How IoT and machine learning are automating agriculture

A new generation of farmers is turning to technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and machine learning to automate agricultural production, alleviating the need to toil on the land while keeping a watchful eye on their crops. Joining their ranks is Phoebe Xie, director and co-founder of Singapore-based agrotechnology startup AbyFarm. Teaming up with technology service provider SPTel, Xie is building a smart hydroponics farm in a greenhouse that uses a plethora of IoT sensors, including video cameras, to keep the farm humming around the clock. "To run a self-regulating farm at optimal temperature with optimal water and nutrient supply, and to control the quality and taste of vegetables and fruits, we need IoT sensors," she said, adding that the farm and its sensors collect and monitor thousands of data points, including humidity and temperature. With the data and in certain environmental conditions, processes and actions are automatically triggered to protect crops from the elements.