Remote Monitoring and Control for Hydroponic Systems using MATLAB and ROS

Abstract

Hydroponic farming, particularly within Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), requires precise monitoring and control of environmental factors to optimize plant growth, resource efficiency, and sustainability. Traditional farming methods face challenges such as water scarcity, land limitations, and climate variability. CEA offers a sustainable alternative by growing plants in controlled environments with minimal water use and no soil. This study presents a wireless communication and remote monitoring system for a small-scale hydroponic setup, integrating an ESP32 microcontroller, Robot Operating System (ROS), and MATLAB/Simulink. The system continuously collects real-time data from environmental sensors— including temperature, humidity, and light intensity—and wirelessly transmits it to a remote computer using ROS. The ROS framework facilitates seamless data exchange and control between the microcontroller and external platforms, enabling efficient management of multiple sensors and actuators. MATLAB/Simulink is employed for data processing, visualization, and analysis, providing an intuitive interface for system monitoring and remote operation. Experimental results demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in ensuring reliable wireless data transmission, minimal communication delay, and stable real-time visualization of environmental conditions. The remote interface enables operators to monitor and adjust parameters from any location, improving flexibility and automation in hydroponic farming. This research contributes to the advancement of smart agriculture technologies by enhancing real- time monitoring and control in hydroponic systems. The proposed approach improves resource management, reduces labor costs, and supports scalability, making it a promising solution for urban and resource-limited farming environments.