This document provides an overview of agrotech and automation in indoor farming. It discusses the basics of plant growth and how indoor farming has evolved over time. Advancements in technology like IoT, microcontrollers, and programming languages have enabled more control and automation in indoor farming. The author details their own automated hydroponic system that uses Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and programming frameworks to precisely measure and deliver nutrients to plants via pumps on a scheduled basis. This allows for scaling production without extensive manual labor.

1. Intro to Agrotech
By Robert Sell

2. Beginning of Agriculture
• The beginning of agriculture starts around 20,000 BC and moves
forward
• After around 9,000 BC methods are largely the same
• Advancements have come from large machines and genetic
engineering

3. Basics of Plants
• Light
• Growing Medium
• Water
• Nutrients
• Air (CO2)

4. Natural Evolution – Grow Indoors
• Control Everything and Maximize!!!!
• Expensive at first
• Interesting Finds and Insights

5. Time Leads to Better Solutions
• Urban Farming (hydroponics and soil) becomes profitable
• Solutions become cheaper
• Startups disrupting traditional farming
• Cost of moving produce goes up
• Increase in population density
• Better dissemination of information

6. Features Ripe for IoT
• Light - Led strips controlled by micro controllers
• Growing Medium – soil and water ph monitoring
• Water – Automated feeding and drip systems
• Nutrients – Automatically measure and mix
• Air (CO2) – Automated fan systems

7. Programming in IoT 2017
• Variety of languages and platforms vs C
• Cheap microcontrollers and parts
• Rasberry Pi leading the way

8. My Setup
• Fill a bucket with water – (~2 minutes)
• Add nutrients to bucket – ( ~ 5 minutes)
• Put a seedling in the bucket (~ 15 seconds)
• Set up lights – (1 minute)
• Wait 4-6 weeks

9. Process isn’t scalable
• Takes forever to do multiple buckets
• Sucks when plants need different nutrient amounts
• Entire night wasted and huge mess to do it
• Less then happy girlfriend

10. Solution - Automate the Longest Process
• Let pumps do the measuring work for me
• Accurate to about 1ml
• Need at least 3 pumps working
• Needs an API to make it work

11. Parts
• 1 Raspberry Pi 3
• 2 Arduino Uno
• 2 Arduino Motor Shields
• 4 Pumps
• 2 Barrel Jack power supply 12v
• Extra Wire
• Soldering Iron

12. Frameworks
• Johnny-Five - Hardware
• Redux – State Management
• Express - Webserver
• Rxjs – Observable library for managing async events

13. Algorithim
• Every motor has a natural speed (ml / ms)
• Async time isn’t guaranteed
• Take in the total volume for each motor
• Emit events every 100ms until total volume is pumped

14. Johnny Five
• Node.js allows Javascript to run on a desktop using C as a
programming bridge
• Node is perfect for async and meshes well with hardware given its
async mannerisms
• Allows for combining web tech with hardware
• Variety of target boards
• Website: http://johnny-five.io/

15. Arduino
• Micro controller with lots of code
• Stackable shields with prebuilt wires and chips
• Cheap ~ $10.00
• Comes with own C like programming language
• Small amount of system resources

16. Perfect Combo
• Arduino = cheap but no brains
• Arduino = plenty of prebuilt modules programmed already
• Pi = affordable and multipurpose
• Pi = plenty of power and memory
• Combine up to 4 Arduinos with Pi 3!

17. Get the Arduino IDE

18. Upload the Standard Firmata

19. Get Coding
• Install Node.js
• Plug microcontrollers into computer
• Create a new project with Johnny-Five
• Golden rule – everything comes down to voltage
• Sensors / Buttons = Input from the world
• Motors / Servos / Lights = Output