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As the “Internet of Things” becomes increasingly prevalent this year, much has been written and systems devised to allow all manner of data to be gathered, analysed and devices controlled via wireless data networks. However these systems aren’t limited to items of a technological nature, as the broad IoT can also be of great benefit to primary producers and agriculture of almost any type. But how?

It’s simple – if more data about a particular item of interest is available, you can make better decisions concerning that item. If that data was available in real-time, you can make informed decisions faster. Let’s consider four areas in the farming arena that can benefit from this technology with some example possibilities.

Horticulture – There’s much more to achieving profitable returns on horticulture than just planting a seed and hoping it will grow. Apart from monitoring the weather – wireless sensors can be used to monitor soil temperature and moisture (even for multiple depths), greenhouse temperature and humidity, leaf wetness levels, solar radiation, and rain levels. Real-time data from these types of sensors can be useful to change crop maintenance procedures from regularly-scheduled to “when required” – saving time and money. Furthermore as data is gathered over time, more accurate predictions can be made with regards to crop success with regards to external factors.

Livestock – The monitoring of livestock is crucial, especially for expensive breeds that require a higher level of maintenance. Tracking individual beasts via a GPS connected to a local wireless network makes it easy to locate animals in a hurry, alarm you if one or more range too far from home – or if one hasn’t moved during the day, which could either mean an animal has become injured or isn’t getting enough exercise. With RFID technology counting and tracking the animals individual statistics from birth to sale becomes faster and simpler. Furthermore as animals come and go the hardware can be reused for new births or acquisitions, reducing recurring costs and further hardware investment.

Security – This is often overlooked due to the nature of the prevailing surroundings and personal relationships built over generations. However as the rest of society has an increasing number of unsavoury elements, so too does the agricultural sector. There are many ways to keep track of assets, such as: adding GPS tracking devices to expensive machinery; intrusion-monitoring sensors to sheds, gates, pump boxes and greenhouses; ultrasonic motion sensors to detect vehicle movement on out of the way tracks and access roads; tank water level sensors can detect when the level drops too quickly – alerting you of a leak or water theft; and closed circuit television cameras are now digital, and can send images that are legible during day and night allowing monitoring of any asset of interest – as well as record passers-by helping themselves to popular vegetable crops.

Water management – In some areas the supply of water is costly. As water rights are reduced and transport costs increase, monitoring water use and wastage is crucial. Water levels can be monitored across all storage tanks, flow sensors can monitor creek and river water movement and speed, and with data from soil moisture sensors, your system can supply the minimum required for agricultural purposes instead of timed watering sessions. Furthermore automated systems can indicate faults in water supply, tank leaks, and faults with irrigation systems – letting you know immediately before wastage becomes too serious and expensive.

All of the sensors and devices mentioned can communicate via wireless networks using WiFI or Zigbee-based technology. For remote situations or multiple-site use these WiFi devices can then communicate via the mobile broadband modems and existing cellular networks. Whether you’re in town or abroad, the data can be accessed via the Internet from almost anywhere.

The examples mentioned above may sound like overkill – or replacement of the work of an experienced farmer. However by automating systems and gathering data remotely you can reduce the time required to stay on top of routine tasks, increase efficient use of expensive resources, become immediately aware of any problems – which leaves you with more time to grow your business.

As an Australian organisation led by a team with a diverse background and industry experience, the LX Group can partner with you for your success. With wireless data and bespoke hardware experience in a wide variety of industries we can help you make the most of your business with our expertise and the best technology from around the world. For more information or a confidential discussion about your ideas and how we can help bring them to life – click here to contact us, or telephone 1800 810 124.

LX is an award-winning electronics design company based in Sydney, Australia. LX services include full turnkey design, electronics, hardware, software and firmware design. LX specialises in embedded systems and wireless technologies design. https://lx-group.com.au

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.

There’s more to the Internet of Things than just deciding upon the desired outcome, designing and selecting the appropriate hardware, software and network infrastructure required to enable things to communicate with each other. You may even have systems in place to analyse data from the system as described in our previous article about the industrial Internet.

