Swappable bed trays for FarmBot with rfid tags

[Vf4ruler]

Hello!

I was wondering if this was possible with FarmBot. I’m not entirely sure of it’s open source status and I know it is meant to be mounted permanently to a bed.

Basically what I want to do is have the kit mounted at a station and then have a roller system where I can slide plant bed trays underneath.

Basically the FarmBot will have a little stop for the tray and on the FarmBot at tray level there will be a rfid reader to identify the tray and then do it’s daily maintenance rituals. When it’s done the stop can be raised and I can push the next bed through on the rollers.

This would also rely on the FarmBot software being able to keep track of multiple instances of plots and being able to identify them with rfid.

To expand on the roller conveyor system theoretically would be on a loop so when you’ve completed the day’s maintenance the first tray you did will arrive back at the FarmBot station ready for daily maintenance tomorrow.

Eventually the idea would be to include automated conveyor pieces and automatically lifting the stop.

[RickCarlino]

That’s an interesting idea @Vf4ruler. We do have some users that built a raised bed that has removable trays, but the software does not currently support the operations noted. It might be possible via third party application, but I imagine it would be a very involved project. You may also want to take a look at the saved gardens feature.

[Vf4ruler]

Is the source for farmbot open?
I know it can interface with python scripts. Could I use a python script that would do the rfid scanning and then be able to recall my saved gardens that way?
I love the farmbot concept and it feels to me like this is the logical next step with a looping system to enable the farmbot to manage a near infinite gardening space.
I’ve also thought about a cart system that would still involve my pulling a bed mounted on wheels into the farmbot station. A little more manual, but a lot more efficient.

[RickCarlino]

@Vf4ruler

Is the source for farmbot open?

Yes, it is fully open source (MIT license): https://github.com/farmbot/

@Vf4ruler

Could I use a python script that would do the rfid scanning and then be able to recall my saved gardens that way?

It is possible to run Python in FarmBot OS as a Farmware but keep in mind that we plan to eliminate Farmware with a non-compatible replacement in 2021. There are very few reasons to run software on the Farmbot device, though.

A better idea would be to make a dedicated device that controls the RFID hardware and does calls to the API when appropriate. It is possible to remove / add plants to the garden via the API and also to control device peripherals via MQTT. More info available here: https://developer.farm.bot/

If you decide to try this project, I would be happy to answer specific questions you have about the API.

@Vf4ruler

I’ve also thought about a cart system that would still involve my pulling a bed mounted on wheels into the farmbot station. A little more manual, but a lot more efficient.

Some of our friends are working on a similar (but unaffiliated) project: https://romi-project.eu/