Intelligent Farming System Using IoT and Edge AI

The Intelligent Farming System operates through a distributed network of microcontrollers, sensors, power regulation circuitry, and edge AI hardware to manage automated irrigation and environmental tracking. At the core, the system utilizes an ESP8266 NodeMCU, a Raspberry Pi 5, and a Sipeed Maixduino board working in tandem. Environmental parameters are tracked via three soil moisture sensors placed in the soil, a DHT11 sensor for ambient temperature and humidity, an ultrasonic sensor for monitoring water levels, and a YFS201 water flow sensor to track irrigation volume. Data gathered by the sensors is processed locally and transmitted via IoT protocols. When soil moisture drops below a specified threshold, the control logic triggers a 12V DC peristaltic water pump. The pump is driven via an IRFZ44n MOSFET and a BC547 transistor switching circuit, protected by an IN4007 diode against inductive kickback. Power distribution is managed safely across the system using a 3-series 20A 18650 lithium battery protection board connected to three 4.2V Li-ion batteries, stepped down cleanly through LM7805 5V and LM1117 3.3V voltage regulators alongside 10uF smoothing capacitors and a DC jack. Edge AI capabilities, driven by the Sipeed Maixduino platform and supported by software environments like Home Assistant, ESPHome, Arduino IDE, and VirtualBox, handle advanced tasks such as local computer vision for wildlife detection, ensuring crops are protected while maintaining optimal water conservation autonomously.