Effective Utilization of IoT for Low-cost Crop Monitoring and Automation

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) has recently been a driving force behind increased production and lower cost of agricultural monitoring systems. Existing systems mostly construct wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and incorporate a gateway to bridge the networks with the Internet for remote monitoring. Some work uses sensor nodes, cloud storage and/or IoT platform to create IoT-based monitoring systems. In contrast, the crop monitoring and automation system in this paper uses an IoT cloud-based platform and open APIs to utilize many services available via the Internet. Specifically, low-cost sensor nodes form a cluster-based WSN to save energy consumption and communicate with each other through the platform. Sensed data are shown through a web application for both real-time and historical data displays. If node’s power is low, a Line application message is sent to alert the user to replace batteries. A weather API is also used to obtain a weather forecast to reduce water usage. Furthermore, the Google Maps API is used to display node’s location, facilitating network maintenance. The evaluation clearly shows that the system can provide real-time monitoring of temperature and humidity and control water valves. Connecting many services or technologies via the Internet thus leads to highly effective utilization of the IoT in smart farming with affordable cost.