Automation and control system for hydroponic crops

Abstract

We present the advances of the Research Project entitled "Automation and Control System for Hydroponic Crops," from the Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems of the Faculty of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, whose priority line is applied innovation and technology. This project arose to meet the needs of producers in the Province of Formosa who are dedicated to hydroponics, using new technologies by combining the concepts of Open Hardware and Software and the Internet of Things. Its main objective is to determine the applicability and development of a technological system of open hardware and software for the automation and control of hydroponic crops in the Province of Formosa during the period 2022 - 2025. One of the specific objectives is to develop a prototype that allows the automation of processes through a microcomputer (Arduino), sensors, and actuators, enabling remote monitoring of various crop parameters and process control, linking the obtained data with a web-based system and a mobile application when the final product is operational. The system will be able to receive data via satellite signal to an Internet of Things (IoT) web platform that processes this information and feeds different widgets in which the states of the crop processes can be observed. This work aims to present the methods, results, and achievements made in the first year of the Project's execution concerning the design and construction of functional prototypes of the automation and control system, using Arduino, sensors, actuators, and a horizontal irrigation system.