Project Background
This project aims to equip semi-rural property owners with the means to utilize their land at a low cost. In the Central Valley, there is a significant amount of land on semi-rural properties that go unused. Given the region's reliance on agriculture as an economic and cultural cornerstone, it is appropriate to make this land productive. However, the size of unused land on these plots is too large for manual labor and too small for modern farming methods to be practical. By reducing manual labor, it becomes more feasible to maintain a large garden or small farm, which can be financially beneficial to homeowners by reducing their grocery costs or generating a profit. We believe that by leveraging the increased automation and capabilities of small devices with cloud computing this reduction of manual labor is achievable. Therefore justification for the project is the creation of an Internet of Things (IoT) network and supporting backend services that enable single-owner management of the privately owned unused arable land to better use their land.
The goal of this project is to create an IoT network that enables semi-rural property owners to utilize their unused arable land more effectively. The on-site network is supported by off-site cloud services including data processing and databases. The components for this deliverable of an IoT network come in four main parts; home Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), outdoor garden WLAN, cloud services, and a User Interface (UI). The nodes of the network are designed with flexibility and power independence in mind. The nodes of the network are powered by rechargeable batteries sustained by solar panels, making them independent of the power grid and allowing them to be located anywhere on the property. The cost of each node is kept to a minimum while still providing all the proposed functionality. Functionality includes the recording of measurements, monitoring of garden statistics, and controlling irrigation patterns either with direct scheduling or an automated response based on sensor readings.
Meet the Team
Gabriel Aguilar (CompE Major)
As a computer engineer, Gabriel's interests in the project focused on developing the web-based UI and interactions with cloud-based services. His main focus for the project was the creation of the UI and the related data manipulations with regular assistance with the communications on the network. Relevant courses completed at Fresno State include: ECE 146 [Computer Networks] and ECE 150 [Cloud and Cyber Security] for the communication and security of data management, CSCI 41 [Data Structures] and ECE 141 [Computer Algorithms] for programming techniques and memory usage in software development, and ECE 118 [Microcontrollers] and ECE 178 [Embedded Systems] when assisting with interfacing peripherals using hardware and software.
Brenden Simpkins (CompE Major)
As a computer engineer, Brenden's interests in the project were networking, software, and cybersecurity. His main focus for the project is the creation and management of cloud-related operations including hosting the project website, maintaining the database for network data, performing analytics on the data, and other services such as authentication for security. Relevant courses completed at Fresno State include ECE 146 [Computer Networks] and ECE 150 [Cloud and Cyber Security] with the possibility of using ECE 172 [Machine Learning] for some automation.
Anthony Sanchez (CompE Major)
As a computer engineer, Anthony's major interest in the project had a focus on networking, embedded systems, and software engineering. Anthony's main focus for the project was setting up the router and other network devices to interface with the end devices and the server including decisions on which protocols to use for the WLAN communication. Relevant courses completed at Fresno State include: ECE 146 [Networks] and ECE 150 [Cloud and Cyber Security] for network communication, protocols, and security concerns, ECE 141 [Algorithmic Computations] for the time complexity of algorithms, and ECE 178 [Embedded Systems] for embedded systems and data transfer.
Oscar Vasquez (EE Major)
As the electrical engineer on the team, Oscar had the strongest background in power electronics and control systems. Oscar's focus included solar power systems, deciding on which sensors and actuators to use, sensor communication to microcontrollers, and any Integrated Circuits (ICs). Relevant courses completed at Fresno State include: ECE 153 [Power Electronics] to design stable power systems, ECE 155 [Control Systems] to allow the user to accurately control water consumption during irritation, and ECE 191T [PCB Design and Signal Integrity] to design custom PCB.