GEM Tech (Greenhouse Environment Monitoring Technology)

Authors

  • Bianca Ross Bersabe

Keywords:

Arduino Mega 2560 Microcontroller, Arduino Wi-Fi Shield, C programming language

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Plants, especially seedlings,are very delicate. Thus, they need controlled environmental parameters such as temperature, light intensity, humidity, pH, and soil moisture suitable for them to survive. If not, the global food shortage that we are experiencing would continue to rise. The Philippines has long been particularly vulnerable to extreme wet and dry seasons happen in the country that greatly affect the ability of the plants and crops to grow. The automated greenhouse is capable of changing its internal climatic conditions to fit the needs of the plants placed in it.

 

METHODS

The GEM Tech prototype was first designed and constructed. It was composed of Arduino Mega 2560 Microcontroller, LEGO NXT brick, sensors (humidity, temperature, light intensity, pH, and soil moisture), and devices used to change the greenhouse's internal climatic conditions. The components were contained in a greenhouse-like prototype made of polycarbonate glass, aluminum bars, and aluminum sheets. It was programmed with different parameters needed by the mushrooms for initial testing using the C++ programming language. It was powered by a solar panel. The climatic parameters, mass, and quantity of the mushrooms were observed.

 

RESULTS

The accuracy of the GEM Tech was 100% accurate in overall movement of the greenhouse's motor-powered devices;100% accurate in recording readings of the greenhouse's sensors;100% accurate in displaying sensor readings on the LCD; 100% accurate in Wi-Fi connectivity of the greenhouse via the Arduino Wi-Fi shield; and 90% accurate in Bluetooth connectivity. The quantity of mushroom clusters inside the greenhouse had an average of 1.89 per pack in the three trials that were conducted which was close to the maximum number of clusters per pack which is two. In mass of mushroom clusters,the average mass in six mushroom packs was 14. 78 g with a maximum of 18 g in Trial 3. According to the article entitled "Weight Equivalents: Mushrooms" (n. D.) from the website Hannaone.com, the average mass of a small cluster of oyster mushrooms is 15 g.

 

DISCUSSIONS

The results prove that GEM Tech could provide plants with different environmental parameters and climatic conditions suited to achieve the plants' optimum growth by modifying the parameters in every sensor. This research study could help the agricultural industry as well as the environment, since the GEM Tech is eco-friendly through the use of solar panels.

Published

2019-01-18