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RFID Helps California Crops Grow
Twelve sensor pods, developed by SensorWare Systems, are situated in different sections throughout the vineyard, linked together wirelessly. One such pod is linked to a server connecting the network to a Web-based application. Vineyard employees can access this Web site to check temperatures, moisture levels and other metrics.
SensorWare Systems was created by a research group working on the NASA Sensor Webs Project at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NJPL) in Pasadena, Calif.; the company's sensor pods were originally developed for that project (see NASA Creates Thinking RF Sensors). The pods communicate wirelessly by means of standard 900 MHz radio components typically used for cordless phones.
"The sensor system is pretty unique," says Metz. "Each of the units, or pods, communicates omnidirectionally, so it functions more like a brain. You can develop algorithms that look at percentages across an area. So if 70 percent of the sensors reach a certain preset threshold, you could have an alert sent [by the server] to someone's cell phone."
Ceàgo Vinegarden, Geovine and CH2M Hill say they hope to take the RFID and wireless sensor implementation to the next level, so the data collected can help prevent events that would hurt the grapes' health, such as mold growth. "We want to create programs of different risk models, so the [RFID tags and sensors] could create warnings that trigger automated irrigation events," Metz explains.
According to Metz, the current implementation—which started last January and has been up and running since mid-summer—has provided a basic "proof-of-concept" that all the technologies can work together. The project has also yielded a wealth of data to the vineyard's management. "We are now interested in focusing the analytical power of the data," he says. To that end, the group is currently seeking funding for continued research and development.
"It is one thing to put a bunch of technology together and have it be advanced and look cool, but it is another thing to begin incorporating previously unused and unavailable information into a workflow that has long been traditional and conservative," Metz says.
"In a year, I think we'll have more to say on the business value. That's what we're really interested in—and people want to know: What is the bang for the buck?"
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SensorWare Systems was created by a research group working on the NASA Sensor Webs Project at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NJPL) in Pasadena, Calif.; the company's sensor pods were originally developed for that project (see NASA Creates Thinking RF Sensors). The pods communicate wirelessly by means of standard 900 MHz radio components typically used for cordless phones.
"The sensor system is pretty unique," says Metz. "Each of the units, or pods, communicates omnidirectionally, so it functions more like a brain. You can develop algorithms that look at percentages across an area. So if 70 percent of the sensors reach a certain preset threshold, you could have an alert sent [by the server] to someone's cell phone."
Ceàgo Vinegarden, Geovine and CH2M Hill say they hope to take the RFID and wireless sensor implementation to the next level, so the data collected can help prevent events that would hurt the grapes' health, such as mold growth. "We want to create programs of different risk models, so the [RFID tags and sensors] could create warnings that trigger automated irrigation events," Metz explains.
According to Metz, the current implementation—which started last January and has been up and running since mid-summer—has provided a basic "proof-of-concept" that all the technologies can work together. The project has also yielded a wealth of data to the vineyard's management. "We are now interested in focusing the analytical power of the data," he says. To that end, the group is currently seeking funding for continued research and development.
"In a year, I think we'll have more to say on the business value. That's what we're really interested in—and people want to know: What is the bang for the buck?"
