Internet of things and automated farming

Abstract: The purpose of this project is to make it easier to grow plants domestically all year round. The objective is to construct a remotely controllable and environmentally independent automated hydroponic system. This would minimize the efforts required by the user to sustain plants in non-native climates. A hydroponic gardening system uses water as a growth medium instead of soil. The system is climate conscious and has benefits compared to conventional agriculture. Hydroponic systems are affected by several factors, this project only focuses on controlling the light intensity by isolating the system, and regulating the nutrient concentration through EC. The system uses a microcontroller for analysis and control. The results are promising, showing that the system works. However, the limitations in time led to a short test period, therefore the data gathered is limited. The discussion based on the results conclude that the system cannot be considered completely automatic but reduces the need of manual labour.