Download PDF
Observant automates connectivity management for their online applications that help customers improve yield, save water, and reduce operating costs.
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
- Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Agriculture
Applicable Functions
- Field Services
- Maintenance
Use Cases
- Farm Monitoring & Precision Farming
- Predictive Maintenance
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Observant provides a cloud-based integrated farm information management platform. The company’s IoT-enabled equipment and sensors capture a variety of data–from weather and soil conditions to pump and tank levels–to help agricultural customers manage their assets and drive better results. Observant also offers a line of self-installed kits, which are especially popular with small family farms. The company credits Cisco Jasper with the success and rapid adoption of the kits and the resulting cost savings for the growers. Control Center and the API integration allow Observant to automate and streamline product onboarding and support. As Observant grows and expands its geographical reach and customer base, the company continues to rely on Cisco Jasper to scale their solutions and service offerings.
About The Customer
Observant is a company that provides a cloud-based integrated farm information management platform. Their IoT-enabled equipment and sensors capture a variety of data, including weather and soil conditions, as well as pump and tank levels, to help agricultural customers manage their assets and drive better results. Observant also offers a line of self-installed kits, which are especially popular with small family farms. The company credits Cisco Jasper with the success and rapid adoption of these kits, which have resulted in significant cost savings for growers. Observant continues to rely on Cisco Jasper to scale their solutions and service offerings as they grow and expand their geographical reach and customer base.
The Solution
Cisco Jasper's Control Center and API integration allow Observant to automate and streamline product onboarding and support. This automation and real-time visibility enable Observant to scale their solutions and service offerings effectively. The Control Center provides real-time visibility and control for farm management devices, which helps Observant manage their IoT-enabled equipment and sensors more efficiently. This integration has been crucial for Observant as they expand their geographical reach and customer base, allowing them to maintain high levels of service and support for their customers.
Operational Impact
Related Case Studies.
Case Study
Intelligent Farming with ThingWorx Analytics
Z Farms was facing three challenges: costly irrigation systems with water as a limited resource, narrow optimal ranges of soil moisture for growth with difficult maintenance and farm operators could not simply turn on irrigation systems like a faucet.
Case Study
Greenhouse Intelligent Monitoring and Control Solution
Farming Orchids is the most successful form of precision farming in Taiwan, and also the most exported flower. Orchids need a specific temperature and humidity conditions to grow and bloom, and its flowering time may not be in line with market demands, so the price collapses when there is overproduction. Therefore, some farmers began to import automated greenhouse control systems for breeding and forcing, which not only improves quality, but also effectively controls the production period and yield to ensure revenue. In 2012, an orchid farmer built a Forcing Greenhouse of about 200 pings (approximately 661 Square Meters) in Tainan, Taiwan. The system integrator adopted Advantech’s APAX-5000 series programmable automation controllers to build the control platform, coupled with Advantech WebAccess HMI/SCADA software, to achieve cloud monitoring. The staff of the orchid field can monitor important data anytime via smart phone, iPad, and other handheld devices, and control the growth and flowering conditions. System requirements: In the past, most environmental control systems of orchid greenhouses in Taiwan used PLCs (Programmable Logic Controller) with poorscalability and control, and could not be connected to the Internet formonitoring from the cloud. For advanced database analysis and networking capability, the PC platform must be adopted. Therefore, PAC Systems (Programmable Automation Controller) with both PLC programming capabilities andPC functions is a better choice.The environmental control of the Orchid greenhouse switches on and off devices like fan, shade net, cooling/heat pump, liquid flow control, water-cooling wall etc. It is controlled by a control panel of electric controllers, and is driven by a motor, to adjust the greenhouse temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions to the set parameters.
Case Study
Enabling Internet of Things Innovation in Agriculture
DigiBale, wanted to apply technology know-how and IP from implementations successfully to more agriculture sectors including cotton, forestry, sugarcane and cattle. However, farmers and growers still have worries about the connected technology.
Case Study
Precision beekeeping with wireless temperature monitoring
Honeybees are insects of large economic value and provide a vital service to agriculture by pollinating a variety of crops. In addition, bees provide us with valuable products such as honey, beeswax, propolis, bee venom, etc. Monitoring of honeybee colony health, population, productivity, and environmental conditions affecting the colony health have always been exceedingly difficult tasks in apiculture. Research has shown that even small deviations (by more than 2°C) from the optimal temperatures have a significant influence on the development of the brood and the health of adult bees.