Design of automated farmbot: An automatic watering with monitoring system and seed sowing device using printing mechanism to cultivate agricultural seeds

Abstract

The rapid urbanization, increasing frequency of natural disasters, and rising sea level have significantly impacted the agricultural sector, resulting in reduced crop yields and food scarcity. This study aimed to investigate the potential of indoor farming as a solution to these rising problems, therefore, the Automated Farmbot has been designed. The study was composed of two separate systems: a seed sowing device and a closed nursery shelf. Nema 17 stepper motors, ultrasonic sensor, 4x4 Keypad, LCD, Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller, CNC Shield, DRV 8225 Motor Drivers, V-slot aluminum extrusions. V-wheel plate, belts and pulleys made up the seed sowing device. The number keypad was used to input the desired number of plug trays to be planted, whereas, the LCD was used to display the inputted number. As for the closed nursery shelf, a steei cabinet, DHT sensor, soil moisture sensor, programmable LED Strips, Bluetooth module, Arduino Uno Microcontroller, LDR, motor pumps, and relays comprised the system. The data gathered by the DHT sensors and soil moisture sensor, such as the temperature, humidity, and soil moisture content, can be monitored through a smartphone. Moreover, the soil moisture and LDR had a threshold value set to activate the water motor pumps and the LED strips for the automatic watering and automatic light source for the lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i>) and pechay (<i>Brassica rapa L. </i>cv group Pak Choi) seeds. The automated farmbot was evaluated and tested to be functional, precise, and productive with its productivity rate ranging 95%-99%.