Articles
Automation and robots in vertical farming
Article number
1433_35
Pages
273 – 282
Language
English
Abstract
In addition to the expanding population and corresponding increase in food demand, conventional farming faces a number of challenges.
First and foremost, the yield is highly dependent on the weather and other external, uncontrollable variables.
Unexpected droughts, excessive precipitations, pests, etc., can harm crops beyond repair, causing farmers’ losses and upsetting food supply systems.
Crops can be shielded from inclement weather and hostile settings by practicing indoor vertical farming.
In addition to providing shelter from the harmful elements, the seclusion keeps weeds, insects, and other undesirable plant deterrents at bay.
In order to enable optimal crop growth free from agronomic constraints, vertical farming is an energy-intensive crop production system that integrates a number of technologies, including robots, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things.
In order to facilitate various hardware integration, data collecting, data analysis, and automated control of the installed devices within the structures, vertical farming structures depend on comprehensive solutions.
In the future, newly constructed vertical urban farms will not only lower production costs and enhance harvest yields, but they will also greatly improve the quality of agricultural products supplied to urban population, minimizing the negative environmental effects of urbanization.
This paper describes the main characteristics of vertical farming systems, as well as automation components and robots used in these systems, also giving insight on constraints in establishing a vertical farm.
First and foremost, the yield is highly dependent on the weather and other external, uncontrollable variables.
Unexpected droughts, excessive precipitations, pests, etc., can harm crops beyond repair, causing farmers’ losses and upsetting food supply systems.
Crops can be shielded from inclement weather and hostile settings by practicing indoor vertical farming.
In addition to providing shelter from the harmful elements, the seclusion keeps weeds, insects, and other undesirable plant deterrents at bay.
In order to enable optimal crop growth free from agronomic constraints, vertical farming is an energy-intensive crop production system that integrates a number of technologies, including robots, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things.
In order to facilitate various hardware integration, data collecting, data analysis, and automated control of the installed devices within the structures, vertical farming structures depend on comprehensive solutions.
In the future, newly constructed vertical urban farms will not only lower production costs and enhance harvest yields, but they will also greatly improve the quality of agricultural products supplied to urban population, minimizing the negative environmental effects of urbanization.
This paper describes the main characteristics of vertical farming systems, as well as automation components and robots used in these systems, also giving insight on constraints in establishing a vertical farm.
Authors
I. Găgeanu, G. Gheorghe, A.M. Tabarasu, M. Nitu, C. Persu
Keywords
climate changes, controlled environment, increased crop yield, automated growth systems, agricultural robots
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