A low-cost, open-source cyber physical system for automated, remotely controlled precision agriculture

The paper presents a low-cost solution to the problem of remote control in agricultural applications. This choice is due to the growing importance of agriculture in modern times and so to the need of subsidizing this field. Keeping in mind the constraint of low-cost, we propose the design of a flexible embedded system architecture, based on the Arduino and Raspberry platforms, able to support various kinds of remote control tasks in the agricultural field. The goal is to support management of remote cultivations (in greenhouses and/or open-air) by exploiting sensors (e.g., temperature, moisture, radiometers, cameras) and actuators (e.g., motorized windows, irrigators, tools to deploy chemical products) through a mobile app. This approach could improve fertilization and overall planning of the farming activity based on the actual weather and environment conditions. A simple prototype of the proposed system has been successfully tested and results confirm feasibility of the approach both in terms of performance and of costs.