AgriGlow: An IoT Multi-Spectral Light Sensing Device for Distributed In-Greenhouse Monitoring

There is a need to reduce the operational costs of commercial greenhouses equipped with supplemental environmental controls. An effective method to achieve this is to create and deploy a set of distributed sensors that precisely measure the light received at different points in a greenhouse to determine if plants are receiving enough light, and only turning the lights on above those plants that are in deficit. This paper presents the AgriGlow IoT sensing device which is designed to measure the light spectrum and intensity for extended periods of time in a greenhouse scenario. This device is standalone, battery powered, and combines an 18-wavelength spectrum sensor, with a system on a chip for sensor integration and cloud connectivity. The fabrication details of this sensing device are presented as well as a set of experiments which are used to evaluate the potential effectiveness of the device in the required setting. The results clearly show that the device can operate for more than 11 days while measuring the intensity of 18 wavelengths of light spectrum every 15 minutes. This is a significant achievement that could lead to great improvements in greenhouse efficiency and productivity.