Method and apparatus for controlling distributed farming modules

The present invention relates to an indoor farming management system comprising at least one sensor; a central processing unit arranged in signal communication with the at least one sensor; a device adapted to operate between an operative state and a non-operative state; the central processing unit is operable to control at least one indoor environmental parameter of a farming system based on data received from the sensor; the central processing unit further operable to send a control signal to the device to operate the device between the operative state and the non-operative state.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a farming management system suitable but not limited to the management of an indoor farm.

BACKGROUND ART

The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge of the person skilled in the art in any jurisdiction as at the priority date of the invention.

Countries that are land-scarce face the challenge of traditional vegetable farming that is land intensive. Consequently, most of the demand for vegetables is met by import. However, overdependence on imports of vegetables is non-ideal as the volume and price of vegetables are susceptible to fluctuations. Being able to produce vegetables in a land-scarce country in a space efficient manner can act as a critical buffer against sudden supply disruptions.

Another challenge of traditional vegetable farming is low productivity due to uncontrollable environmental factors and pests. These include extended periods of heavy rain or drought and diseases which can spread from other countries through wind-carrying spores, and soil damage resulting from soil erosion or contamination. Additionally, exposure to pests such as insects can destroy the quality and yields of vegetable crops.

A further challenge of traditional vegetable farming is the labor-intensiveness. In advancing economies, fewer from the younger generation are interested in farming as a career which limits the scalability and productivity of farming. In particular, various stage of growth of the vegetables (e.g. seed to seedling, seedling to full grown) require manpower for transplanting, maintenance.

In view of the above, there exists a need for better management of farm systems to alleviate one or more of the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical solution seeks to combine logistics management principles with farming solutions, and to provide a comprehensive farm management system for an indoor farm, and especially suited for indoor farms including but not limited to farms developed or contained in a green house, a warehouse or a building, for whatever purpose including for the growth of plants and vegetables, fruits, animals etc.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is an indoor farming management system comprising at least one sensor; a central processing unit arranged in signal communication with the at least one sensor; a device adapted to switch between an operative state and a non-operative state; the central processing unit is operable to control at least one indoor environmental parameter of a farming system based on data received from the sensor; the central processing unit further operable to send a control signal to the device to switch the device between the operative state and the non-operative state.

Advantageously, the farming management system allows the indoor farming environment to be controlled precisely based on feedback from the sensor to allow optimal growth of the vegetables. It further allows spatial environmental conditions within the building102to be tuned precisely to cater to different plant varieties.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

It is to be appreciated that even though the invention is described with respect to plants and vegetables, the invention can be similarly used for farming of animals such as poultry farming or cattle farming. In some embodiments, the farm may be a vegetable farm leveraging on hydroponics agri-technology system, which in turn leverages on a concept of automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) for management of the farm. The ASRS system is useful for storage and retrieval of one or more farming modules on an automated level (thus minimizing manual labour) based on pre-defined conditions, for example, in accordance of the stage of growth of the particular plant. The farm management system operates to control key parameters such as lighting and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. In some embodiments, the farm may be a poultry farm for rearing chickens for meat and/or eggs. The ASRS system is useful for storage and retrieval of one or more farming modules (containing eggs) on an automated level (thus minimizing manual labour) based on pre-defined conditions. The farm management system operates to control key parameters such as temperature for the incubation of eggs.

In accordance with various embodiments of the invention as shown inFIG.1, there is a vertical farming system100for growing vegetables in an automated manner. The vertical farming system100comprises a building or enclosure102which partitions or isolate the indoor farming environment from the outdoor environment.FIG.28illustrates simulated front, side and zoom views of a farming system where the invention management system can be applied to.

In a preferred embodiment, the farming system100includes the following elements:An automated system comprising hardware and control software of farming beds, loading and unloading of one or more farming modules, water/nutrient supply and lighting;a environmental control system covering temperature, moisture, CO2/Hydrogen level control, and air ventilation; anda farm operation management system that integrates the foregoing systems and provides effective operation of the farming process within a farm.

