Design and Implementation of a Solar Powered Floating Device for Water Quality Monitoring in Inland Aquaculture Farms Using LoRa Wireless Communication

Abstract

AbstractInland fish farming is one of the growing food industries in India. The potential of this sector in creating an impact on the growth of the Indian economy is not yet realized. The Government of India is constantly focusing on various opportunities to build a self-reliant nation. Fish is one of the major foods consumed by the people of Southern India. Improper maintenance of aquafarms leads to health problems for the people who consume fish from these farms. In this paper, the types of fish farming, the challenges, threats, and recent remedial actions taken to overcome the challenges are discussed. A low-cost water quality monitoring system (WQMS) based on long-range wireless communication (LoRaWC) powered by a solar panel that floats on the water is proposed to improve the yield and quality of fish from the aquafarms. The sensor node is designed to measure pH level, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), atmospheric temperature, humidity, and water level. The measured values are transmitted to the cloud through a LoRa gateway for taking necessary decisions to maintain the water quality in good condition. This method improves the growth and health of the fish in the aquafarm which in turn provides healthy food for mankind.KeywordsAquacultureFish farmInternet of things (IoT)LoRaWANpH sensorSolar powered LoRa nodeTotal dissolved solids (TDS)Water quality monitoring system