When data points to the same place, systems can work together more effectively
More and more data is becoming available in the greenhouse. Sensors measure the climate, cameras detect abnormalities in the crop and robots are increasingly able to carry out tasks independently. Yet this data only becomes truly useful when systems use the same position in the greenhouse. A camera that detects something only adds real value if a robot or data system understands which plant position it refers to. At Tomatoworld, NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood is testing how Hortivation Point can provide one shared reference point for this, together with InnovationQuarter, Hortivation | AVAG Connected, TNO, LetsGrow.com and 30MHz.
More data only helps when the position is right
For growers, technology companies and developers of autonomous greenhouse systems, this is a recognisable step in digitalisation. More measurement points, images and analyses are being added all the time, but separate systems do not automatically work from the same greenhouse position. A sensor value, camera image or robot action only gains practical meaning when it is clear which plant, row or location the information relates to. Without shared position data, data mainly exists alongside other data, while autonomous cultivation requires information that can be connected.
One reference point makes separate observations connectable
Hortivation Point creates one shared reference point in the greenhouse. You can compare it to positioning inside the greenhouse. Sensors, cameras, robots and data systems then use the same 3D coordinates. This allows information from different sources to be linked to the same location. In this way, a shared basis is created on which technologies do not only measure or register, but can also work together more effectively.
A disease spot only becomes valuable when the plant position can be used
A practical example shows why this matters. When a camera detects a disease spot, that observation alone is not yet an autonomous action. With a shared reference point, the system can link the location to the same 3D coordinates that a robot uses to navigate through the greenhouse. This allows the robot to move to the correct plant position and carry out a targeted action there.
Reliability becomes easier to test for growers and technology partners
The step from measuring to acting requires trust in the connection between detection, data and execution. For growers and technology partners, this makes it easier to test whether different systems are reliably aligned with each other. This is relevant for monitoring, navigation, robotics and decision-making in the greenhouse. The value therefore lies not only in collecting more data, but especially in whether that data becomes usable for targeted actions.
Handsfree Agrifood stimulates shared infrastructure in the greenhouse
autonomous and data-driven greenhouse horticulture. That basis does not only consist of separate robots, sensors or software, but also of shared agreements and infrastructure that allow technology to work together at scale. The test at Tomatoworld makes it possible to assess how partners from different disciplines are working on a shared basis for position, data and autonomous action. This shifts the development from separate applications towards systems that can build on each other within the same greenhouse environment.
Tomatoworld brings the next step closer to practice
The practical environment of Tomatoworld is important because innovations are tested here under realistic greenhouse conditions. This shows where technology already works, where alignment is still needed and which next steps are required for wider application. For companies and the employees of the future, this means the role is increasingly shifting towards monitoring, controlling and optimising connected systems. That is exactly why Hortivation Point is a relevant step within NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood towards Handsfree Agrifood, with better connected systems for monitoring, decision-making and autonomous actions in the greenhouse.