In various embodiments, the walls of the building or enclosure102may be opaque to prevent outdoor solar radiations from entering the building102. Further, the walls may also be well-insulated to minimize heat exchange with the outdoor environment. Advantageously, the foregoing partitioning features of the walls allow the indoor environment to be controlled more precisely. Additionally, the walls may form a barrier against pests, or may comprise the application of chemicals, equipment or the like to immobilize or kill pests.

The building102houses a plurality of growth racks or shelves104which may be used to store farming modules106that are used for growing crops such as vegetables and/or fruit. In various embodiments, each growth rack104is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the building102and capable of storing farming modules106along the vertical and longitudinal directions as shown in the side view of the farm layout inFIG.2. In various embodiments, a plurality of growth racks104may be arranged laterally to define a 3-dimensional (3D) array of cells along the lateral, vertical and longitudinal directions. Each cell within the 3D array may receive and store a farming module106.

In various embodiments, individual farming modules106are transported and loaded or stacked onto the growth racks104using devices/machines108. The device108can be configured to switch between an operative state and a non-operative state. When in an operative state, the device108can considered to be in an “on” mode and can be operated in a manner so as to carry, hold, move, store and perform various other actions on the cell. When it is in a non-operative state, the device108can be considered to be in an “off mode”/“stand-by mode” (in which case, the device108is not operated to, for example, carry, hold, move, store and perform various other actions on the cell). As shown inFIG.1toFIG.3, the farming modules106may be transported vertically and along the longitudinal direction of the building102by the machines108for loading or stacking onto various cells in the 3-D array of the growth racks104.

In various embodiments as shown in region A ofFIG.3, one machine108may be used to load or stack one or more farming modules106onto cells in two opposing growth racks104. In this case as shown in region A ofFIG.3, the machine108is moveable along an aisle separating the two opposing growth racks104. The farming modules106may then be loaded sideways302into either one of the growth racks104(see double arrow onFIG.3). To further enhance space efficiency as shown in region B ofFIG.3, two adjacent growth racks are stacked abutting each other so that each growth rack is not serviced by two machines108. Advantageously, the foregoing arrangement allows the farming modules106to be closely packed or stacked and accessible at the same time.FIG.29is an example of an overview of the machine operation system when automated.

In various embodiments, each aisle (and hence two growth racks104) may be equipped with one machine108. In other embodiments, one machine108may simultaneously be used for more than one aisles. In various embodiments, each machine108may be guided to move along the longitudinal direction of the building102by a bottom track110and a top track112respectively mounted on the floor and ceiling of the building102along the respective aisle.

In various embodiments as shown inFIG.2, the growth racks104may be divided into at least two different regions, nursery region202and growth region204. In this regard, the nursery region202is used for cultivating the seeds to sprouts and/or from sprouts to seedlings. As the sprouts and seedlings are relatively smaller in size as compared to a fully grown vegetable, a smaller area per plant is required during the initial germination and seedling stage. As such, the nursery region is relatively smaller than the growth region. Thereafter, the germinated seeds and seedlings are further transplanted in the next stage to growth farming trays in which they are spaced further apart to facilitate further growth. By de-coupling the germination, seedling and growth stages, productivity is be enhanced because space is optimally allocated depending on the growth stage of the vegetable. This is in contrast to traditional farming in which the seeds are initially sowed with a large inter-seed spacing in anticipation of the size of the vegetable during maturity.

In various embodiments, there may also be a third region206for the preparation of farming trays404used in various stages of the growth cycle such as during nursery or growth stage. In various embodiments, the preparation of farming trays404may include the soaking of foams with nutrients and placing or arranging the nutrients impregnated foams into the farming trays. Advantageously, preparing the farming trays in advance reduces the processing time required for transplanting the plants to the as-prepared farming trays404during the different stages of farming.

