Ericsson demonstrates 'Internet of Things' solutions for Andhra farmers

Andhra Pradesh government signed an MoU with Ericsson

Leading technology player Ericsson on Thursday demonstrated its connected Aquaponics and Smart Water Grid Management IoT (Internet of Things) solutions in Mori village in East Godavari district as a pilot being run by Andhra Pradesh government towards creating smart and sustainable villages in the state.

Connected Aquaponics integrates aquaculture and hydroponics for reuse of the ammonia rich waste water from aquaculture for organic farming and recycles the water back to the aqua farm.

Using wireless sensor network and Ericsson's AppIication platform for IoT, the aquafarms were being monitored round the clock thereby enabling the farmers with real-time information.

This helps to increase the yield as well as bring down the production cost with optimum use of raw materials and repeated use of water. Aquaculture farmers now use this app on their mobile phones to monitor and control their farms remotely.

Similarly, the Smart Water Grid Management solution was designed to enable efficient use of natural water resources in the Godavari basin through use of sensors and actuators. The sensors measure the quality of water, flow of water and levels in the water storage tanks across the villages.

The actuators are used to automatically open and close the gates of the river flow system to distribute the water as per the needs of the farmers. Such a system helps in better management in flood like situations, according to Ericsson's experts.

"Ericsson is deploying Smart City solutions in different parts of the world. We have used our global know how and technological expertise to develop sustainable solutions for rural areas, like the ones being demonstrated at Mori. The connected Aquaponics and Water Grid Management IoT solutions being demonstrated here will help improve harvest, optimse water distribution and has the potential to provide an improved life for millions of farmers in the country," said Aanand Varadarajan, head of Ericsson Research.

Earlier in the year, Ericsson had signed an MoU with the state government and UC Berkley to implement this pilot project in and around Mori.