Cyberponics -A Fully Automated Greenhouse System

List of Figures

Several projects were implemented on basis of hydroponics system, which is the motivating idea behind the aeroponics system. The first person is W. Carter in 1942, who had done a research on air culture growing and proposed a method of growing plants in water vapor to facilitate the examination of roots [17]. L.J. Klotz in 1944, discovered vapor misted citrus plants in a facilitated environment for his research about the diseases of citrus and avocado roots [17].

G.F. Trowel in 1952, grew apple trees in a spray culture medium [17]. In 1957, F. W. Went who first mentioned the air-growing process as "aeroponics", and grew coffee plants and tomatoes with air-suspended roots and applied a nutrient solution to the plants roots [17].

By the early start of 1975, scientists and researchers were involved in developing their first aeroponics system. In 1978 by Isaac Nir described an aeroponic system that automated the spraying of mist at the root of the plants and was one of the very firsts of its kind. The apparatus was very simple in comparison to the sophisticated apparatus available in the present market [6].

The first commercial aeroponic device was introduced by GTi in 1983. It was known by the name Genesis Machine. GTi's device came with an open-loop water driven apparatus, controlled by a microchip, and delivered a high pressure, hydro-atomized nutrient spray inside an aeroponic chamber. The Genesis Machine was simply connected to the water faucet and an electrical outlet [17].

In 1997, Richard Stoner II founded AgriHouse, an agri-biology company, which along with research inputs from NASA produced the Genesis Series Aeroponic System. The system used hydro-atomizing spay jets to deliver mists with a droplet size of less than 50 microns which is just about the ideal size. Digital timers were used to spray mists at regular intervals [7].

One of the very first aeroponic systems use ultrasonic foggers was Aeroponic Growth System invented by Richard W.Zobel and Richard F. Lychalk in 1998 [8]. This system produced fog using ultrasonic foggers and delivered it to the root making it more effective than any of the preceding inventions. Project XGEN by Shyamal Patel and Dr Lance Erickson in 2011 produced a device that was much more sophisticated and modern than the previous apparatuses. This project made extensive use of sensors such as gas sensors, water sensors, and pH sensors to monitor the physical conditions within the system [9].

The idea of transmitting data from an aeroponic system to a computer was first seen in the Aeroponic Growing System which was designed for potato production by Irman Idris and Muhammad Ikshan Sani in 2012 [10].

This system was an upgrade to the project XGEN as it, in addition to the monitoring system, included a regulatory system. An aeroponic system built by J.L.Reyes et al. was very similar to project XGEN in a way that it included a greenhouse system to main the atmosphere of the shoot system [11]. However, this project monitored the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution unlike it was the case with project XGEN.

An aeroponic system developed by Jing Liu and Yunwei Zhang in 2013 was among the first systems to include a temperature regulator [12]. A P Montoya et al.'s Automatic aeroponic irrigation system was a much-improved version of the previous aeroponic systems [13].

The system included a greenhouse system, pH sensors, EC sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, ultrasonic range finders, and water flow sensors to monitor the system constantly.

Moreover, real time data was logged and streamed to a web server making data mining and analysis possible. An aeroponic system that could be used in the space was built by V. Arenella et al. in 2016 [14].

Research gap

The systems those have been developed thus far, as could be seen from the survey, generally, lack the following features, • A regulatory system to regulate the pH and EC level of the nutrient solution • Temperature regulation • Humidity regulation • Regulation of air pressure • A feedback mechanism to ensure the spraying system is not malfunctioning

• Carbon dioxide and oxygen regulation • A mechanism by which the growth of the plant can be monitored

• Mold growth detection

• The ability to manipulate the system through a web interface

The main intention of this project was to develop a fully automated aeroponics system with monitoring and controlling components. Almost all previously developed systems have monitoring components only, and they lack automated regulatory system. The regulatory system in them was manually handled. Temperature which is vital for the plant growth is monitored using temperature sensors and it is regulated by using rotating fans. Thus, temperature is kept at optimum level providing support for the plant growth.

PH and Electrical Conductivity of the nutrient solution is not only going to be measured, but taking their values, the solution components will be adjusted by pouring more water/nutrients. Thus, the required level of nutrient solution by plant is always maintained at correct level.

Next important plant growth factor is humidity. The humidity is going to be measured using the humidity sensor and the level of humidity in the root and shoot chamber is going to be adjusted by spraying water. If the humidity level falls below a certain value, automatically the water will be sprayed using atomizer.

