Raspberry Pi and the Importance of Indoor and Urban Farming - eBook

Raspberry Pi and the Importance of Indoor and Urban Farming eBook

In this ebook you will find examples and applications of using a Raspberry Pi in the agricultural use of crop maintenance, cultivation and management for vertical, urban and indoor farming with projects demonstrating the capability of the Raspberry Pi as an embedded hardware control board.

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Sensors are a crucial component of any urban farming setup, allowing users to monitor and collect data on a variety of parameters and values, including climate (air temperature, humidity levels, CO2, and airflow rates), plant temperature, water nutrient composition, light levels/spectrum, and plant morphology (deficiencies and growth). Those conditions play a significant role for various reasons. For example, the difference between plant temperature and air temperature can provide information on whether a plant’s pores (stomata) are open or closed. If closed, the plant can’t absorb CO2 and convert it into biomass. The same can be said for measuring pH levels and conductivity in irrigation water, which are vital for propagation and growth. In short, sensors allow urban farmers to monitor growth conditions, identify anomalies, and correct any problems early on in the growth cycle, providing a proactivity level unseen in traditional farming.

Relays are another critical piece of hardware for urban farming in terms of automation, which include contactors, reed, latching, and solid-state (among a host of others), with each designed for specific voltages and applications. They are electrically operated switches used to turn various systems on and off without human intervention. In the case of automated farming, relays can control specialized lighting, such as LED and high-intensity ballast lamps that utilize a multitude of different spectrums, including blue (430 to 450 nm, used for seedlings), red (640 to 680 nm, fruit production), and green/yellow (utilized by certain plants for photosynthesis).

Relays are also used to control water pumps, such as immersion, peristaltic, trash, multistage, centrifugal, and others, depending on the application and the amount of water required for each system. Irrigation systems also rely on relays, which include drip (low-flow water introduction), localized (specific areas), sprinkler (overhead, ground level), surface (topsoil irrigation), subsurface (root irrigation), and a few specialized others. The types of plants being grown will dictate the best irrigation method.

FarmBot is an open-source precision CNC farming system designed by mechanical engineer Rory Aronson to grow crops in limited spaces. The robotic platform can plant and cultivate over 30 different crops, including potatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, artichokes, and more in an area that measures 2.9 X 1.4 meters. What’s more, it can cultivate those crops within the same area and operate indoors, outdoors, and within covered areas. It’s also estimated that FarmBot produces 25% fewer emissions than standard US food production processes.

The robotic system uses a CNC railing with linear guides and an interchangeable tool head designed to carry out all processes before harvesting, including heads for sowing seeds, weeding, and watering, and even uses a specialized sensor attachment for testing soil. The system uses a belt and pulley arrangement driven by Nema 17 stepper motors with rotary encoders, along with GT2 belts and OpenBuilds’ V-Slot extrusions and wheels. Controlling the FarmBot isdone using a Raspberry Pi 3, with an Arduino Mega 2560 with a RAMPS 4.1 shield and camera to record data.The Raspberry Pi uses those sensors, along with a camera and AI, to identify plants and even their age using images and other data on the internet. This also allows it to identify weeds and remove them from the garden area. Moreover, it can take into account local weather conditions and adjust its watering schedule depending on the amount of rain it may receive. The system uses the OpenFarm database to create an optimal planting plan based on crop size, and uses a web-based interface to program and control the FarmBot locally on mobile devices or remotely via the app.

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Raspberry Pi and the Importance of Indoor and Urban Farming - eBook