The vertical farming system100may further comprise a sorting transport vehicle (STV) loop116that is coupled with the respective loading platform114of the machines108for serving as a loading and unloading bay for the 3D array of growth racks. In various embodiments, the STV loop116may receive farming modules106at loading points118after seedlings in the nursery are transplanted and transport the same along the lateral direction of the building102to the machine108of their respective designated growth rack104in the growth region for loading. In various embodiments, the STV loop116may also transport farming modules106unloaded from the 3D array of growth racks to a harvesting point120wherein farming modules106containing mature vegetables may be transported from the growth racks and harvested. Thereafter, the harvested vegetables may be packaged and directly loaded onto cargo trucks122for distribution.

The layout of the farming system, not depicted, may comprise of a hall that may be partitioned into different segments. In a preferred embodiment, additionally, the hall may include a plurality of floors in which each floor is preferably connected/positioned adjacent to a growth area. For example, there may be two floors, wherein one floor could be for the nursery, seeding and transplantation, serving materials to growth racks and various growth stages of the plants and vegetables to take place; while the other floor could be for harvesting and the packing of vegetables into boxes. Naturally, the invention includes other activities that could take place on these floors. This is advantageous as it optimises the space available for the farming system. In various embodiments as shown inFIG.4, the farming modules106may comprise of a 3D frame402for supporting a plurality of farming trays404which are spaced vertically apart. The vertical spacing allows sufficient space for vegetables to grow vertically. In various embodiments, LED lightings406may be installed above each farming tray404to provide artificial sunlight to aid the growth of the plants. In various embodiments, the distance between the LED lightings406and the farming tray404may be adjustable for controlling the intensity of light. In order to power the LED lightings406when loaded into the growth racks104, each farming module106may be installed with a first central electrical fitting that is electrically connected to the arrays of LED lightings406. Correspondingly, the cells in the growth racks104are installed with a second electrical fitting for coupling with the first central electrical fitting when the farming modules106are loaded or mounted onto the growth racks104for the provision of electrical power to the farming modules106. The first central electrical fitting and second electrical fitting may be shaped and adapted/aligned such that when a farming module106is inserted into the growth racks104for storage, the LED lightings406are switched on upon insertion. In various embodiments, removing or unmounting the farming modules106from the growth racks104un-couples the first central electrical fitting from the second electrical fitting and the LED lightings406are switched off upon unmounting.

Advantageously, the use of LED lightings406is energy efficient as compared to other types of light source such as fluorescent or incandescent light bulbs. Furthermore, the narrow band emission of LEDs406allow the spectrum of the artificial sunlight to be tuned more precisely for optimal growth of different vegetable or plant varieties. Additionally, artificial sunlight may be provided to the vegetables in a consistent manner (by pre-defining cycles of illumination) as compared to traditional sunlight which tend to varies. Advantageously, the growth rate of the plant or vegetable is increased, allowing quicker harvesting.

In various embodiments, the farming trays404are hydroponic-based (soil-less) which eradicates the problems associated with soil-based farming. In various embodiments as shown at least inFIG.19andFIG.20, each farming tray404may be self-contained without the need of water circulation as plants or vegetables are grown on growth medium impregnated with nutrients that are held in place within the farming tray404through the holes of a planting board, wherein the planting board is fitted and held in place within the main recess of the farming tray404. Advantageously, the self-contained nature of the farming trays404eradicates the need for the installation of water piping for water circulation, allowing the growth racks104to be scaled vertically. In various embodiments, the growth medium may be a foam. In various embodiments, the foam may be Polyurethane based. The density or porosity of the foam may be optimized or tuned for adjusting the amount of nutrients absorbed in the foam. Advantageously, the foregoing allows the foam be catered to different plant varieties.

In various embodiments as described above, there may be at least two types of farming trays404for nursery and growth. The hole cutouts in the lids or planting boards fitted in the main recess of the nursery farming trays404for holding the seeds may be spaced relatively closer as compared to the hole cutouts in the lids or planting boards for the growth stage farming trays404.

