Ford F-150 Enables Farmers with Mobile Ag Datacenter + Azure Stack Edge
Updated: Oct 26, 2021
Mobile Innovation to Bring Growers Daily Insights
As our company has assessed and evaluated some of the top pain points for growers (labor, irrigation, chemicals, weather, fruit/bloom counts, soil analysis, connectivity, etc.), we've been fortunate enough to partner up with innovative AgTech companies that deliberately focus on these areas. This allows innov8.ag to utilize each of our partnerships and their products to provide growers with multiple IoT sensors and harness different data points that empower growers to better manage their resources.
Our most recent partnerships have been with GreenAtlas, SoilOptix, and Smart Guided Systems who all provide an ATV-based imaging system that attach to different points of the vehicle. With innov8.ag as the data integrator & ag data science specialist, we were able to jointly configure a UTV with all three of their products. With transportation to rural areas in mind and long days with terabytes of data needing to be processed, innov8.ag created the first ever "Mobile Ag Datacenter."
Mobile Ag Datacenter at a Glance:
Now what exactly is this Mobile Ag Datacenter? In simple terms it's a 2021 Ford F-150 equipped with a 7.2kW Pro Power onboard generator + Trailer + Renogy Charger/Inverter w/ 315Ah LiPo battery bank + Azure Stack Edge + GreenAtlas GPU-centric server + Mobile WiFi + Thingy LoRa base station + a Honda Pioneer 500 ATV + equipped with Green Atlas Cartographer + SoilOptix Digital Top Soil Mapping System + Smart Guided Systems Permanent Crop Analyzer = "Mobile Ag Datacenter"
DataCenter Breakdown:
The truck not only acts as a means for transporting equipment to grower locations but it allows us to complete the process of bringing on-farm solutions to growers. The 2021 Ford F-150 3.5L Powerboostâ„¢ V6 hybrid engine comes with a class exclusive ProPower Onboard that allows innov8.ag to use our truck as a mobile generator to power data processing units in remote locations, all from a smartphone.
Azure Edge computing from Microsoft then allows us to provide growers with actionable insights from the ATV-based IoT solutions by acting as a cloud storage gateway to enable large data transfers. Azure Stack Edge makes a portfolio of the devices used so that quick and actionable insights can be made directly where the data is processed.
The Honda Pioneer 500 ATV is the vehicle of choice to attach all three of our partners image processing systems. With the Green Atlas Cartographer placed on the back, the SoilOptix Digital Top Soil Mapping System horizontally placed on the front bumper, and the Smart Guided System Permanent Crop Analyzer elevated by a 90 degree brace on the front of the ATV. (Detailed information about each product in second half of page)
Mounted ATV Systems:
The Green Atlas Cartographer helps growers manage the life cycle of their crop by quickly (~30mph) counting flowers/fruit and accurately mapping them over entire orchards.
The SoilOptix Digital Top Soil Mapping System changes the game of precision agriculture by providing an affordable soil analysis system that provides high definition soil maps so growers can better understand their crop.
The Smart Guided Systems Permanent Crop Analyzer allows growers to count the number of trees, categorize trees by size, asses canopy volume per tree, provides as applied (spray maps), and estimates the percent of chemical savings.
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Green Atlas- Cartographer
The Green Atlas Cartographer is an innovative combination of hardware and software that allows flower and fruit counts to be quickly and accurately mapped over entire orchards. With high resolution AI assisted mapping, our customers know every block and every tree, to help manage the life cycle from flower to fruit.
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SoilOptix- Digital Top Soil System
SoilOptix® – High Resolution Top Soil Mapping is inspired to bring to agriculture a new one-of-a-kind, affordable soil analysis system that sets a new standard for accuracy in precision agriculture. Offering much more than traditional soil measurement practices, SoilOptix® delivers the highest definition and most detailed field nutrient maps obtainable today. This empowers growers to make the best decisions for management and soil stewardship. SoilOptix® is your best choice, because every square foot is unique.
1. SoilOptix® uses a non-contact, pre-calibrated sensor, mounted on a collection vehicle approximately 2ft (60cm) above the ground, traveling up to 20 mph in 20 ft (12m) swaths widths. The sensor is measuring natural geological properties
2. Traditional soil samples are taken at strategically place locations; 1 every 8 acres surveyed. These are then sent out to your local lab for analysis. These results are integrated into our final product. Once we receive the lab results, we can begin our processing.
3. Our highly-trained team of data processors then take, analyze, and process the information using proprietary SoilOptix® software and algorithms. Data processing is completed within a target of 48 business hours.
4. High-definition nutrient & texture maps are returned to you in generic SHP or CSV files. Files are VRA-ready and can be easily integrated into most data platforms; including Climate FieldView & John Deere Operations Centre.
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Smart Guided Systems- Permanent Crop Analyzer
The Smart Guided Systems Permanent Crop Analyzer is an innovative imaging processing system that allows the user to collect, analyze, and report your data in one continuous process.
Collect Your Data
Count Number of Trees
Categorize Trees by Size
Canopy Volume per Tree
Total Acres in Track
Analyze Your Data
Your Operation, Your Site
Identify Problem Trees
Relate Density to Yield
Review Foliage Density Index
Report Your Data
As Applied (sprayed) Maps
Tree Statistics
Estimated Percent Chemical Savings
Estimated Return-on-Invest