Publication: Enhancing Internet of Things monitoring systems through solar power, 3D printing and multi-cellular network connectivity for outdoor precision agriculture
Date
2021-07
Authors
Kisheen Rao Gsangaya
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Abstract
Agriculture monitoring systems allow farmers to direct resources efficiently, reducing
resource use, environmental impact, and labour costs, while boosting yields and profit.
Current Internet of Things-based monitoring systems suffer from limited size of
deployment, high cost, and are fragile and unsuitable for outdoor use. Secondly, due to
the rural location of agriculture fields, communication services are limited with
unreliable coverage. The first part of this research is to identify a portable, self-powered
high-strength, and weather-resistant mechanical design for the data acquisition device.
The second part isto establish a high-quality wireless communication network for stable
Internet connectivity in the field. In summary, the data acquisition device is suitable for
outdoor use as the high-strength enclosure can withstand up to 1900 N 0f force with a
safety factor of 1.73 and IPX4 water resistance, while the solar power supply extends
battery life from 6 days to over 1-month, coupled with accurate sensors for precise data
collection. Meanwhile, the network selection algorithm in the multi-cellular modem
compares and selects the best network with a 100% success rate, while providing a 10%
speed improvement and 99.2% packet transfer success rate, coupled with a large
coverage area for uninterrupted data broadcast. The integration of enhanced data
acquisition device and network modem results in a reliable agriculture monitoring
system with a 100% data broadcast success rate, compared to 96% and 89% when using
a single network setup, while hardware fabrication and network deployment cost are
reduced by 51% and 88% respectively, for a cost-effective system.