In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, there is an automated retrieval system for automated storage and retrieval of farming modules106in the 3D array of growth racks104comprising a central processing unit (CPU) in communication with at least one machines108and STV116. In various embodiments, the CPU keeps track of the status of every farming modules106including the growth stage and the location within the 3D array of growth racks104. When a certain milestone is reached (for e.g. after 10 days) for a farming module106, the automated retrieval system transmits a control signal to the corresponding machine108to retrieve the farming module106from the growth racks104for advancement to the next production stage (for e.g. harvesting stage). The CPU may comprise one or more processor servers and/or cloud servers.

In accordance with various embodiments of the invention and as shown inFIG.16andFIG.14, there is a farm operating management system (FOMS) comprising of the CPU that is in data communication with a plurality of sensors such as carbon dioxide sensors, light sensors, thermometers and image capturing devices. Based on the feedback information from the different sensors, the FOMS enables control of environmental factors that influence the growth of the vegetables including light intensity, temperature, humidity and/or carbon dioxide levels. In various embodiments, the sensors are distributed spatially across the building102forming a network, allowing spatial variations in environment parameters or conditions be captured and monitored. Following which, FOMS may then control environmental parameters spatially to cater to different plant varieties that are growing at different regions of the building102. As mentioned above, the FOMS can be used in horticulture activities such as the farming of plants, which may include plants grown for ornamental purpose, or high-value floral grown for profits. The FOMS can also be used in agriculture farming like the growing of plants, vegetables and animals. The FOMS works in conjunction with the device/machine108to store or retrieve farming modules for storage in the growth racks and is not restricted to the farming of any particular floral or fauna or animals.

In some embodiments, the FOMs may be utilized for different types of farms based on pre-defined programs or templates. Such pre-defined programs or templates include programs or templates for growth of a specific plant from germination to full-growth; growth of a type of poultry from hatching to full grown etc.

The FOMS is operable to control at least one indoor environmental parameter of a farming system based on data received from one or more sensor to send a control signal to the device to operate the machine108between its operative state and its non-operative state.

In various embodiments as shown inFIG.6toFIG.15, FOMS may also enable “Intelligent Farming” by integrating the value chain or production chain of vegetable or plant farming or production, allowing farming to be managed dynamically depending on consumer demand.FIG.6illustrates the overall FOMS architecture and system/modules. It is to be appreciated that the system may have more or less components. The FOMS is capable in at least the following ways:1. Knowledge capture and management2. Climate monitoring and control3. Production monitoring and management

The knowledge management aspect of the FOMS comprises the following system modules:System AdministrationThis module provides functions to define the users, roles, their access levels to the system and information.Life Cycle Processes DefinitionThis module enables the system to define the life cycle processes and related information.Products and Their Growth Parameters DefinitionFor each vegetable, the growing conditions and environmental parameters, and growth-duration/lead-time at each life cycle stage are defined through this module and used by relevant FOMS software applications to control and manage the farming operation.Customers' InformationAll relevant information about customers and potential customers can be defined and managed by this module. The information is used by sales, customer order, production order and delivery management.Farming R&D ManagementThe knowledge about new types of vegetables and continuous improvement of existing vegetable growing knowledge are critical for the success of farms. The knowledge is discovered and captured into the system through research and development (R&D).

FIG.21illustrates an example of the overall system architecture of the climate control and management module. The climate control and management module provides functions for the monitoring, automated alert services, and automated execution of relevant devices to maintain the set climate parameters in the growth chamber. As can be seen fromFIG.22, this module continuously monitors four climate parameters in real-time room: air temperature (° C.), room air relative humidity (% RH), lighting strength (Lux), and CO2level (ppm). It is to be appreciated that the invention includes monitoring of more or less parameters as described.

