ESP32-Powered Smart Farming Robot for Crop Surveillance

Introduction to Smart Farming Robot

Smart farming is revolutionizing agriculture by integrating IoT and robotics to improve efficiency and crop management. In this project, we will build an ESP32-powered robot designed to monitor crop health and ensure optimal growth conditions. The robot will use sensors to detect environmental factors and a camera for visual monitoring, sending real-time data to a mobile application for easy management.

Components Required

To create the ESP32-powered smart farming robot, you'll need various components like an ESP32 development board, motor driver, DC motors, sensors for environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, light), a camera module for surveillance, and a power source for the robot's mobility and communication.

  • Set up the ESP32 development environment with necessary libraries.
  • Assemble the robot using DC motors, a motor driver, and wheels for movement.
  • Connect environmental sensors (e.g., DHT11 for temperature and humidity, light sensors) to the ESP32.
  • Install a camera module (e.g., ESP32-CAM) for crop surveillance and integrate it with the robot.
  • Write code to control the robot's movement based on sensor data, and send surveillance data to a mobile app for real-time crop monitoring.
  • Power the system and upload the code to the ESP32 for testing and deployment.

Formula: Power (W) = Voltage (V) × Current (I)

Components List

  • 1 × ESP32 Development Board
  • 1 × DC Motors (2 units)
  • 1 × Motor Driver (L298N or similar)
  • 1 × ESP32-CAM Camera Module
  • 1 × DHT11 or DHT22 Sensor (for temperature and humidity)
  • 1 × Light Sensor (e.g., LDR)
  • 1 × Power Supply (e.g., 7.4V LiPo Battery)
  • 1 × Chassis for the robot
  • 1 × Wheels (2 or 4 depending on design)
  • 1 × Jumper Wires and Breadboard

Pin Configuration

  • GPIO 12 (Motor A): Motor A control pin connected to GPIO 12 of the ESP32.
  • GPIO 13 (Motor B): Motor B control pin connected to GPIO 13 of the ESP32.
  • GPIO 15 (DHT11 Sensor): DHT11 sensor data pin connected to GPIO 15.
  • GPIO 4 (LDR Sensor): Light-dependent resistor (LDR) connected to GPIO 4 for light intensity readings.
  • GPIO 2 (Camera Module): ESP32-CAM camera module connected to GPIO 2 for image capturing and surveillance.

Make sure to provide sufficient power to the ESP32 and the motor driver. Use a battery with enough capacity to power both the robot's motors and ESP32 components for extended usage.

Wiring and Connections

  • -> GPIO 12 and GPIO 13 (Motor driver control pins)
  • -> GPIO 15 (Data pin)
  • -> GPIO 4 (Data pin)
  • -> GPIO 2 (Camera data pin)

Code for ESP32-Powered Smart Farming Robot

1#include <WiFi.h>
2#include <DHT.h>
3#include <Servo.h>
4#include <ESP32CAM.h>
5
6const char* ssid = "Your_SSID";
7const char* password = "Your_PASSWORD";
8
9#define DHTPIN 15
10#define LDRPIN 4
11#define MOTOR_A_PIN 12
12#define MOTOR_B_PIN 13
13#define CAMERA_PIN 2
14
15DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHT11);
16Servo motorA;
17Servo motorB;
18
19void setup() {
20  Serial.begin(115200);
21  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
22  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
23    delay(1000);
24    Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi...");
25  }
26  Serial.println("Connected to WiFi");
27  dht.begin();
28  motorA.attach(MOTOR_A_PIN);
29  motorB.attach(MOTOR_B_PIN);
30}
31
32void loop() {
33  float temp = dht.readTemperature();
34  int lightLevel = analogRead(LDRPIN);
35  if (temp > 30) {
36    motorA.write(180);  // Move forward if temperature is high
37    motorB.write(180);
38  }
39  if (lightLevel < 500) {
40    motorA.write(0);  // Stop if light is low
41    motorB.write(0);
42  }
43  delay(1000);
44}

Code Explanation

  • #include <WiFi.h>: This includes the WiFi library, allowing the ESP32 to connect to a network for data transmission.
  • #include <DHT.h>: The DHT library is included to read temperature and humidity data from the DHT11 sensor.
  • motorA.write(180);: This command moves the robot forward by setting the motor speed. If the temperature exceeds 30°C, the robot moves forward.
  • int lightLevel = analogRead(LDRPIN);: Reads the light intensity level from the LDR sensor. If the light level is below a threshold, the robot stops moving.

Applications

  • Automated crop surveillance for precision farming.
  • Monitoring environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, light) for crop health.
  • Early detection of issues like pest infestations or diseases in crops.
  • Improving farm management and reducing human labor through robotics and automation.

Conclusion

The ESP32-powered smart farming robot offers a cost-effective and efficient solution for monitoring crops in a farming environment. By utilizing environmental sensors and a camera for visual surveillance, farmers can gain real-time insights into their crops' health, enabling proactive management and early detection of potential problems.