Development of field monitoring server system and its application in agriculture

Abstract

In agricultural field, environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, solar radiation, CO2, and soil moisture are essential elements which influence on growth rate, productivity of produce, sugar content of fruit, acidity and etc. If we manage the above mentioned environmental factors efficiently, we can achieve improved results in production of agricultural product. For monitoring and managing the growth environments, this paper suggests the Field Monitoring Server System (FMSS) which can operate with solar power. We implemented the Ubiquitous Field Server System (UFSS) in our previous work. Compared with the UFSS, this FMSS enhanced or improved the power consumption, the mobility, and user-friendly environment monitoring methods. The system collects environmental data directly obtained from environment sensors, soil sensor and CCTV camera. To implement a stand-alone system, we applied a solar cell panel to operate this system without power source. To indicate the location of this system, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module is installed on the system. Finally, we confirmed that the FMSS monitors the field conditions by using various facilities and correctly operates without helping external supports. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2009.