Dosec Design were invited to take part in the KPMG Smart Food & Fibre expo last week in Melbourne. It was a thrilling day where Ric and Michelle demonstrated the flexibility and power of the EnviroNode Beacon, our latest addition to EnviroNode’s expanding suite of IoT solutions.
Our setup featured a model greenhouse in which we monitored and controlled vapour pressure deficit (VPD) by automatically opening and closing vents in the greenhouse roof. Amongst other factors, the ability for plants to transpire, respire and photosynthesise are linked to VPD. Monitoring VPD in a greenhouse is vital as it provides an indication of how comfortable the plants are in their growing environment and how they will react to relative humidity and temperature changes in this environment. Using EnviroNode to automate growing conditions provides growers a powerful tool to gain insights, reduce labour and boost greenhouse productivity.
Our greenhouse also featured an EnviroNode solar radiation & PAR beacon, along with an EnviroNode soil moisture, soil temperature and electrical conductivity beacon, both with onboard cloud connectivity. EnviroNode cellular beacons transmit all sensor and device data to the cloud whilst simultaneously managing an autonomously controlled, local environment. The entire system is remotely managed via EnviroNode’s dashboard – accessible from any phone, tablet or mobile device with an internet connection. The dashboard allows growers to configure their ideal VPD set point, open/close vents, switch automatic control on/off as well as view all live sensor and device data.
The application of EnviroNode technology as a greenhouse control system is only one example of how our weatherproof, scalable and robust sensing, communications and control solutions add value to the production equation. The application of this technology translates to a range of situations where actuators, pumps, valves, gates and other farm/growing equipment require control based on sensor data or schedules. Typical applications include:
- broad acre farming and agriculture
- smart irrigation systems
- water and resource level monitoring and control
- environmental, location, proximity, animal welfare monitoring
- broad acre telemetry networking
- livestock management
