Automation, Robotics & Farming
In generally larger systems or non-hobbyist systems, automation is an important and integral part of the entire set-up.
Most of the farming set-up will be controlled via various automation systems. Even a simple set-up like mine has lighting and fish feeding components on timers. More complex systems have a variety of functions such as pumps that can do a flooding and ebb system, have sensor and solution systems that can adjust pH or even turn on aeration pumps depending on water conditions. Even more complex systems would even have auto harvesting features.
Automation not only takes away the manual repetitive work but also removes the introduction of infection as there is minimal contact with the operator in a controlled environment, in an open environment system its just a 24/7 staffed farmed.
The reason why I built this little raspberry pi based robotic farm worker was mainly to trial if I can use an automated system to do the following simple tasks:
Automatic Health Detection of Plant and Fish Livestock
Automated Harvesting of Plants
Difficulty with 1 is to figure out the video transmission and programming the ML-algo to diagnose both fish and plant and thereby coming up with prognosis and recommendations.
Difficulty with 2 (on top of the video transmission) was platform access to the Plants as well as programming the ML-algo to knowing which plants to pick plus the added difficulty of teaching the robot how to pick produce without damaging it since I only wanted to pluck fully grown leaves.
The video below of the robot was manually controlled and still it failed at harvesting.
If you have any suggestions for how to automate the system or have a cool farming robotics and automation project do contact me here! :)