However you can take the system further – by planning the processes of how various entities can work together to find synergy and more opportunity from the investment. These entities can be classed as individual Internet of Things installations. Some organisations such as Cisco Systems have even coined a new term – the “Internet of Everything” – which takes into account the people, data, things – and the processes of how they can all work together.

This is an interesting development and not one unique to any particular manufacturer. However “uniqueness” in itself a possible hindrance when designing a system – as lack of compatibility with other systems can be a downfall over the longer term. So as part of the design process, you need to decide whether or not you want your system to communicate with others for the benefit of all involved.

In doing so the linked systems can work more efficiently together and make life easier for all. This involves coordinating various events in a way that may have been normally achieved by a person who would normally use two or more disparate systems at once to achieve a single goal. In other words – taking intelligent decision making to the next level.

This level of integration can be found in many areas, such as the consumer device and industrial fields. Let’s consider some broad examples of how processes can match two different systems to meet a common goal for the end user.

Traffic and vehicle systems – The ability to monitor traffic on major roads and arterials is nothing new, however the data generated can of course be used to broadcast traffic data for external services, alter signal timings, variable speed signs and other notices to motorists. Furthermore some vehicles now have GPS receivers which are pre-programmed with static speed limits and other warnings.

As a motorist your ultimate goal is to get to your destination as safe and as fast as legally possible. If the IoT system in the vehicle could interact with the separate traffic system – by submitting location and planned destination – a customised live route plan could be sent to the vehicle directing the driver to the optimum route. The vehicle could also take fuel consumption into account, the distance to travel – and interrogate the traffic system for the location of the nearest service station if required.

Commercial interests could also integrate live fuel pricing into the system to allow the vehicle to select the cheapest fuel as well. Finally the law enforcement aspect can also create some interesting scenarios that may not be popular with all – but useful to administration. Nevertheless all of these functions then remove the tasks away from the driver, allowing them to focus on driving and safety.

Intelligent hotel HVAC and water solutions – Running a large hotel includes a myriad of fixed and variable costs with respect to energy usage. Some buildings may utilised standard fixed-thermostat hot water boilers and air conditioning systems that may have a degree of adjustment, but still run when not entirely required in all areas of the hotel. By creating a system of processes that allow a hotel’s guest booking system to integrate with intelligent HVAC and water systems – real money can be saved on energy bills.

By re-engineering or installing new zone-based air conditioning systems into the building that allow greater control of output to various areas or zones, and individually-controlled hot water systems for each room (or each floor) the ability to shut down complete areas when required can be possible.If the hotel’s booking system could allow bookings to occur in certain areas – for example booking rooms in sequential order, whole zones or floors can be kept full with guests, and empty with vacant rooms. By creating processes for the booking system to communicate with the HVAC/water system – the minimum of energy required for booked rooms could be used and vacant areas could be shut down.

With customers pre-booking check-in times – individual hot water systems could be only activated a few hours before guest arrival and shut down until the next booking – saving more energy. Furthermore by capturing weather data and understanding the seasons, the booking system could ensure guests are booked into the cooler or warmer side of the building – thus reducing the impulse to “turn up the heat” or “crank up the air conditioning” upon arrival.As you can easily imagine, a fair amount of planning needs to be taken into consideration with regards to the processes involved in Internet of Things systems that may need to work together.

Even if you aren’t considering system interoperability – adding the ability for data interchange with other systems should be considered to avoid future obsolescence.Just as in the 1980s a wide variety of computer systems was reduced to a handful – in the 21st century connected technology in our “Internet of Everything” will need to work together in order to find success. Planning is the key, and understanding the requirements is paramount.If you have the needs, the ideas – and want to move forward with intelligent systems – you will set your organisation on the path to increased efficiency and profitability – and this is where the LX Group can partner with you for your success.

We can discuss and understand your requirements and goals – then help you navigate the various hardware and other options available to help solve your problems. We can create or tailor just about anything from a wireless temperature sensor to a complete Internet-enabled system for you. For more information or a confidential discussion about your ideas and how we can help bring them to life – click here to contact us, or telephone 1800 810 124.

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.