S1

The rise in global population, combined with rising per capita consumption, has resulted in
increased food demand. This has put more pressure on existing farmland and necessitated the
expansion of agricultural land. However, as mankind has gained a better understanding of the
negative consequences of deforestation, it has begun to consider other ways to optimise use of
land in agriculture. One such solution is vertical farming.

Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers in big warehouses and it
incorporates controlled environment agriculture which aims to optimize the plant growth.

Vertical farming is pesticide-free and environmentally sustainable, but it requires continuous

monitoring of the ambient parameters.

S2

The key regulating parameters for vertical farming are LED lights in place of sunlight, ambient
temperature, soil moisture and humidity.

Each stack along the vertical columns must have its ambient parameters controlled. Each vertical
stack will involve a collection of sensors which will produce a lot of data, which requires a good data
management system.

We can efficiently manage sensor data, identify redundant sensor readings, and visualise it with the
help of a web-based application using the Internet of Things (IoT). Hence, a practical IoT-based
system for vertical farming could be established.

S3

Here we can see Diagrammatic representation of vertical farming with ambient sensor arrays. There
is a LED light at the top and multiple stacks with different sensors can be seen.
S4

So what are the benefits of Vertical farming?

 To start with, Production in vertical farming increases 3 to 10 times in the same amount of
space and it is up to 90% more efficient in use of water.

 Decreasing the time between harvest and consumption increases the nutritional value of the
end product.

 Many crops can be produced twice as fast in a well-managed hydroponic system.

 No chemical weed or pest control products are needed when operating a hydroponic system.

 Indoor farming in a climate controlled environment means farms can exist in places where
weather and soil conditions are not favourable for traditional food production

S5

Moving on to Internet of Things or IoT?

Internet of Things (IoT) is a new concept that aims to link a wide range of things or objects that can
communicate and coordinate with one another through wireless and wired connections.
From functional standpoint, IoT requires a collection of basic components or modules to facilitate the
connection of "things":

 A module for interacting with surrounding IoT devices (smart sensors). This module collects
sensor data and transmits it to remote servers for analysis and storage.

 A module to interact with remote IoT devices.

 Application specific data analysis and processing module.

 Module for user interface.

From the data flow point of view, the IoT comprises of the following:

 End Devices - These are sensors or actuators that communicate directly with the environment
to collect data (sensors) or make adjustments to the environment (actuators). These
instruments must be small, light and energy-efficient

 Propagation node - The data is collected and stored by this node. This is determined by the
operating system. The nodes evaluate the accuracy of the incoming sensor data and eliminate
redundant information. Data from the propagation node is bundled and sent to the cloud on a
regular basis.
S6

The proposed system includes (1) a collection of sensors for monitoring ambient conditions, such as
an ambient light sensor, humidity sensor, and ambient temperature sensor, (2) a data transmission
pathway using a microcontroller and a wireless module to communicate sensor data wirelessly, and
(3) a web-based application to visualise sensor data. Figure 2 here shows the prototype of the
proposed system.

S7

Vertical farming is usually done indoors, so there isn't much sunlight. Therefore, LED lights are used
to mimic sunlight, allowing the plants to carry out photosynthesis. In order to provide optimal
photonic energy for proper photosynthesis, ambient light must be monitored. As a result, our system
makes use of an ambient light sensor. In indoor conditions, temperature and moisture are also
essential for plant health. As a result, temperature and humidity sensors are needed.

The sensor data must be continuously monitored in real time in order to take the required steps to
ensure the health of the growing crops. The system makes use of an Arduino prototype and an Intel
Edison wireless module. The Intel Edison is a computer-on-module that has been widely used as a
development platform for wearable devices and Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. Computer-on-
Modules (COMs) are full embedded computers mounted on a single circuit board.

The board, in our system, has been designed to receive data from the sensors and upload sensor data
to the cloud.

Arduino microcontroller - (Rs. 1300)

Intel Edison wireless module – Rs 14,999

S8

The software is available in the application section and is pushed via the serial port of the Arduino
prototype. This application's .exe is called by the backend operation. The PuTTY tool is used to
configure the Edison Board with the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to allow connectivity
with the Internet.

The sensor array's components are as follows

 Ambient Light Sensor V2 (SKU: DFR0026) (Rs 283) - this sensor is used to measure the
light intensity. The illumination range varies from 1 to 6000 lx.
 SHT1x Humidity and Temperature sensor (SKU: DFR0066) (Rs 2748) - the humidity sensor
is pre-calibrated in a precision humidity chamber. The sensor output is in %humidity or
relative humidity. The temperature sensor provides the room temperature value in degree
Celsius.

PuTTY (Popular SSH and Telnet Client) is a free and open-source terminal emulator, serial
console and network file transfer application.
S9

When used in vertical farming warehouses, the proposed system will provide users with accurate
monitoring and control of ambient parameters. The proposed system can be widely used to achieve
smart agriculture as the demand for agricultural land rises and the trend moves toward
unconventional farming methods, such as vertical farming.

The system can be integrated with RFID technology in the future, allowing each vertical stack to be
uniquely defined. Adding actuation, such as an automatic irrigation system and temperature
control, to the system could boost it even further. The addition of pH and gas sensors to the current
system can help to solve the vertical farming technique's criticality.