BRTSys IoT Solutions: Revolutionising Agriculture and Aquaculture
Introduction
Wholistically, BRT Systems (BRTSys) IoT solutions consist of the spectrum of offerings which includes our IoT sensors and actuators, together with an IoTPortal Gateway and Software solutions.
It has various applications in diverse fields such as agriculture and aquaculture.
Urban Farm Greenhouse Scenario
In an urban farm greenhouse (refer to Figure 1), BRTSys integrates a network of various sensors and actuators. These devices are used for monitoring soil moisture, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, air temperature, relative humidity, and the weather outside. They also serve functions like motion detection and controlling grow lighting, shades, and awnings. Additionally, pH, EC (Electrical Conductivity), and thermocouple sensors are employed to monitor the water quality in nutrient tanks.
The Role of LDSBus
These sensors and actuator devices operate on a common network known as the Long Distance Sensor Bus (LDSBus). The LDSBus simplifies cabling and power requirements by using standard interconnects and distributing power to the attached devices. All sensor data and actuator commands on the LDSBus are relayed to and from the BRTSys’ IoTPortal Gateways. This allows farm operators and owners to observe and act on the farm’s conditions locally or remotely using a smartphone or remote computer for the IoTPortal App. The LDSBus removes the complexity of interconnecting different devices, protocols, networks, and software. For instance, when the CO2 level drops below a pre-set threshold during the day, CO2 generators can be automatically activated to restore optimal photosynthesis. This automation is set up through a zero-code interface.
Figure 1: Urban Farm Greenhouse IoT System
Aquaculture and Marine Applications
Aquaculture and marine applications can also leverage sensors connected to an IoT system.
Water quality is of paramount importance in marine applications. Hence, it is crucial to observe and control parameters such as dissolved oxygen, water temperature, EC, pH, oxygen reduction potential, and turbidity. Constant monitoring of nitrite and ammonia content is required, along with salinity for saltwater applications. Motion detection can also be beneficial for detecting aquatic life, as well as water flow.
Figure 2 illustrates an aquaculture system where sensors present in the grow tank and in the surrounding environment are connected using the LDSBus to the IoTPortal Gateway. Actuators such as the LDSBus Relay are also connected on the same bus, allowing the system to control pumps based on user inputs or in response to rules set up based on the sensor readings. The IoTPortal provides centralised storage and processing for the data, enabling users to log in both locally and remotely using a browser or smartphone application. Aquaculturists can create dashboards to group and analyse sensor readings to look for trends over selected time intervals and compare data from different sensors. They can also control the actuators and receive alerts.
Figure 2: Aquaculture IoT System
The BRTSys IoTPortal
The IoT Portal from BRTSys amalgamates a wide range of sensors and actuators into a flexible and user-friendly solution. It offers an ideal platform for agriculture and aquaculture applications to harness the benefits of our BRT IoT solutions
