CiA is going to establish the Special Interest Group (SIG) greenhouse automation and vertical farming.

The SIG scope is the specification of CANopen profiles for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sub-systems. They can be applied to data-driven smart greenhouses and vertical farms. The results will be submitted to ISO/TC 347/WG 2 for international standardization in the ISO 34713 (Controlled environment agriculture systems) series.

Electronically controlled greenhouses monitor and adjust environmental factors like temperature, light, and CO₂ levels. Sensors placed throughout the greenhouse collect data, which the host controller analyzes to optimize growing conditions. Farmers can use this technology to make precise adjustments, ensuring plants receive exactly what they need. This precision farming approach reduces waste and increases yields.

This SIG might be of interest for suppliers of sensors, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) equipment, fertilizing and irrigation modules, lighting devices, etc. This includes also manufacturers of motion controllers for electric-powered windows and shading systems. Of course, suppliers of smart greenhouses and vertical farms should contribute their requirements.

In a first step, the SIG needs to identify common sensor and actuator parameters to be applied to several sub-systems. In a second step, the SIG will develop CANopen profiles for above-mentioned use cases.

Interested parties can request an introductory presentation by email given in the CiA workshop “greenhouse automation and vertical farming”, providing some background information. CiA is involved in a Korean research project, evaluating the data-driven automation of greenhouses and vertical farms.