Real-time, automated light type monitoring and optimal control in horticulture
Challenge & Solution
Despite the scientifically proven relevance of diffuse sunlight for crop production improvement, commercial light sensing technologies do not allow to effectively and affordably implement an automated control of shadings systems in horticultural practices. For this reason, the shading process is not optimized, and so is the production.
Solution
To fill this gap, we are integrating a cyber-physical system gathering real-time information about the type of sunlight available in greenhouses under continuously changing irradiation conditions, and providing input for controlling shading screens so as to optimize crop growth.
The system represents an innovation for it makes available, affordable, and easy to implement in commercial precision horticulture the real-time monitoring of sunlight type available to crops. Such a step-forward in the proposed application domain is enabled by a key component of the OptiLight system: the CIS sensor, a dramatically innovative device capable of performing a full irradiation assessment broken into all components (direct and diffuse) of sunlight.
FED4SAE Support
The OptiLight system features the STM32 microcontrollers’ technology, and is being tested by the BME team in its VRT facilities.
The financial backing, enabling technologies, and innovation management support ensured by the Fed4SAE consortium are helping to integrate, test and validate the system in real environment, thus paving the way to the commercial exploitation of advanced light control in the target market sector.
Impact
The successful implementation of the OptiLight project will allow to accelerate the launch to market of an affordable solution enabling the automated light type control, thus responding to the challenge of highly efficient horticultural management practices.
At innovation level it will increase the CIS sensor’s TRL with respect to its application in the precision horticultural domain, while widening Alitec’s technology portfolio with a ready-to-integrate solution demonstrated in operational environment.