ClimateMinder, Inc., a Los Angeles, Calif.-based company that offers wireless-sensor-network solutions for agriculture and food industry applications, has reportedly
launched new remote monitoring and control systems that is said to help yield higher quality agricultural products, efficiency and energy savings by integrating digital sensors, software and wireless-networking technology.
The technology is based on machine-to-machine mobile mesh network technology that allows sensors deployed in open farm fields or greenhouses to identify and recognize on the network automatically, thus simplifying setup, installation, configuration and monitoring for growers. Sensors integrated by ClimateMinder measure climatic conditions and parameters in the growing environment, including temperature, humidity, nutrients and others.
ClimateMinder is built on its patent-pending GrowFlex technology, made of a self-organizing battery or solar-powered sensor network in the field or greenhouse, and a wireless data connection to a cellular data network. GrowFlex is said to offer growers maximum flexibility.
The company’s remote-environmental-monitoring system is delivered wirelessly in the field or greenhouse through an array of sensors, nodes and mobile data network components developed in conjunction with technology leaders Intel and Ericsson. With it, key data about monitored conditions are transmitted over wireless data networks to growers' mobile phones, PDAs or computers, avoiding the need for wiring their fields or greenhouses.
Bulut Ersavas, CEO at ClimateMinder, said that the company has been taking efforts to help growers have total control of the environmental and climate variables that affect production.
"By monitoring and controlling to measured conditions, ClimateMinder can quickly alert growers to conditions that threaten their crops, such as extremes in temperature or moisture, and the need to take corrective action,” Ersavas said in a statement. "Our system helps growers optimize growth patterns, increase their productivity and product quality, shorten time-to-market, save water and reduce cost for nutrients and pest control."
Ersavas said greenhouse operators have been using the technology to grow tomatoes in Turkey since 2007 achieved increased productivity by reducing energy and labor costs and saving time.
Founded in the United States under the name Kodalfa, the ClimateMinder concept is said to have proved successful for hundreds of businesses in the greenhouse-tomato-grower market in Turkey. Kodalfa recently returned to the U.S. market and incorporated as ClimateMinder.
Reportedly, Los Angeles-area software-engineering firm Partners 1993 has taken a minority stake in the company.
Jai C.S. is a contributing editor for IoTevolutionworld. To read more of Jai's articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Amy Tierney