A Smart Farm – An Introduction to IoT for Generation Z

Abstract

This paper describes an Internet of Things (IoT) project within the context of an inexpensive table top model of a smart farm. The purpose of the project is to use advances in technology including Bluetooth, the Internet and micro sensors to design an inexpensive model of a smart farm. The project brings ideas related to IoT and smart cities within the reach of a common man. Advances in technology and simplicity of high level programming languages make it also possible for anyone who is interested to easily build a smart connected system that can be communicated with, using inexpensive components and a simple program. This project demonstrates one such novel application of a smart farm with the use of a microbit, a humidity sensor and WiFi to monitor moisture levels of plants and depending on a set threshold the program sends an appropriate message to the owner of the plants. The use of a very simple microcontroller (the microbit) makes the project accessible to students at college and even school level. This technology is not only scalable, but it is also expandable to other domains, such as inventory management, power systems, etc. This project has broad applicability and fits in with the recent trends in resource planning and allocations.