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Development of an affordable, field-robust, micro weather station
The African-European project UPSCALE (https://upscale-h2020.eu/) works to support food security for millions of east African smallholder farmers. We will develop an affordable (<200 CHF), field-robust micro-weather station to autonomously record local conditions for UPSCALE study fields and participating farms, and publish the design open-access. Closing yield gaps for smallholder farmers requires adapting feasible cultivation practices to control pests, withstand drought, conserve soil, and build resilience to global change. A main goal of the UPSCALE project entails pest control without pesticides. The approach relies on a clever combination of natural chemical properties from intercrops and border crops to suppress weeds and repel pests from food crops: push-pull technology. The intercrop also provides fodder for livestock and improves soil fertility, enabling sustainable intensification. The UPSCALE research fields cover a climatic gradient across five countries (Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia). The coarse gradient can be described using satellite remote sensing, but information on very local differences in rainfall and other conditions that matter for yield and for the distribution of natural plant chemicals is still missing. A goal of this project is to support the adaptation of smallholder farmers to global change by providing accurate and timely information about local weather conditions.
The project starts from an existing design we developed during a student internship and continues to test and refine the design of individual components, design a PCB, calibrate sensors, and produce an integrated prototype.
The project starts from an existing design we developed during a student internship and continues to test and refine the design of individual components, design a PCB, calibrate sensors, and produce an integrated prototype.
- Development of ultrasonic wind sensor based on prototype.
- Integration of environmental sensors with Raspberry Pi Pico-based readout electronics for multi-faceted observation (T, humidity, P, incident light and rainfall, soil moisture).
- Testing and development of software components (Python-based) to run and log data.
- Calibration of sensors and optimization of their performance in compliance with METEO-Cert guidelines.
- Optimization of overall power usage for operation in remote locations.
- Implementation of wireless data transmission using local WiFi network.
• Miniaturization by integrating sensor electronics on printed circuit board (PCB).
• Design of a field-robust set-up for the integrated station based on existing plans.
• Successful test run outdoors alongside a commercial weather station.
- Development of ultrasonic wind sensor based on prototype. - Integration of environmental sensors with Raspberry Pi Pico-based readout electronics for multi-faceted observation (T, humidity, P, incident light and rainfall, soil moisture). - Testing and development of software components (Python-based) to run and log data. - Calibration of sensors and optimization of their performance in compliance with METEO-Cert guidelines. - Optimization of overall power usage for operation in remote locations. - Implementation of wireless data transmission using local WiFi network. • Miniaturization by integrating sensor electronics on printed circuit board (PCB). • Design of a field-robust set-up for the integrated station based on existing plans. • Successful test run outdoors alongside a commercial weather station.
- Meredith C. Schuman (meredithchristine.schuman@uzh.ch)
- Alexander Steppke (alexander.steppke@uzh.ch)
- Stefano Mintchev (stefano.mintchev@usys.ethz.ch)
- Meredith C. Schuman (meredithchristine.schuman@uzh.ch) - Alexander Steppke (alexander.steppke@uzh.ch) - Stefano Mintchev (stefano.mintchev@usys.ethz.ch)