Another important factor affecting the plant photosynthesis effect is air pressure. Pressure directly affects not only cells and organelles in leaves but also the diffusion coefficients and degrees of solubility of CO2 and O2 in water. So, in this system air pressure is going to be monitored using air pressure sensor and the level of air pressure is going to be maintained by opening the valves in root and shoot chamber.

Carbon dioxide and oxygen are also very important factors affecting the plant growth. After monitoring the gas level, according the requirement the gas may be release from chamber by using outlets or may be generated inside the chamber.

Unlike in any previous versions, this system is also going to use the real-time monitoring of plant growth. This is achieved by using a camera output. The images will be used by the user to analyze the plant current status and compare it with growth cycle.

Another important thing that affects the plant growth is the growth of mold. In order to detect the mold, a color sensor with glass is used. By using that the growth of mold will be detected and used to warn the user about it.

Research problem

The main concerns about this project was how the system is going to be automatically regulated.

Even sensors are going to be used for monitoring purposes and acutators/other mechanisms are going to be used for regulation, the question is how they are going to be implemented and will they give accurate results and the real-time advantage to the user who is going to use the system.

For example, if the nutrient solution's PH and EC level varies, it must be regulated by adjusting water/nutrient level in the solution and how it going to be achieved is the question. If the mold growth is detected, how this information can be used to send to the user. If carbon dioxide and oxygen level varies, by how they are going to be removed from chamber if the level goes up or how they are going to be generated inside the chamber if the level goes down is the question to be answered by this project.

Another problem is how the temperature is going to be regulated if the temperature level goes up or goes down. What are the mechanisms involved in regulating the temperature inside the chamber is the solution provided by this project.

Another important factor is humidity, and how it's going to be regulated if the humidity level goes up or goes down inside the chamber. Another important problem addressed in this project is how the growth of plant is going to be monitored and compared with different stages of its life cycle using the images obtained at different periods.

Research Objectives

The goal of our project is to create a fully automated aeroponics and greenhouse system that will reduce the need for human interference to the maximum possible extent. Two different chambers will be developed one for the shoot system and the other for the root system. This is done to ensure that the climatic conditions of the root system and shoot system are completely independent of each other.

The shoot chamber will host a light sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, air pressure sensor, gas sensor and an ultrasonic range finder along with two air pumps to regulate the air pressure within the chamber.

A temperature regulator, made using thermoelectric coolers, will be connected to the shoot chamber to regulate the temperature of the chamber. The regulator will consist of a cooler and a heater. The cooler will reduce the temperature of the chamber if the temperature of the system increases above the optimum value. The heater will increase the temperature of the chamber if the temperature drops below the optimum value.

An array of white LED lights will be fixed to the zenith of the chamber and the brightness of these lights will be controlled according to the optimum light intensity different plants require for photosynthesis. An ultrasonic range finder will monitor the growth of the plant.

A gas chamber will regulate the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen present within the root chamber. Plants require oxygen for respiration and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. The optimum length of time a plant needs to be exposed to light for efficient food production differs from plant to plant and the composition of the air in the shoot chamber needs to be regulated to suit both respiration and photosynthesis. The gas chamber will consist of an oxygen chamber and a carbon dioxide chamber and gases from these chambers will be delivered to the shoot chamber through the use of air pumps.

A humidifier will regulate the humidity level of the shoot chamber to match the requirement of the plant. An ultrasonic atomizer will be placed inside a reservoir of water to produce mist and the mist will be pumped into the shoot chamber through an air pump to increase the humidity of the chamber. To reduce the humidity within the chamber the air pump that is used to regulate the air pressure within the chamber can be used. The cooler can also liquify the moisture to reduce the humidity within the chamber.

The root chamber will have its own temperature regulator which will regulate the temperature of it in the same way the temperature of the shoot chamber is regulated. The oxygen chamber of the gas chamber will also be connected to the root chamber through an air pump to regulate the oxygen level in the root chamber.

Similar to the shoot chamber, the root chamber will also contain a pair of air pumps which will be used to regulate the air pressure within the root chamber. The humidifier will also be connected to the root chamber to regulate the humidity level of the root chamber.

A nutrient chamber will be constructed which will consist of the nutrient, pH Up liquid and pH down liquid. A reservoir will be placed on the floor of the root chamber and water, nutrients, pH up liquid and pH down liquid will be supplied through solenoid valves. A couple of mixers in the reservoir will ensure that the composition of the nutrient solution within the reservoir stays consistent.

