RBC: Resource Based Community

Now hosted at https://gitlab.com/RBC-parent

A resource manager for a community farm

Overview

Connect sensors to nodes. Any sensor can connect to any node via a universal connector. Nodes are solar powered and collect timestamped data as often as possible at low power, sending only when surplus power is available

Sensor types:

• Soil moisture
• Ambient light intensity (split by UV/IR/Visible)
• Ambient light color
• Temperature (soil, water, air, surface, cellar, freezer)
• Air humidity
• Rain
• Air-pressure/weather
• Water level sensors for butts/rivers/lakes
• ph
• chemical (air/soil/water quality)
• O2/CO2 concentrations
• Mains-power voltage
• Wi-Fi strength
• Water-pressure at pumps/butts
• Water flow in rivers, irrigation systems
• Wind speed
• Appliance conditions (eg temperature of solar water heater)
• Timelapse photos (Visible and IR)

Workflow:

• Define zones on map of property
• Within zones, define beds/pots/plants
• For each remote node, specify in webapp which connectors are which type of sensor
• Send config data to each node, node reads sensor in appropriate way
• Pin sensors to zones
• Record all measurements over time
• Alert when measurements outside reasonable bounds (too dry, too cold etc)
• Alert when conditions are optimal (eg excess hot water = have a shower, night temperatures no longer below x degrees = transplant seedlings, freezer broken = send text)
• Calculate water usage of particular plant type based on temp, humidity, sunlight
• Calculate how much water is necessary (or even optimal) at different times
• Control water (or other controls, eg greenhouse vents) based on scheduled events, alerts, or optimization
• For each bed, keep log of work done, work todo, weight harvested
• Get tips about how to do each task
• Scan QR code at each location to tell phone where you are
• schedule work to minimize workload: spread out over time, and focused on location