Vertical Farming

Worked with Earti in engineering a 7 feet tall monitoring camera that pans both horizontally and vertically.

E-Commerce Design

Agricultural Innovation: Vertical Farming Camera System

Role

  • Design Engineer

Toolkit

  • Fusion 360

  • Bambu Printers

  • Adobe Illustrator

Summary

For this startup-driven project, I designed and prototyped a 270 degree horizonal panning, 7-foot elevating camera system tailored for autonomous monitoring in vertical farming environments. The focus was on high-precision movement and strict adherence to environmental safety standards.

Precision Engineering: Designed a custom mounting and tracking system capable of 270 degree rotation and 7-foot vertical travel to ensure total crop coverage.

Material Science & Safety: Researched and integrated food-safe materials to ensure the hardware met the rigorous sanitary requirements of indoor farming.

Custom Fabrication: Engineered and manufactured proprietary parts for the camera mount and movement housing, moving from conceptual sketches to functional hardware.

Validation & Stress Testing: Conducted 5 rounds of material and mechanical testing to ensure the system's longevity in high-humidity agricultural settings.

Project Goal Statement

Lights, Camera, Harvest aims to develop a compact, convenient, and mobile inspection camera for Big S’s automated farming system: EARTI. Each structure includes two cameras, each of which must be able to traverse a 70" height to provide real-time and time-lapse visual data across all growing trays. Each camera must fit within the allotted space, pan to see different trays, and integrate with the current Trolmaster software. In addition, the solution should be waterproof, UV-tolerant, non-corrosive, and food safe for reliable surveillance under the greenhouse-like conditions inside of EARTI. This innovation will streamline the harvesting process by reducing the need for manual inspection of individual trays, leading to efficient production and increased access to fresh produce in areas of need.

Design Criteria

Objectives:

  • 270° rotational capability within 3” diameter area (to see 5 columns of trays)

  • Vertical travel range: from 5" to 63" along a 70" height

  • Water-resistant, withstands up to 70% humidity, UV-tolerant/non-oxidizing materials, non-corrosive, food safe

  • Night-vision

  • Not required, but other desired features

    • Time-lapse recording using a micro-SD card  

    • Product lasts 10+ years

    • Connects to their power source via USB

    • Mounted via upper and lower plates with 3/16” or 5mm bolts

    • Made with mostly accessible/interchangeable parts

    • The system has preset heights in addition to continuous motion capabilities

Constraints: 

  • Compatible with wifi & Trolmaster firmware (controllable via phone)

  • Mounts into EARTI

Brainstorming
Key Components and Functions

  1. Functions: 

    1. Real-Time Streaming: Camera streams real-time video to Trolmaster APP when opened

    2. Surveillance of every level: Carriage moves up and down belt via rotation of stepper motor

    3. Surveillance of all trays per level: Camera pans 270° via attached servo motor

  2. Features: 

    1. 270° rotational capability within 3” diameter area

    2. Vertical travel range: from 5" to 68" along a 70" height

    3. Night vision

    4. Withstands against 70% humidity

    5. UV-tolerant

    6. Non-corrosive materials

    7. Food safe materials

    8. . Connects to power via USB

    9. Compatible with Trolmaster software