The parameter data are collected through sensors positioned at different positions or locations of the farms as mentioned above. The value of the parameters are monitored. When the value is outside the pre-defined range, an alert is sent via email or SMS to a user, such as an operator-in-charge. The switching of the lighting between an on and off state may be operated automatically based on the pre-determined photosynthetic period. The air ventilation is automatically activated or stopped based on pre-determined room temperature. All the sensor data are automatically captured and archived in the FOMS. These data are also part of the data being collected and being used for the FOMS machine to constantly learn and evolve, thereby building a smart farming system making use of artificial intelligence, machine learning or deep learning principles. These may include for example via the use of artificial neural networks.

FIG.23is an example system architecture of the production monitoring and management module of the FOMS. In this preferred example, five mobile software applications are developed to provide needed functions for the end-to-end production monitoring and management throughout the entire product life cycle starting from Customer Order, through Process Tasks and Execution, Raw Materials Management to Product Delivery. The Production Dashboard software application enables real-time monitor, alerts, and execution of production tasks. The Cost Report software application provides information on the cost elements and total/unit costs of produces for each production batch. This module links customer orders with manufacturing and process visualization, enabling customised mixed vegetables orders and same day harvest and delivery. The production plan is dynamically generated and executed based on the latest customer demand.

FIG.24is a workflow of the production monitoring and management system of a preferred embodiment of the FOMS.

What customer order is entered, the system checks (1) if the germination and production capacity is still available (i.e. any pre-orders); and (2) if the materials for the order are available. Available materials are reserved, and unavailable materials are marked for procurement and also checked if the existing suppliers can meet the requirements. When an order is confirmed, the system automatically prepares the production materials, generates the production plans, and prepares costs sheets. When production plans are confirmed, the system (production execution) automatically generates work orders for each process (workstations) and automatically queues and prioritise the orders for timely execution.

During the production, the system provides real-time indicators on the major production status and issues arising at each lift cycle stage as depicted inFIG.25. The system is designed in a way that all product/production information is recorded or associated by the RFID at each tray (basic product unit). At each process/workstation, the ID (RFID) for each tray is taken and processed by the system. The current system is fully integrated with the indoor vegetable farming germination/growth and harvesting machines for automated execution of production plans. The invention includes dashboards that are designed differently and include different parameters from that as illustrated.

Vegetable growth requires certain temperature and humidity conditions. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis was carried out to establish the relationships between the inlet air temperature and the stable room temperature of the invention. The CDF analysis is performed at inlet air temperature of 20° C., 25° C. and 28° C. and the steady state temperature for the room is achieved at around 60 minutes. The temperature distribution in the room at stable state is illustrated inFIG.26(a). The high temperature zones are in the top areas and inside the cells (the heat sources). The relationship between inlet air temperature and minimum/maximum room temperature is depicted inFIG.26(b). As can be seen from the charts, when the inlet temperature is at 20° C., the temperature range in the chamber is between 20° C. and 27.9° C. When the inlet temperature is at 28° C., the highest temperature in the chamber can reach 36° C. It is clear to the person of skill in the art that the foregoing numerals are only examples of the analysis that was carried out and that other values, for example for the inlet air temperature and chamber temperature, are included in the scope of the invention.

FIG.27shows a layout of a chamber used to enclose the growth of a certain plant and the thermo-conditions involved. In the well thermos-insulated chamber, the heat source is primarily from LED lighting. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the total power of LED is 10,000 w. The air inlet is from an electrical fan of 450 mm diameter with airflow rate at 1.8 m/second. The above analysis outlines the conditions of a microclimate for vegetable growth. The invention also includes being able to control other conditions for create other microclimates.

