Assessing the feasibility of all-in-one growing sensor and innovative transmission node for vertical farms - driving energy efficiency, productivity and commercial viability

垂直耕作(VF)因其生长过程的环境效益和粮食安全效益(占地面积小、无农药、水重复使用、全年生长)而被称为未来的粮食生产。然而，该行业还处于初级阶段，效率低下(能源/劳动力成本高，作物选择有限，污染水平高)，导致投资回报率较低。根据Grand\_Research的一份新报告，到2025年，全球[垂直农业市场][0]的规模预计将达到99.6亿美元(扩大@21.3%-CAGR)。越来越多地使用物联网(IoT)传感器来生产作物，可能会在预测期内刺激市场需求。对VF环境稳健的精确、集成的实时数据解决方案对于将VF的生产率提高到工业规模农场变得具有商业可行性和对外部投资具有吸引力的水平至关重要。最终，我们的目标是开发技术来生成高价值的数据，以供全球VF行业共享(商业上但也可以通过学术出版物)。LST和项目联盟专注于提供物联网精密数据解决方案，折衷于IP保护的一体化浮动传感器、强大的无线数据网络、监控接口和BigData平台。这一解决方案的交付将对VF行业产生重大影响：*更便宜/更智能的技术*降低劳动力成本：**显著减少人工干预*提高生产率/效率**：在确保仅使用精确的材料/成分/能源的同时，最大化产量(和预防疾病)的数据。*改善的IRR/盈利能力：**导致全球采用VF。对英国和该地区更广泛的长期好处包括：*进口和相关排放的减少*(经济/环境/社会)*英国85%的沙拉-蔬菜是进口的(GB 9.78亿市场ITC-贸易；2018)。该项目将解决我们减少对进口的依赖的迫切需要，提高英国国内的增长能力(以满足超市需求)，并**改善粮食安全*为传统农民提供全年种植的选择，防止销售在冬季流失到海外*减少不可持续的全球耕地和水资源需求(环境)*农业目前使用全球所有用水量的70%，垂直耕作可以帮助防止缺水。*提高英国对环境冲击的适应能力(经济/环境/社会)**干旱或缺水仅在英国就导致10%的作物损失PA，相当于GB 400米(DEFRA；2016)。*改善营养供应：**通过改善VF的运营/产出，VF研究将能够专注于种植新的、营养丰富或密度高的作物(土豆、甜叶菊等)，帮助摆脱仅有叶子沙拉/微绿的[0]：https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/vertical-farming-market

Vertical Farming(VF) has been branded as the future of Food Production due to the environmental benefits and food security benefits (small geographical footprint, pesticide-free, water reuse, all year round growing) of the growing process. However, the industry is in its infancy and littered with inefficiencies(high energy/labour costs, limited crop choice, high levels of contamination), resulting in poor ROI.The global [vertical farming market][0] size is anticipated to reach $9.96bn by 2025, according to a new report by Grand\_View\_Research, (expanding@ 21.3%-CAGR) over the forecast period. Increased use of Internet of Things(IoT) sensors for producing crops is likely to spur the market demand over the forecast period.Precision, integrated real time data solutions that are robust to the VF environment are critical to elevating the productivity of VF to a level where industrial-scale farms become commercially-viable and attractive to external investment. Ultimately our aim is to develop technology to generate high-value data to be shared (commercially but also via academic publication) with the global VF industry.LST and the project consortium are focused on delivering an IoT precision data solution, compromising of an IP-protected all-in-one floating sensor, robust wireless data network, monitoring interface and BigData platform. The delivery of this solution will have significant impact to the VF industry:* **Cheaper/Smarter Technology*** **Reduction in labour costs:** significant reduction in human intervention* **Improved Productivity/Efficiency**: Data to maximise yields(and prevent disease) whilst ensuring only the precise materials/ingredients/energy are utilised.* **Improved IRR/Profitability:** leading to global adoption of VF.The wider long term benefits to the UK and the ROW include;* **Reduction in imports and associated emissions** **(Economic/Environmental/Social)** * 85% of the UK's Salads?epared Veg is imported(£978m market ITC-Trade; 2018). The project will address the urgent need to reduce our reliance on imports, boost UK internal growing capacity(to meet supermarket demand) and **improve food security** * Offer traditional farmers the option to grow all-year-round, preventing sales being lost over winter to overseas* **Reduction in unsustainable global demand on land and water for arable use(Environmental)** * Agriculture currently uses 70% of all water consumed globally, vertical farming can help prevent water scarcity.* **Improve UK resilience to environmental shocks(Economic/Environmental/Social)** Drought or a lack of water result in 10% crop loss pa in the UK alone, equivalent to £400m(DEFRA;2016). * **Improved Nutritional Offering:** By improving VF's operations/outputs will enable VF research to focus on the growing of new, nutrient rich or dense crops(potatoes, stevia etc), helping move away from just leafy salad/micro-green's[0]: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/vertical-farming-market