Considering the long journey of food to our plate we have redesigned the way by fusing IoT based automation with aquaponics principles to grow food right in home. Thus food supply interruption impacts could be minimized both locally and globally for COVID-19 and future pandemics. After the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, one of the important concerns is to ensure food security. In the backdrop of the COVID-19 fallout and to address this crisis, farmers have to boost agricultural production. We are committed to reach every community in agriculturally adverse regions using datasets from NASA. We prepared an IoT based system where fish and vegetables are grown symbiotically to provide nutrition to the plants from wastes of fishes. We are offering two packages to best serve the consumer's needs.One is Smart Aquaponics System(Complete Package) & other one is Agriculture Automation Package. As a result, we are addressing:
1. Ensuring food security of urban and rural mass by implementing our project. We used aquaponics principles equipped with predictive analysis and IoT based automation for excellent production outcome.
2. Providing automation support for small and middle scale agricultural farms. Small and medium-scale farmers in rural areas can use our IoT based development board and they can use it to produce agricultural products, flowers, fruits, fish and poultry etc.
By using this IoT based board for low cost and fast production, farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs will be able to achieve their desired production very easily which is effective for agricultural production.
Inspiration:
As Bangladesh is a densely populated country as well as the population is increasing day by day compared to the ratio of land, it is becoming difficult for us to find suitable places for farming. Population is increasing in an enormous way. Among the total land area of 14.3 million hectares only 59.8 percent is available for cultivation which is not sufficient for such a huge amount of population[1]. As a result, Approximately 25 percent of people in our country remain in food insecurity[2]. Focusing on this problem, We decided to develop a project by which people can easily grow fish and vegetables on the rooftop or in an open place without using any soil. This was our initial motive and when we came to know about the NASA Space App Challenge then we decided to work on this project as a challenge. Almost every country of the world is facing food crisis as well as they are coping up with their economy, our project can be a light of hope for those people who are worst effected by this pandemic.
Reference:
Our approach in developing this project:
We prepared an IoT based system where fish and plants are grown symbiotically to provide nutrition to the plants from wastes of fishes.
Technology Overview:
1. IoT based System: We made our solution smart and automated using an IoT based control mechanism making it possible to access our lovely system from anywhere. It includes: Mobile Application & Social Network based control
2. Data Analysis using Automated Method: Our system learns and fine tunes itself automatically for best production setting. The data from sensors are analysed to best tune the production environment. It includes: automated control and predictive analysis.
3. Equipment Control: Power system controls heaters, water pumps and air pumps using the data derived from predictive analysis.
4. Sensors: We monitor the system and collect data from pH sensor, temperature sensor, water level sensor, TDS sensor and camera interface.
We are offering two packages to best serve the world's needs. Our solution is modular and could support both: Aquaponics System consumers, small or mid scale farms seeking automation.
Our product family includes:
A. Smart Aquaponics System (Complete Package)
The components included:
1. Edible Fish Rearing System
2. Indoor Leafy Vegetable Growth System
3. Monitoring Sensors
4. IoT Automation System
5. Data Logging Server Setup
6. Monitoring & Control App
B. Agricultural Automation Package
Components:
1. IoT Automation Device
2. Monitoring Sensors
3. Data Logging Platform Setup
4. Monitoring & Control App
Space agency data in this project:
We are using the data on implementation level to target the project to agriculturally adverse regions. We are committed to reach every community in agriculturally adverse regions using these datasets from NASA. We are working on these datasets.
The Tools(Hardware, Software, Coding) we used in this project:
Hardware:
(A) Mechanical part:
1. Plastic Fish tank
2. Plastic water tank for filtering
3. K1 filter media
4. CPVC pipe for water flowing
5. Self made bell siphon for automated water level ups and down
(B) Electrical & Electronics part:
1. Self made IoT development board
2. Temperature sensor
3. pH sensor
4. TDS sensor
5. Grow light
(C) Organism part:
Fish: Tilapia
Vegetables: Lettuce
Software & Coding:
We have done our software & coding part on the Arduino platform with C programming language.
Problems we faced :
Achievement:
We have successfully completed our first prototype version of Smart Aquaponics System. Based on our first prototype version, our major achievements are:
1. Self-Reliant
With our specialized IoT based automation, the system is self reliant & fully automated
2. Soil less
Adopting Hydroponics principles, our system is soil less.
3. Pesticides free
With our fully controlled environment, pesticides are not necessary and produced fish & vegetables are totally organic.
4. Rapid growth
With our fully optimized system, rapid growth of plants and fishes can be ensured.