Smart Sprinkler

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, contrast to naturally existing intelligence in living beings. Thanks to recent advances in computer science and informatics, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming an integral part of "smart farming". "Smart farming" is an emerging concept that refers to managing farms using technologies like robotics, IoT and drones to increase the quantity and quality of products while optimizing the human labor required by production. (AI) aids smart farming by detecting weed & crop, count fruit and monitor health by analyzing soil & growth. Furthermore, monitoring pest populations, recognizing pest-resistant plant varieties, and modifying cultural, mechanical, chemical, and biological controls.

Climatic factors such as rainfall, temperature and humidity play an important role in the agriculture lifecycle. Rainfall increases the content of water in soil leading to moisture. The health of our crops relies upon an adequate supply of moisture and soil nutrients. As moisture availability declines, the function and growth of plants are disrupted and crop yields are reduced.

However, moisture not only leads to issues such as mold and mildew growth, it can also cause pest infestations since pests thrive off of humid environments. Moisture pests and insects need to draw life-sustaining moisture from their surroundings, so they avoid dry places. Pests cause harm to growing crops and also finished products that are getting ready for sale resulting in potential loss of revenue. Moreover, pests significantly damage farm equipment, machinery and property. Thus, effective pest control for farms and agricultural premises is essential.

Chemical pesticides are being manually sprayed especially after the rain, to prevent pest outbreaks and resurgence. These compounds kill pests, including insects, rodents, fungi and unwanted plants (weeds). On top of that, vanquishes vectors of disease, such as mosquitoes, and cockroaches. Hence, making it crucial yet a tiring and time-consuming labor for the farm managers. Therefore, this project aims to provide an innovative solution that improves the current system by implementing artificial intelligence (AI).

Modern agriculture has many complex challenges. Consequently, farming had become unpredictable. Each farm is unique with different landscapes, soils, available technology and potential yields. Farmers must meet the changing needs and the expectations of consumers, food processors and retailers. There are increasing pressures from climate change, soil erosion and biodiversity loss. From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from pests, insects, weeds and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold.

Farm managers are working multiple times harder. Sometimes the workload is abundant compared to the short span to accomplish all the necessary tasks, leading to pending. May as well, disables administration efficiently. It is an exhausting job that requires passion and full devotion. Similar to the rest of the world, pesticides are used to boost agricultural production in Malaysian farms.^[1] Taking that into consideration, full utilization of modern technology to replace redundant manual practices is a must for effective farming activities such as pest controlling.

Therefore, our group is proposing a pioneer innovation that enables maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or time, utilizing (AI) integration. The idea is to make use of the existing system and add enhanced features to it. The innovation is an automatic chemical pesticide sprinkling system which reacts to soil moisture sensors, platforming the farm’s existing water sprinklers.

Currently, such progressive systems are not being implemented in Malaysia. Rural farmers are still actively hands-on in this pesticide spraying activity. Regardless of all the amazing machines, tools and gadgets, farming is still a very physically demanding occupation. The career is twice as deadly as law enforcement, five times deadlier than firefighting, and 73 times more deadly than Wall Street investment banking, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.^[2]

That being said, without a doubt, they need this advancement for betterment. It will get more functional and constructive in terms of pest control with reduced human efforts/energy, subsequently increasing productivity.