Self-powered sensor systems for sustainable urban green spaces and precision agriculture

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Agriculture is one of the human activities that puts larger pressure on the environment and the planet's resources. It requires the combined use of land, water, energy and livestock, together with potentially polluting inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. At the same time, agriculture must provide adequate food for a growing world's population. Balancing between the food needs and preserving the environment requires new approaches - where technology and digitalization can play key roles. In particular, smart sensor systems are key enablers for precision agriculture - where the use of water, energy and other inputs are optimized. ONiO is a high-tech company bringing self-powered, battery-free solutions to the Internet of Things (IoT) market. We wish to translate the latest technical breakthroughs in wireless microcontroller units (MCU) into commercial solutions across a wide range of IoT market segments (healthcare, industrial, automotive, smart buildings, agriculture, etc.). We have developed ONiO.zero - a small chip that solves the power bottleneck for wireless IoT devices and sensors. ONiO.zero is an ultra-low-power wireless MCU that uses energy harvesting technology. This means that ONiO.zero solely operates on energy from its surroundings (radio frequency, solar, thermal, kinetic energy, etc.) - with no need for batteries. Having no battery means fewer components and a smaller design, which can easily be integrated into a wide range of sensors and IoT solutions. This project focuses on the development of smart sensor systems for precision agriculture applications, namely for monitoring important soil properties such as moisture, temperature, pH and key nutrients. The project will deliver true wireless, self-powered (batteryless) sensors that can be deployed in a cost-effective manner. These will enable more sustainable practices, namely saving water used in irrigation and minimizing the use of fertilizers in excess.