A pH sensor and an EC sensor will monitor the pH and EC level of the solution and according to the needs water, nutrients, and pH up and down liquids will be delivered to the nutrient solution.

An ultrasonic range finder will monitor the water level of the reservoir and the reservoir will be replenished if the solution drops below a certain level.

A beehive bottle will be immersed in the nutrient solution and an ultrasonic atomizer will be placed inside it. When the atomizer produces mist, the mist will be constrained within the bottle and the mist will be sprayed at the root using an air pump.

A color sensor will be used to detect mold growth in the root. A red screen will be placed in front of the color sensor and the glass sheet will be placed in-between. The sheet will also maintain contact with the root such that if the root is infected with fungi, it will also spread to the glass sheet. Thus, the change in color due to the opaqueness of the sheet can be detected by the color sensor.

Thus, this aeroponic system can be completely monitored and regulated, which can greatly reduce the practical problems associated aeroponics making it a commercially viable solution.

The specific objectives of this project involve accomplishing goals which are specific to system and which would greatly improve the system from those that are already available. Hence, the objective is to develop an aeroponic and greenhouse system that can both monitor and regulate the interior environment, and send the collected data over an internet connection to a server which would process the data and display it to the user through a web interface, which will also be used to allow the user to control the aeroponic system.

In summary, the developed project/system consist of following parts in accomplishing the project objectives,

• A temperature monitoring and regulatory system • A humidity monitoring and regulatory system • A lighting monitoring and regulatory system

• An air pressure monitoring and regulatory system

• An air composition monitoring and regulatory system • A nutrient composition and regulatory system • A shoot growth monitoring system • A water level monitoring and regulatory system • A mold growth detection system • A mist maker and feedback system

The system will be fully enclosed and completely detached from the outer environment.

Literature Review

Growing plants without the need of soil is not a modern era idea. It was started as early on 1940s.

The first person is W. Carter in 1942, who had done a research on air culture growing and proposed a method of growing plants in water vapor to facilitate the examination of roots [17]. L.J. Klotz in 1944, discovered vapor misted citrus plants in a facilitated environment for his research about the diseases of citrus and avocado roots [17].

G.F. Trowel in 1952, grew apple trees in a spray culture medium [17]. In 1957, F. W. Went who first mentioned the air-growing process as "aeroponics", and grew coffee plants and tomatoes with air-suspended roots and applied a nutrient solution to the plants roots [17].

A patent that was filed in 1978 by Isaac Nir described an aeroponic system that automated the spraying of mist at the root of the plants and was one of the very firsts of its kind. The apparatus was very simple in comparison to the sophisticated apparatus available in the present market. A mist was created from a nutrient solution and was sprayed on to the roots with the help of a timer.

The apparatus lacked systems that could monitor and regulate the composition of the nutrient solution, and despite there being a gas generator to regulate the atmosphere of the rhizosphere, a feedback mechanism was absent. Furthermore, the limitations of the technology available then could be conspicuously observed as the apparatus needs to a considerable amount of training to be used properly [6]. In 1997, Richard Stoner II founded AgriHouse, an agri-biology company, which along with research inputs from NASA produced the Genesis Series Aeroponic System.

The system used hydro-atomizing spay jets to deliver mists with a droplet size of less than 50 microns which is just about the ideal size. Digital timers were used to spray mists at regular intervals [7]. However, the system lacked a feedback mechanism that would warn the user in case of a system malfunction. The digital timers had fixed intervals and hence the system was not flexible enough to accommodate the different needs of different plants. A greenhouse system was also absent and the system did not entail any mechanism by which the quality of the nutrient solution could be monitored. User interaction was minimal and physical proximity was required to control the system. The system also lacked any mechanism by which system data could be collected, stored and processed to aid aeroponic related decision-making.

One of the very first aeroponic systems use ultrasonic foggers was Aeroponic Growth System invented by Richard W.Zobel and Richard F. Lychalk in 1998 [8]. This system produced fog using ultrasonic foggers and delivered it to the root making it more effective than any of the preceding inventions. Moreover, the system also comprised of a photodetector that was used to measure the fog density. An alarm was also used to alert the user in case the fogger malfunctioned. Project XGEN by Shyamal Patel and Dr Lance Erickson in 2011 produced a device that was much more sophisticated and modern than the previous apparatuses. This project made extensive use of sensors such as gas sensors, water sensors, and pH sensors to monitor the physical conditions within the system [9].

