Development of Smart Hydroponics System using AI-based Sensing

Abstract

This paper proposes a smart hydroponic system that operates automatically using a fuzzy logic algorithm, integrating IoT functionalities to support smart agriculture. The system allows for remote monitoring and control via the internet, providing real-time data on water levels, pH levels, temperature, and nutrient solution temperature. Precise dosing and temperature control are critical for optimal plant growth, and the system schedules temperature measurements to ensure stability. Unstable temperature can affect pH levels, thereby impacting nutrient absorption. The proposed system employs sensors to continuously monitor the electrical conductivity (EC) and pH levels of the nutrient solution. Fuzzy control is utilized to regulate the nutrient solution pump, automatically adjusting EC and pH levels to promote optimal plant growth. This approach reduces the time burden on producers and provides more precise control over the nutrient solution, resulting in improved growth outcomes. The main contributions of this work are as follows: the development and implementation of an AI-based system integrating a controller, IoT environment, fuzzy logic algorithm, and NFT (nutrient film technology) hydroponics; the creation of a user-friendly interface for farmers through the Smart-Hydroponic application, enabling hybrid monitoring and control of hydroponic farms;  the establishment of an IoT-based cloud environment for sensor data monitoring; the implementation of a smart hydroponic system for nutrient sensing, monitoring, and control; and  a comparative analysis between smart and conventional hydroponics based on morphological results.