Industrial

Hydroponic Data Analytics

Mycelium measures and shares environmental conditions in hydroponic systems so others can replicate them. By analysing how the plant reacts to specific environmental conditions, the most effective method of growing that particular plant can be found. This allows people with minimal hydroponic experience to grow produce successfully.

James Doring

Fresh, locally grown food is something that everyone should have access to no matter who you are or where you live. Providing this, however, is becoming ever increasingly difficult with the next 30 years demanding for the world to double its food production in order to feed our population. This is a problem as half of the world’s agitable land is already used for agriculture.

Mycelium is an IOT system that records environmental conditions within hydroponic systems and shares the information for others to replicate.

Mycelium consists of 7 sensors, 3 collecting data from the water that’s supplied to the plants, 2 from the environment around the plant, and two collecting data from the plant itself. Data is sent to the hub where it is then sent to the cloud for interpretation. The combination of these 7 data points gives not only a well-rounded indication of the plants inputs but how the plant is responding to these inputs.

By analysing this information from numerous systems. Mycelium developed a “recipe” to grow that particular plant as efficiently as possible. For novice growers this provides a clear starting point without the confusion of misleading product advertisements and conflicting recommendations.

For experienced growers it lets them learn to grow something new, increase their efficiency and contribute to the database to help others. In commercial applications it allows growers to see what plants are being grown locally and therefore what gaps are in the market.

James Doring

My name is James Doring. This year I graduated from QUT studying Industrial Design, minoring in Graphic Design and Marketing. My thesis is titled Localising food production. I chose this topic as I believe innovation in this field can have a genuine positive impact.