Despite the system being a gigantic leap from the previous models, the apparatus was merely a monitoring system and lacked regulatory mechanisms. The apparatus also used water sprinklers instead of the much effective ultrasonic atomizers. Even though the project made use of a modern micro controller, a user-friendly interface to display the collected data was absent.

The idea of transmitting data from an aeroponic system to a computer was first seen in the Aeroponic Growing System which was designed for potato production by Irman Idris and Muhammad Ikshan Sani in 2012 [10]. This system was an upgrade to the project XGEN as it, in addition to the monitoring system, included a regulatory system. This apparatus included a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor. Mist-makers and fans were utilized to regulate conditions within the system. However, the apparatus was in need of a system that would monitor the composition of the nutrient solution.

A keypad was used for input and an LCD screen was used to output the data. Though this system was the most interactive thitherto, such an I/O system could be ungainly in the modern era, especially since mobile phones and web interfaces could be used to provide better user interaction.

Since this apparatus was developed for the specific purpose of growing potatoes, changes will have to be made programmatically to make the system suitable for growing other crops, which could make the system less intuitive.

An aeroponic system built by J.L.Reyes et al. was very similar to project XGEN in a way that it included a greenhouse system to main the atmosphere of the shoot system [11]. However, this project monitored the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution unlike it was the case with project XGEN.

The project was also flexible in a way that the system could be adjusted to fit in many different plants and their different needs. The apparatus also ensured that the energy used was clean by using solar panels to produce energy. Natheless, this apparatus was very similar to the previous models and bore the same shortcomings.

Notwithstanding that, the project's ingenious idea of employing XBee technology to coordinate communication within the greenhouse could prove to be a very effective solution when a very large-scale aeroponic system is developed.

An aeroponic system developed by Jing Liu and Yunwei Zhang in 2013 was among the first systems to include a temperature regulator [12]. Even though many devices had included a temperature sensor, a mechanism to regulate the temperature was absent in all of them.

This system uses a heating device to increase the temperature, but a cooling system is absent. A unique feature of this device is that it uses a shading device to provide sufficient darkness which is important for plant growth.

A P Montoya et al.'s Automatic aeroponic irrigation system was a much-improved version of the previous aeroponic systems [13]. The system included a greenhouse system, pH sensors, EC sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, ultrasonic range finders, and water flow sensors to monitor the system constantly. Moreover, real time data was logged and streamed to a web server making data mining and analysis possible. However, the system lacked actuators that could regulate the variables measured. The apparatus lacked mechanisms that could control the temperature, humidity, pH and EC values. In the face of a web interface of being deployed, a two-way communication was absent. The web interface was only used to display data to the user while the user had no way by which he/she could regulate the device through the interface.

The apparatus also lacked an I/O system which meant that any changes to the predefined variables had to be done programmatically.

An aeroponic system that could be used in the space was built by V. Arenella et al. in 2016 [14]. Even though the device entailed majority of the flaws found in the previous systems, the project deployed an intuitive application that captured the data from the system, processed it and presented the analyzed information to the user.

Figure 2.4 A very intuitive and informative UI [14]

Since the goal of the project was to make the system conducive for the space environment, little attention was paid to improving on features that were already available in other systems. Though this system allowed the pH and EC level of the nutrient solution to be monitored, a regulatory system was absent much like in the previous systems. Muhammad Ikshan Sani et al. developed a similar system in 2016 that allowed web-based monitoring, but a complete regulatory system was absent.

Methodology

The project will be divided into two stages. The first stage will involve constructing the root chamber while the second stage will involve constructing the shoot chamber. The humidifier and the gas chamber will be common for both systems.

The Root chamber

The construction of the root chamber will involve the construction of: The temperature regulator will consist of a temperature sensor, a cooling system and a heating system. The cooling and heating system will be constructed using a Peltier (thermos electric cooler).

A Peltier becomes hot on one side and cool on the other when a potential difference is applied across its terminals. By attaching heat sinks and fans a cooling and heating system can be created.

Humidity regulation

The humidity regulator will be composed of a humidity sensor and a humidifier. The humidifier will include an ultrasonic atomizer and air pumps to deliver the produced mist.

In addition, the humidifier will entail a sub-system to monitor the water level within the humidifier.

This system will make use of two water level sensors. The lower water level sensor will activate the solenoid valve that will supply water to the humidifier. The higher water level sensor will stop the solenoid valve once the required water level is reached.

An ultrasonic range finder would have simplified this sub-system, but since the ultrasonic atomizer will cause turbulence within water, the ultrasonic sensor might get damaged due to the splattering water.

