Cultivation of Plants Harnessing an Ontology-Based Expert System and A Wireless Sensor Network

Abstract

In this research an expert system was developed for taking adequate care of plants through the use of Android smart phones based on ontology for data collection and analysis. A Wireless Sensor Network has been applied to collect and transmit environmental data such as soil moisture, soil pH, and sunlight. The Expert System was developed to control the watering of plants, which consists of three parts: 1) data acquisition: Provided by the Thai Meteorological Department, the data were used according to the rules from the Plant Ontology; 2) watering control system: The self-activating system controls the watering of the plants using the expert system and an automated dispensing mechanism; and 3) decision making process: The Expert System applies the data and suggests a particular way to adequately provide the requirements of each plant, amount of water, and amount and type of fertilizer. The system has the ability to notify users by sending messages to their smart phones in a sufficient and timely way to ensure optimum cultivation activities and efficient and effective plant husbandry.