SCIENCEGATE

What is Automated Vertical Farming?

As the planet Earth's population crosses the 8 billion people threshold and more people are living in urban centers, maintaining adequate food production is an ever-growing concern. Furthermore, society demands “organic”, and “pesticide-free” produce, ideally grown locally, close to the urban centers.

Automated vertical farming is a type of agriculture that uses technology to grow crops in vertically stacked layers, usually in a controlled environment. This type of farming increases food production while taking less of an environmental toll than traditional farming, thus benefiting society in several ways. Compared to traditional agriculture, vertical farming has a smaller footprint, uses less water, and yields more crops. Additionally, it requires smaller usage of pesticides and fertilizers and provides a more consistent and reliable food supply.

In the context of vertical farming, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been a catalyst to the industry, providing innovative solutions for farmers to maximize efficiency and output. IoT sensors, particularly load cell and force sensors, play a critical role in monitoring and controlling the growing environment. These sensors provide real-time data on key parameters such as weight, force, and pressure, enabling farmers to optimize growing conditions for their crops. 

How can load cell sensors maximize efficiency in automated vertical farming?
In automated vertical farming, precision, productivity and accuracy are key elements to achieve optimal growth and crop yields.  Farming is a labor-intensive human activity and load cells and weight sensors helps to automate and optimize of these modern agricultural systems. Some of the key applications of load cell and force sensors in automated vertical farming include:

• Monitoring crop weight: Load cell sensors measure the weight of crops in real-time, providing valuable data to farmers and enabling them to make informed decisions about the growing process;
• Adjusting irrigation and nutrient levels: By monitoring crop weight, load cells can be used to adjust irrigation and nutrient feed levels, making sure that crops are receiving the proper amount of water and nutrients;
• Remote monitoring: IoT sensors enable farmers to remotely monitor remotely the crop and growing environment, reducing the need for presential monitoring.