The functioning of the humidifier can be simplified using the flow diagram below.

Air pressure regulation

The air pressure within the root chamber will be regulated using two air pumps. An air pressure sensor will be installed and based on its input, the air pressure within the chamber will be regulated.

One of the air pumps will function as an outlet and the other will function as the inlet. The functioning of the air pressure regulator can be summarized using the flow diagram below.

Nutrient composition regulation

The nutrient composition regulator will consist of a pH sensor, EC sensor, pH up solution, pH down solution, and a nutrient solution.

The pH up solution, pH down solution and the nutrient solution will be delivered to the reservoir through a solenoid valve. The solutions will have a sub-system to measure the amount of solution left using an ultrasonic range finder so that when the system runs short of the required solutions the user can be warned.

The nutrient reservoir will possess a couple of mixers that can be used to mix the nutrients together.

The following flow diagram summarizes the functions of the nutrient composition regulator

Water level regulation

The water level in the reservoir can be monitored using an ultrasonic range finder. A solenoid valve will be used to supply water to the reservoir. The functioning of the water level regulator can be explained using the following flow diagram.

Mold growth detection

The mould growth in the root can be detected using a colour sensor. A glass sheet will be kept in contact with the root. A red screen will be placed on one side of the sheet and a colour sensor will be placed on the other side such that the colour sensor will always detect the red colour.

In the case of mold growth in the root, the infection would spread to the sheet and make it opaque.

So, the change in colour can be detected by the colour sensor and the user can be warned.

The following flow diagram explains the mold detectors functions.

Mist maker and the feedback system

The mist needed for aeroponics can be generated using an ultrasonic atomizer. The mist will be captured by a beehive bottle and the captured mist will be sprayed at the root using an air pump.

A moisture sensor is used to ensure that pump sprays the mist without failure. In the case of a malfunction, the sensor will detect it and warn the user. The functioning of this system could be explained using the following flow diagram.

The Shoot chamber

The shoot chamber will consist of the following:

1. the temperature regulator 2. the humidity regulator 3. the air pressure regulator 4. the air composition regulator 5. the shoot growth monitoring system

The temperature regulator, humidity regulator, air pressure regulator and air composition regulator will function in the same way they do in the root chamber.

The shoot growth monitoring system will contain an ultrasonic range finder that will measure the height of the plant and send the data to the web server.

Web interface

Each aeroponic device will have a unique identification number and the details of it would be stored in an online database. New users can register themselves through the web interface. Once a user registers, the user will be required to add the aeroponic system to his profile. This can be done by entering the unique ID which will be found on the identification tag of the aeroponic system. At the same time, the user can also add the device by scanning the QR code on the aeroponic system.

Once the user adds a device, the ID of the user would be sent to the aeroponic web server. Once the web server receives the user ID, it will start to stream its data at regular intervals to the online web server.

Testing and Implementations

Raspberry pi was used as the main microcontroller of this system. Arduino Uno was used as a sub micro controller of this project. The purpose of using Arduino Uno was to convert analog signals generated from sensors to digital signal, which were later used to send to raspberry pi for processing. Some of the analog sensors include PH and EC sensors. Python was the main programming language used to implement the several functions in this system.

The backend database was created from firebase. The main python program which was scheduled to be run on regular basis will collect all reading from sensors and send the data to the firebase over internet. To make this possible raspberry pi was always needs to be connected to the internet. Later all the data from firebase (JSON objects) will be retrieved into the web application which can be used by the user to monitor the status of this aeroponics system anytime.

Ideally, two plants of the same kind should be used to test the aeroponic system. On plant should be grown in the aeroponic system while the other should be grown using the traditional methods.

The effectiveness of the aeroponic system can be measured by comparing the development of both the plants.

However, owing to time constraints such an extensive and comprehensive evaluation is difficult.

Hence, the functioning of the system can be evaluated by comparing the data obtained using the system through the data obtained by measuring the environmental variables using manual methods.

Initial testing conducted on this prototype system was successful. That mean all the retrieved data from sensors was sent to firebase database at the backend and the data was successfully retrieved by the web page. In order to make sure whether the collected data was accurate, this system was placed initially in a controlled environment, where all the reading were collected by manual means. For example, temperature was measured by thermometer, pressure was measured

Research Findings

Through this automated regulatory aeroponics system, it is found that with the less interaction of human the plant can be grown efficiently. For example, if the temperature goes beyond the level in the chamber, the fan will start to rotate to reduce the temperature inside the chamber. If nutrient solution PH, EC level varies, the system will adjust the level to optimum range (some manual work also involved). If humidity level falls down, atomizer will be used to spray the water vapor to maintain the correct level of humidity inside the chamber.

