Insects in your greenhouse that don’t help your plants grow, but actually cause damage. This well-known issue in the greenhouse horticulture sector, is what the company PATS wants to address. In 2024, PATS decided to monitor insects in a working greenhouse and to target them specifically (together with Do IoT Fieldlab, TNO, MCS, Tomatoworld, and RoboHouse). That was the initial goal of the project. Two years later, we look back at this practical experiment, as part of the “Do IoT in greenhouse horticulture project”. How did they proceed, and were the goals achieved?
Collaboration
Over the past two years, 5G connectivity has been extensively tested in the Tomatoworld greenhouse. The collaboration between PATS and the partners ran smoothly. According to PATS, the on-site facilities combined with all partners’ strong commitment, ensured this seamless experiment. “Not only did this result in a working solution, but we also gradually gained valuable insights for the next steps,” states Bram Tijmons of PATS.
5G and real-time monitoring in the greenhouse
During the experiment, they examined the effects of the greenhouse environment on the signal, such as crop density and other obstacles in the greenhouse. Furthermore, they investigated the possibility of real-time insect monitoring. The first research objective is achieved: the 5G connection in the greenhouse is stable and functions properly, even in a complex greenhouse environment. The experiment demonstrated that PATS’s technology is suitable for the deployment of 5G technology. As soon as the appropriate infrastructure is available on site, the transition can quickly be deployed.
The second research objective, real-time insect monitoring, has not yet been fully achieved – but PATS has made some progress in this regard. They are currently processing a large proportion of the data in a single batch (for example, at night), but aim to work towards continuous data processing in the long term. The experiments have highlighted the technical steps required.
Successful project
In the coming period, PATS will continue to pave the way towards real-time insect monitoring. They foresee it will become reality in the near future.
“The Tomatoworld greenhouse was a realistic and challenging test environment for us. Working in an operational tomato greenhouse with varying crop density and conditions, gave us firsthand insight in the effect of 5G connectivity on our camera systems. Our efforts have helped make the solution more robust and ready for a transition to this new standard,” says Bram Tijmons, CEO & Co-Founder of PATS.
This project has demonstrated that 5G is well suitable for PATS’ technology. It also highlights the significant potential for the future of data-driven cultivation. The door to new innovations is now truly open.
Voices of TU Delft Women: different perspectives on innovation
What happens when you bring together different generations, backgrounds, and experiences? According to Lenneke de Voogd-Claessen, it creates opportunities not only to learn from one another but also to develop new perspectives on innovation. As an active member of the Delft Female Impact Community, she is therefore committed to fostering greater visibility, connection, and awareness within the TU Delft ecosystem. On October 7, the annual community event will focus on “Voices of TU Delft Women.”
The arrival of 6G will bring an even greater number of connected devices. But there’s a challenge we can’t ignore: how do we scale the IoT without sending energy consumption through the roof?
Making the electricity grid smarter in real time, while keeping critical communications running during a blackout? Together with Future Network Services, TNO, TU Delft, and Nokia, we’re testing exactly that with the new 600 MHz antenna.
Recently, Do IoT Fieldlab installed a Beyond 5G network at SAM XL, making it one of the test facilities within the National 6G Testbed. Since then, new experiments have become possible. Experiments that simply weren’t possible before.
