Ontology-Based Crop Climate Control for Cross-Coupled Actuators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crop cultivation systems are complex and difficult to control due to cross-coupling of climate actuators and the need for customised controllers for each configuration, making precise and adaptable control challenging.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using an ontology with objects and relations to model the cultivation system, allowing for automated reasoning and control objective determination, which is modularly scalable and adaptable to different system configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple climate actuators are used to control various climate parameters, then the control precision over climate parameters is improved, but the system complexity increases due to cross-coupling effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex cultivation system into distinct functional modules, each represented as a separate object in the ontology (e.g., light sources, heating elements, humidifiers, crops, cultivation space). This modular segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by treating each component independently while maintaining their interrelationships through defined relations in the ontology, thereby preserving control precision without being overwhelmed by system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an ontology-based intermediate layer that acts as a mediator between the physical cultivation system and the control algorithms. This intermediate semantic model translates complex physical relationships into structured knowledge representations, enabling precise control decisions to be made without directly managing the full complexity of actuator cross-couplings
2Manufacturing precision
If customised controllers are created for each cultivation system configuration, then the control accuracy for specific systems is improved, but the adaptability to different configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal ontology framework that can represent multiple different cultivation system configurations through a common set of object types and relation patterns. This universal model structure allows the same control algorithms to be applied across diverse system configurations, achieving both control accuracy for specific systems and adaptability to new configurations without requiring customised controllers for each case
Solution Approach 2:
The ontology is designed to be dynamic and reconfigurable, allowing objects and relations to be added, removed, or modified to reflect different cultivation system configurations. This dynamic structure enables the control system to adapt to various configurations while maintaining consistent control methodologies, eliminating the need for static customised controllers for each configuration
3Extent of automation
If the ontology model includes detailed relations between all objects, then the automated reasoning capability is improved, but the model complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by defining relations with appropriate levels of detail and specificity tailored to each local context in the system. Rather than uniformly modeling all possible relations between all objects, the ontology includes only the necessary relations relevant to each specific object pair and their functional interactions, enabling effective automated reasoning without overwhelming model complexity
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a method of controlling a crop cultivation system (1), comprising creating an ontology (200) with a plurality of objects and relations between the objects. The objects include at least a space object (220) representing a cultivation space (11) of the cultivation system (1) for cultivating crops (2) therein, a crop object (210) representing one or more crops (2) for being cultivated in the cultivation space (11), one or more actuator objects representing one or more actuators of the cultivation system for use in cultivating the one or more crops (2), and a source object representing a source of the cultivation system. The method further comprises determining, based on the ontology (200), one or more control objectives for controlling the cultivation system (1) using the one or more actuators.