In this project I am replacing the Microsoft FarmBeats for Students kit with a microbit version which I call microbit Agriculture Kit. On the plus side my alternative will add better sensors and actuators but on the minus side it swaps the Grove Sun sensor for a Light sensor and has less spare ports available for expansion but all of these can be overcome.
My kit is currently compatible with Microsoft Excel using DataStreamer and the serial coms is much more reliable. The next version will be fully compatible with Microsoft FarmBeats' sensor spreadsheet.
Differences compared with FarmBeats:
* it is cheaper at half the cost - note there is an error in my cost calculations that did not add on the cost of one of the components - the BitMaker at $US10 so adding this to the microbit kit brings the cost to $85. The most expensive part of this is the OLED screen and this is only optional.
* It also adds a local OLED screen to the microbit so that parameters can be viewed locally in the garden
* It can be built totally by younger students using Microsoft Makecode starting off with just one sensor and one actuator for water management
* My kit has a complete Water Management system including a pump and hoses all included in the cost
* My kit can be power by a low cost solar cell and LiPo battery
* My kit has a big disadvantage - it does not data log and leaves this to the Windows PC.The FarmBeats version allows the Raspberry to be untethered from the PC so it can work in the garden on its own.
There are a number of ways to overcome the data logger requirement on my kit - add another computer such as the Seeeduino Xiao with Grove Shield and this has a SD storage and also expands on the Grove ports. It also has its own OLED screen so my next version of the kit will replace the Kitronix OLED with this. One disadvantage is that it has poor performance when using both its USB and serial port at the same time. It would be necessary to couple the microbit to the Xiao with a serial port.
An alternative way to get data logging is via IoT and use either a second microbit that acts as a router to the PC and use microbit radio.
Another way to do the data logging is to use SparkFun openlog as an addon or alternaitve consider using the micro:climate kit for micro:bit - v3.0 but you can not add a water pump or relay with this kit. The micro:climate kit has a SD card for data logging.
I have already added Seeed Grove LoRaWAN E5 modules to computers like microbit and Arduino and have evaluated a whole range of Grove sensors from pH, air quality, PM2.5, methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water turbidity etc. I also intend to add neopixel arrays and links to Philip Hue lights to add extra lights for the plants.
All of these are on the Grove platform and some already have Makecode extensions. Alternatively software for all of them can be developed and integrated into a system using C++ on the Arduino IDE with the microbit or or other microcomputers such as Arduino, or ESP32 computers as targets. I will create mini projects as demos for STEM teachers based on these.
My future IoT version will add microbit radio, LoRaWAN MQTT technology via wifi with a microbit router feeding the FarmsBeat spreadsheet on a PC. Most of this has already been completed.
I have also used a couple of images to the presentation for impact and I wish to acknowledge them. They include:
Images:
* Robustness Enhances Lab Optimization Analysis Processes – Part 1
Western Australia’s First Demonstration Smart Farm
* ESG and the cost of capital
* A Growing Presence on the Farm: Robots - The New York Times
* Maker culture is critical to innovation, for more reasons than you think - campaign
