LoRa Based Sensor and Actuator Networks in Smart Livestock Farming Applications

Abstract

Fast growth of farming activities in Vietnam requires employment of new technologies in data acquisition, control, and communication to make them operate more efficiently. In livestock farming applications, environmental condition monitoring and control are essential to maintain good comfort for the animal, reduce the farmworker's workload, and minimize the risk of disease spread. In this work, a wireless sensor and actuator system based on LoRa protocol is developed to deploy in hog farms. The ambient temperature and air quality information is acquired and processed. The data is then utilized for automated control of the cooling fans to comfort the animal in the barns. Besides, long term data collection can be also used to understand the system comprehensively and thus facilitate the farm owner to enhance the farming operation subsequently. A graphical user interface is also provided for the operator to supervise the system and intervene if necessary. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the whole system.