🌿 PlantPulse – Universal IoT Device for Smart Agriculture

PlantPulse is an open-source, rugged, and intelligent IoT hardware platform designed as part of the LankaSmartFarm DPI initiative. It enables precision farming through sensor-driven insights and remote control, built specifically for the tropical agriculture challenges of Sri Lanka and similar regions.

This universal device combines sensing, communication, and control in a modular, scalable way—empowering farmers and AgriTech developers with real-time actionable data and automation.

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🚀 Key Features

🌱 Sensor Suite (7-in-1 Soil Health Monitoring)

• Monitors:
  • pH
  • Soil Moisture
  • Soil Temperature
  • Electrical Conductivity (EC)
  • Nitrogen (N)
  • Phosphorus (P)
  • Potassium (K)
• Periodic sensing powered by a separate 12V replaceable battery to preserve energy for critical reads.

🔊 Acoustic Monitoring & Alerting

• Speaker + Microphone for:
  • Insect repellent sound pulses
  • Audible alarms
  • Acoustic anomaly detection (under research)

🎯 Visual & Motion Sensing (Research Stage)

• Bug detection via visual traps
• Animal trespass monitoring using computer vision models or IR sensors

💧 Smart Irrigation & Fertigation Control

• Remotely control drip irrigation systems
• Activate nutrient delivery only when required

🔌 Controllable AUX & GPIO Ports

• Support for up to 10 auxiliary IOs
• Configurable for lighting, spraying, fans, or custom actuators

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🧠 Architecture

🌐 Central IoT Controller

• Acts as the brain of the PlantPulse network
• Connects to the cloud for telemetry reporting and receiving commands
• Commands child sensors dynamically—no need for hardcoded logic on each device
• Manages sensor behaviour and firmware updates centrally

📡 Child Sensor Nodes

• Connected via RF or LoRa for long-range, low-power communication
• Powered by:
  • MCU battery (rechargeable via compact solar panel array)
  • 12V sensing battery for heavy sensor reads
• Contain RGB status LEDs for local feedback (alarm, status, fault, etc.)
• Built-in self-check and debugging capabilities to detect sensor connectivity or hardware faults

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🛡️ Rugged Design

• IP67-rated enclosure
• Engineered to survive:
  • Tropical humidity
  • Heavy rainfall
  • High UV exposure
  • Impacts from falling fruits like coconuts or mangoes
• Can be securely fixed to the ground

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🔧 Open Hardware Goals

PlantPulse aims to be:

• Fully open-source (hardware schematics + firmware)
• Modular and extensible
• Built using off-the-shelf components wherever possible
• Maintainable and upgradeable in the field with no need for full reprogramming

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🌍 Why It Matters

• Reduces manual labour and guesswork in plantation and field farming
• Supports climate-resilient agriculture by providing precise micro-level insights
• Scales easily from backyard farms to large estates
• Aligns with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and DPG principles

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🧩 Project Status

• ✅ Hardware architecture and component design – In Progress
• ⚙️ Firmware development – Early Stage
• 📶 Communication protocol – RF/LoRa planned
• 🔬 Bug and trespass detection – Research stage
• 🔋 Solar & battery power testing – Prototyping

Stay tuned for schematics, BOM, and reference firmware.

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome hardware tinkerers, firmware developers, Agri researchers, and field testers.

Check our CONTRIBUTING.md to get started.

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📜 License

This project will be released under an open hardware-compliant license (e.g., CERN-OHL or Solderpad License). Final terms TBA.

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📬 Contact & Updates

• 🌐 LankaSmartFarm GitHub

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“Data grows when rooted in the soil. PlantPulse makes the invisible visible — one sensor at a time.”