Automated Green House Blog:3 - Fish Feeding of the Future

RE: Automated Green House Blog:3 - Fish Feeding of the Future

DAB — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:25:48 GMT

It has long been a tradition to use farm ponds to raise fish and to harvest fertilizer and fish as part of the overall farm production.

It looks like you have done a great job of automating some of the process. Now all you need to do is assess the scale you need to support your crop growing efforts.

DAB

RE: Automated Green House Blog:3 - Fish Feeding of the Future

RWReynolds — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 14:35:03 GMT

OK, just watched the second video. Verry impressive indeed. You've done a lot of really great work Michael.

I've nicknamed you Doc Brown. lol...

You are totally self-taught, correct? Me too. I've been playing with and working on electronics, computers and programming a little over 40 years. It is one of my hobbies and my sole, and soul, career. I got out of the hobby side for some years, life gets in the way, but have recently jumped back in. Mainly because I got a job in electronics R&D and embedded programming. After 30 years, I've come back home. [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-00bc72f3-8099-420d-93a4-126fa472d31e/contentimage_5F00_1.png:16:16]

The work you've done is amazing. I really like the lab. Currently, I only have a small area to work in but I will remedy that soon.

On your questions concerning USB camera to Arduino interface... It is USB so technically it is a serial interface. Check out the link below. It may make the work a little easier as there is a camera shield available.

http://www.arducam.com/tutorial/

I think you have most of this under control but if eve need any help with the work I am willing to do what I can. I fully intend to start exoerimenting with aquaponics once I'm on my feet again.

Keep the videos and blogs coming. And I'm following the Hackaday site as well. Thinking about setting one up myself. [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-00bc72f3-8099-420d-93a4-126fa472d31e/contentimage_5F00_1.png:16:16]

Cheers,

Rick

RE: Automated Green House Blog:3 - Fish Feeding of the Future

m.ratcliffe — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 21:37:37 GMT

[mention:cbaee65a7b9e4999b7376a1f5dce129c:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] To reply to Rick [I didnt realise the video goes live before I publish the Blog]

"Amazing Michael! This is a system you've used in production, correct?

Did you build and write the software for the vision-based feedback system? That's just as cool as it gets.

And I was all proud because I got my stepper motor running on the EFM32ZG. lol... "

I have used the temperature compensation unit for 6 months and it seems to work great. The Vision one I built in a rush a few days ago and haven't had time to fine tune/test it to the point im happy to recommend it yet.

The Temperature Compensated one is all my software [I will be releasing it under GNU/similar in a couple of days], I'm working on extending the information it has to work with because right now I have only coded it to look after my Tilapia Fry set-up and pull some data [time, dusk dawn etc] from the main controller in the greenhouse. I will include a howto and wiring diagram to pull it from a GPS module so it should work anywhere in the world.

I had three days to learn Python [I'm much happier in C] and how to use a RaspberryPi to make the vision based controller. It is my "code" if we are calling it a code, its ugly no doubt it can be refined once I have a better handle on Python. The second video on this blog will explain a little bit about how it works and the concept code will be going live in the next few days along with a tutorial on building the phisical part of the feeder.

I appreciate the positive feedback Rick, I havent slept much over the past few days making this thing work. [Three products made and shipped to america three days after the parts arrived]. Have you got your geko in the starter kit? I still havent got my kit and no doubt will have some trouble myself being so used to using arduino related comands.

Mike