Plant Factory System Construction: Cultivation Environment Profile Optimization

Abstract

A multi-functioned small scale plant production system was constructed using the speaking plant approach (SPA) as a basis. The optimal plant cultivation environmental conditions have been studied by many researchers, however this report details the experiment and results taken from an automated self-optimizing control system. Unlike the systems used in standard high yield plant factories, this system was designed to determine optimal environmental parameters. Criteria such as air composition, nutrient solution concentration, and lighting conditions were measured and optimized for numerous plant breeds. Through the use of color webcams and sensor data, statistics for many plants were obtained. The measured data was then turned into a profile intended to be used for controlling future growth. Profiling gave the system the unique ability to predetermine the most suitable environmental conditions for each plant. Large scale plant factory running costs are expected to reduce with the use of this profile, scheduling, real time environmental data, and plant growth images. This system also supplied and stored the obtained environmental parameters to a database on a CLOUD server. From the CLOUD server, that information could be offered, in real time, to business associates and other end users.