable environment controls based on data inputs
-Data stream accessible from anywhere on the planet (assuming you have cell or wifi service and a device in your hand)
Detailed Goals:
-To have a stream of critical data that can be logged for up to a year or more that can be used for tracking the quality of a grow cycle as well as recording it for future comparisons or experimental changes.
-To use the data stream to run automated:
*ph adjustments
*Nutrient injection
*Turn ventilation on and off
*Turn cooling on and off
*Adjust any other variable needed for environmental control
We are in the very early prototyping phase but are currently measuring:
State of the light source (on or off and when it changed state) & luminosity of light source (currently lumens for reference but we are designing a PAR meter or estimated conversion based on specific frequency bands)
Air temperature of the grow area
Humidity of the grow area
Reservoir water temperature
Door open
Fan movement
PPM (tested but under refinment)
Future Sensing Opportunities:
Light height
Canopy height (for tracking relative growth rate)
Top off reservoir water quality (ph and ppm)
By default we also capture cooling cycles (very clearly shows in the data stream), which is interesting because I always wondered what my "duty cycle" was at any given time.
Our intent is to develop a full blown data collection and feedback/automation system that is simple and affordable enough for the average and especially the small grower even down to the home grower (like me). Our dream is to offer it as a turnkey system or as a kit where you build it yourself (with detailed instructions) or you use our software and source your own electronics from a detailed list.
The system uses Raspberry pi hardware along with readily available sensors. I am really digging the fact that my data is being logged for me every minute of the day. Also, very excited just to ponder all the things in the room that could be monitored and adjusted automatically.
It's the Internet of things in a real world application.
Pictures of our very much "breadboard" system, but hey it is working and gathering data! also, the software is working:). We already have a custom board that piggybacks on to the standard off the shelf Raspberry pi that gives us all the sensor and output connections we need. We also have an Ethernet controllable ac box that will eventually be a system with several 120 v outlets that can be programmed to turn on and off all sorts of systems based on measured data like the daily light cycles but also humidity, AC, heat, C02 or whatever. Limited only by the needs and imagination of the gardener.
Here is a data stream, please note there is a lot of noise caused by us being in the room working and sometimes interrupting the system. Also we have not added floating point functions so all measurements are whole numbers (nothing behind the decimal point) so the data looks a little choppy. Also we will add curve smoothing functions to the chart to make the data easier to read.
Second grow site monitor for our strawberry vertical farm (28 sites for everblooming berries):
Problem statement: Gardening in general (especially Indoor) and hydro can be labor intensive both from a monitoring standpoint (recording good daiy logs) as well as an automation standpoint.
Project Primary goal:
-Affordable data collection
-Affordable environment controls based on data inputs
-Data stream accessible from anywhere on the planet (assuming you have cell or wifi service and a device in your hand)
Detailed Goals:
-To have a stream of critical data that can be logged for up to a year or more that can be used for tracking the quality of a grow cycle as well as recording it for future comparisons or experimental changes.
-To use the data stream to run automated:
*ph adjustments
*Nutrient injection
*Turn ventilation on and off
*Turn cooling on and off
*Adjust any other variable needed for environmental control
We are in the very early prototyping phase but are currently measuring:
State of the light source (on or off and when it changed state) & luminosity of light source (currently lumens for reference but we are designing a PAR meter or estimated conversion based on specific frequency bands)
Air temperature of the grow area
Humidity of the grow area
Reservoir water temperature
Door open
Fan movement
PPM (tested but under refinment)
Future Sensing Opportunities:
Light height
Canopy height (for tracking relative growth rate)
Top off reservoir water quality (ph and ppm)
By default we also capture cooling cycles (very clearly shows in the data stream), which is interesting because I always wondered what my "duty cycle" was at any given time.
Our intent is to develop a full blown data collection and feedback/automation system that is simple and affordable enough for the average and especially the small grower even down to the home grower (like me). Our dream is to offer it as a turnkey system or as a kit where you build it yourself (with detailed instructions) or you use our software and source your own electronics from a detailed list.
The system uses Raspberry pi hardware along with readily available sensors. I am really digging the fact that my data is being logged for me every minute of the day. Also, very excited just to ponder all the things in the room that could be monitored and adjusted automatically.
It's the Internet of things in a real world application.
Pictures of our very much "breadboard" system, but hey it is working and gathering data! also, the software is working:). We already have a custom board that piggybacks on to the standard off the shelf Raspberry pi that gives us all the sensor and output connections we need. We also have an Ethernet controllable ac box that will eventually be a system with several 120 v outlets that can be programmed to turn on and off all sorts of systems based on measured data like the daily light cycles but also humidity, AC, heat, C02 or whatever. Limited only by the needs and imagination of the gardener.
Here is a data stream, please note there is a lot of noise caused by us being in the room working and sometimes interrupting the system. Also we have not added floating point functions so all measurements are whole numbers (nothing behind the decimal point) so the data looks a little choppy. Also we will add curve smoothing functions to the chart to make the data easier to read.
Second grow site monitor for our strawberry vertical farm (28 sites for everblooming berries):
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