Project description
Farming lights that adjust based on plant needs
Crops can grow vertically, stacked in layers of vertically inclined surfaces. Vertical agriculture can increase production of fruit and vegetables and agricultural operations. In this context, the EU-funded FarMind project will make indoor vertical farms profitable by reducing the lighting energy bills by up to 75 %. Specifically, it is developing smart lights that can adjust the light emitted to match the exact needs of the plant underneath it. This new LED Grow Light System is based on AI and responds to the real photosynthetic needs of a plant. This new model is expected to make indoor vertical farming profitable and make it an urban solution for sustainably produced crops.
Objective
At Laava Tech, we are determined to make vertical farming a profitable and sustainable business to feed the increasing population in growing urban areas. It is crucial for vertical farmers to save energy and cut down on lighting costs, since the vast majority of their revenues are used to pay the electricity bill. As a result, only very few vertical farms are profitable today. Our solution, FarMind is an entirely new LED Grow Light System based on AI, capable of adjusting the light emitted by each LED light of a farm to match the exact needs of the plant lit underneath. FarMind reduces the lighting energy bill of vertical farms by up to 75% (vs LED grow lights), whilst increasing crop yields by up to 20%. Unlike other LED grow light technologies, which focus on light efficiency and crop optimisation, FarMind focuses on the real photosynthetic need of the plant. FarMind will revolutionise the vertical farming industry by vastly increasing its profitability. We will provide a drop-in solution, compatible with the existing infrastructure for our customers, indoor farmers. Our main revenue model will be based on providing FarMind as a service to leading farms. Our model will not only allow farmers continued access to the best technology, but also give them an immediate return on investment. Thanks to FarMind, vertical farming will be able to overcome its final growing pain to transition from niche solution to leading urban supplier of sustainably produced fruit and vegetables.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2b - SME Instrument (grant only and blended finance)Coordinator
74018 VIIMSI VLAD
Estonia
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.