User also can control system operation with customized-user settings. The growth of the plant can be monitored in real-time using the pictures taken from the camera which was fixed to the chamber. All the necessary factors that are essential/vital for the plant growth is monitored using this system and regulated automatically by using suitable mechanism, thus it takes off the additional burden from the plant grower. Further plant height is also measured using ultrasonic sensor, this is used to reveal about plant growth details to the user at different times.

The most exciting feature of this project was detecting the mold growth in plant. This is achieved by using a color sensor. When mold grows over the plant, it will also spread to the glass which is fixed closed to the plant. By using the color sensor, the change in color of glass can be detected and able to send a warning message to the user over web interface.

Results and Discussion

At present agriculture consumes 70% of the earth's accessible fresh water [2]. Such excessive and inefficient use of water depletes the ground water table and countries that produce a lot of food such as India, Pakistan, China, Australia, the USA and Spain are close to reaching their renewable water resource limits [2]. The current irrigation systems used are only 30 to 40 percent efficient and there exists a very pressing need to adopt agricultural practices that use water efficiently.

While the trials faced by agriculture on earth are plenty, researches and attempts are afoot to expand the dominion of the humanity beyond the limits of the earth. The Mars One mission aims to establish a permanent human colony on Mars by 2035 [3]. However, if such audacious missions to be successful, humans should be able to grow their own food away from the earth [4]. This would require farming technics that use very less water and nutrients.

Thus, the compelling need for new agricultural practices can be easily realized. Under such circumstances, aeroponics has quickly become a germane solution to the problems faced by the agricultural sector. Aeroponics is the system growing of plants in a mist environment in contrast to the traditional system of growing plants in a soil medium, which is known as geoponics. Aeroponics is derived from the Greek word Aer (air) and ponos (labour).

According to research, aeroponics use 98% less water, 60% less fertilizer and the use of pesticide is not at all required, which allows efficient use of water which is fast becoming a scarce resource [5].

Furthermore, since the root of the plant is suspended in the air unlike in geoponics where the root is completely submerged in the soil, the rhizosphere of the plant has greater access to fresh air.

This results in the root of the plant being supplied with plenty of oxygen. The presence of oxygen in the rhizosphere stimulates growth while aeration ensures that the chances of pathogen formation are greatly reduced.

Besides, the absence of physical contact among plants also reduces the risk of infection from one plant spreading to another, thus, greatly reducing the chances of an epidemic. Thus, aeroponic systems can produce healthier and tastier foods.

Irrespective of the many benefits of the aeroponic system, numerous logical constraints impede aeroponics from becoming a commercially viable solution. An aeroponic system can malfunction due to mineralization of the nutrients which can block the irrigation system and spray nozzles.

Moreover, the widely used practice of spraying water is far from ideal since they produce water droplets that a bigger in size than the ideal size of 5-50 micrometres.

Roots also need to be sprayed regularly with the nutrient solution and doing so manually could be an arduous task. The nutrient solution's composition should also be strictly maintained as even a small change in the pH or the electrical conductivity of the solution can affect the plant.

In addition, systems in which nutrient solution is conducted where pipes and sprayed onto the root are cost prohibitive. Ergo, automating, monitoring and regulating most of the functions of aeroponics is paramount.

After analyzing the data taken from sensors, it is concluded that the most of the data are accurate as it is taken from manual methods. Thus, it helps to improve the relaiblity of the system by user.

Further all the data that were collected from sensors are sent to the backend database at real time and all those data were successfully retrieved by the web page developed for the system.

Conclusion

The main features of this automated aeroponics system is monitoring and regulating the essential factors needed for plant growth. User can control the operation of system with customized user settings. All the necessary factors that are essential/vital for the plant growth is monitored using this system and regulated automatically by using suitable mechanism, thus it takes off the additional burden from the plant grower.

Plant growth should be monitored frequently in order to identify any problem occurring with the plant. This is achieved by using taking regular photos of the plant through the web interface and the reading collected from ultrasonic sensor which helps to determine the height of the plant.

Another most exciting feature of this project was detecting the mold growth in plant. This is achieved by using a color sensor. When mold grows over the plant, it will also spread to the glass which is fixed closed to the plant. By using the color sensor, the change in color of glass can be detected and able to send a warning message to the user over web interface.