SARE Farmer Grant 2012 - $14,951 Interim Results Title: Evaluation of Inexpensive, Wireless Sensor Networks for Managing Small Vegetable Farms November 30, 2012 1
Project Farm Goals Databasics Use wireless technology to easily collect and view field and facility data in order to: Determine best planting times Monitor frost conditions (strawberries, eggplants, etc.) Detect heating/cooling equipment failures Manage irrigation Calculate growing-degree days (GDD) to predict insect emergence Predict disease conditions such as late blight November 30, 2012 2
Participants Project Leader - Dan Kaplan, Brookfield Farm, Amherst, MA Technical Manager Larry Manire, Databasics, Coventry, RI Technical Consultant Tim Reilly, Reilly Technology, Kelowna, BC, Canada Technical Advisor Ruth Hazard, UMass Vegetable Program Technical Advisor Andy Cavanagh, UMass Vegetable Program November 30, 2012 3
Key Suppliers Reilly Technology, Kelowna, BC (reillytechnology.com) Libelium, Zaragosa Spain (libelium.com) Digi, Minnetonka, MN (digi.com) Digikey, South Thief River Falls, MN (digikey.com) Sparkfun, Boulder, CO (sparkfun.com) Also Ambient Weather, L-Com, Startech, Radio Shack, Ben Meadows, Hobby Boards, Home Depot Databasics November 30, 2012 4
Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) rtcirrus.com X4, PC Information System monitoring reports alerts Gateway Sensor ZigBee Wireless Network Router Sensor network extender battery powered air temperature / humidity soil temperature / moisture solar radiation leaf wetness liquid level other November 30, 2012 5
USB Gateway Sparkfun/Digi November 30, 2012 6
USB Gateway Installation November 30, 2012 7
USB Gateway Installation Closeup Databasics November 30, 2012 8
Agriculture Board Sensors Libelium Project Sensors Air Temperature Relative Humidity Soil Temperature Soil Moisture Leaf Wetness Wind Speed/Direction Rain Gauge Other Sensors Available Atmospheric Pressure Solar Radiation Ultraviolet Radiation Trunk Diameter Stem Diameter Fruit Diameter Luminosity November 30, 2012 9
Configured Boards November 30, 2012 10
Requirements Minimal interference for radio communication Protection from Water Sun/Heat Insects Tractor drivers November 30, 2012 11
Brookfield Sensor Field Locations Databasics November 30, 2012 12
Field Installation Closeup November 30, 2012 13
Fieldhouse Installation November 30, 2012 14
Standard Set, Solar Panel, Weather Station November 30, 2012 15
Inserting Soil Moisture Sensor November 30, 2012 16
Routers with Yagi Directional Antenna November 30, 2012 17
Upper Field Tomatoes Installation Databasics November 30, 2012 18
Cellular Gateway with Solar Panel, Deep-Cycle Battery November 30, 2012 19
Cellular Gateway Closeup November 30, 2012 20
Cellular Gateway Power Supply Ant Farm November 30, 2012 21
Software Components Radio Firmware (Digi; comes with radio) Mote Firmware Libraries (open source from Libelium) Mote Application Firmware (Reilly Technology) USB/Cellular Gateway Upload Software (Reilly Technology) RT Cirrus Online Query and Display (Reilly Technology) November 30, 2012 22
RT CIRRUS Sensor Cloud https://www.rtcirrus.com Real-time sensor monitoring Printable / PDF Reports Sensor Alerts -Email / SMS / Apple Notifications Digi X4 & PC gateway iphone App November 30, 2012 23
RT Cirrus Data Display-Network Devices List November 30, 2012 24
RT Cirrus Data Display One Device November 30, 2012 25
Middle Field Broccoli November 30, 2012 26
RT Cirrus Intraday Line Chart November 30, 2012 27
RT Cirrus Daily Range Chart November 30, 2012 28
RT Cirrus Intra Day Tabular Report Databasics November 30, 2012 29
Uses so far Strawberries Temperature Alert 34 degrees Walk-in compressor failure monitored from cell phone November 30, 2012 30
WSN Pricing (US) Digi International X4 Gateway: $400 - $800 Cellular data plan extra USB Gateway: $80 LTH Sensor: $110 Wall Router (indoor): $70 Outdoor Router: $100 (custom box) November 30, 2012 31
WSN Pricing (US) Libelium Waspmote board: $250 Agriculture board: $330 sensors extra ($10 - $60) Solar panel: $50 Reilly Technology Gateway and Sensor Software (to be determined) Cloud subscription (to be determined) November 30, 2012 32
To see the real time observations www.rtcirrus.com User: guest PW: guest November 30, 2012 33