Automated monitoring and control system on cyber-physical platform for efficient vermicompost production

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) investigate fundamental knowledge of cyber-physical systems and factors affecting vermicompost production; 2) design a system for monitoring and controlling humidity and temperature and an earthworm pest alert system in earthworm farms; 3) develop a prototype system on a cyber-physical systems platform; and 4) evaluate the performance of the developed system. The system development followed a five-step development process, including planning, design, development, testing, and maintenance. The system comprised three main modules: 1) humidity control system, 2) temperature control system, and 3) earthworm pest alert system. The system utilized a NodeMCU microcontroller integrated with load cell and temperature sensors. The system was controlled via the Blynk application, and artificial intelligence processing for the earthworm pest alert system was implemented using the CiRA CORE platform. The results showed that the system could accurately control humidity and temperature within the ranges of 70–80% and 15–28 °C, respectively. The system reduced labor requirements by 900 min/month, consumed only 2.17 kWh/month, and used 4 L/month of water. The earthworm weight increased by 15% within 30 days. The earthworm pest alert system operated efficiently, with a response time of 3–5 s. This prototype demonstrates the feasibility of applying cyber-physical systems technology in agriculture and can be further extended to research related to automation, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to develop smart agricultural innovations.