In various embodiments as shown inFIG.7, FOMS may interface or communicate with a platform for consumers or customers to place order for a plant or vegetable in advance. The consumer may provide order information such as, but not limited to, the type of plant, the quantity required and delivery date. Thereafter, FOMS is operable to process the order information and verify with at least one inventory stored in a database if sufficient farming resources (for e.g. the number of farming trays404and raw materials required) are available to fulfil the order. Subsequently, FOMS may allocate and reserve farming resources by generating a work order and initiate farming on a pre-determined day so that the plant may be harvested at or near the delivery date. In various embodiments, FOMS may update the at least one inventory in the database once farming resources are allocated to prevent over-subscribing of farming resources. In various embodiments, the pre-determined day to initiate farming for an order may be calculated based on at least the delivery date and growth cycle of the type of plant ordered. In various embodiments, the pre-determined day may also factor in the time taken for delivering the plant to the consumer. Once the farming or production process is completed, the plant or vegetable may be harvest at or near the delivery date and subsequently packaged and delivered to the consumer. Advantageously, it at least allows the farm to manage seasonal fluctuations in demand for plants while at the same time ensuring the quality of the delivery while maintaining a low cost.

In various embodiments, FOMS may utilize artificial intelligence to analyse historical order information from consumers for predicting future demand for plants. Advantageously, it at least enables raw materials such as seeds, nutrients and foams to be procured in anticipation of seasonal changes so that the probability of rejecting an order due to insufficient farming resources is reduced.

FOMS may function as a holistic platform that fully integrates the entire value or production chain of farming, from order taking to delivery. FOMS may be in charge of plant capacity management by updating at least one inventory in the database for allocating of farming resources. In various embodiments, a user interface, which may be in the form of a dashboard, may be provided to allow an operator to visualize and monitor important parameters in the entire value chain of farming so that abnormalities may be rectified quickly. These parameters may include, but not limited to, raw materials inventory, order information from consumers, information from the network of sensors and delivery statuses.

In various embodiments, FOMS may also be programmed to detect for abnormalities and issue an alert to the operator. In various embodiments, FOMS may provide the operator with a corrective measure to rectify the abnormalities. For example, when there is a surge in demand for a particular type of plants which is depleting raw materials for growing that particular type of plant, FOMS may issue an alert to the operator and recommend a corrective action such as “Please purchase more Tomato seeds”. In various embodiments as shown inFIG.11, FOMS may also integrate with suppliers for raw materials so that procurement of raw materials may be automated and managed dynamically according to consumer demand. For example when there is a surge in demand for a Tomatoes, FOMS may automatically place order with the relevant suppliers for Tomato seeds and the growth medium and nutrients suitable for growing Tomatoes.

In various embodiments, a portion or the whole FOMS may be implemented across a distributed network or on a mobile phone, in the form of a dedicated software ‘app’. As an example, an application made available for download by a mobile device may comprise a user interface for a user to control certain farming parameters. The present invention will now be described in greater technical detail relating to the process of operating the vertical farming system100for growing a plant. In various embodiments, there is an indoor vertical farming process500for growing plants. The vertical farming process500comprises the initial stage of germination502which involves the preparation of growth mediums and adding water and/or nutrients to the growth medium. Following which, a seeding machine sows seeds into the mediums and the seeds are soaked without lighting and nutrients. In this case, the seeds may sprout after a pre-determined number of days. The next stage is the seedling stage504in which the growth mediums together with the sprouted seeds are transferred into farming trays404which contain further nutrients. The farming trays404are subsequently mounted on the farming modules106. The farming modules106containing the farming trays404with the sprouted seeds are then transported by the machines108to the 3D array of growth racks104for storage in which the sprouts are illuminated with LED lightings406for further growth into seedlings. The farming modules106may then be retrieved after a pre-determined number of days via the machines108for the next stage.

The next stage following the seedling stage may be the growth stage506in which the seedlings are transferred to growth farming trays404in which water and nutrients are added again. The automated retrieval system re-transports the farming modules106loaded with the growth farming trays404into the growth racks104. The seedlings are further illuminated with LED lightings406that are installed on the farming modules106for further growth. After a pre-determined number of days, the vegetables that grow in the growth trays are ready for harvesting.

The next stage is the harvesting and packing stage508in which the automated retrieval system transports the growth farming trays404to the harvesting area via the machines108and the vegetables are checked for quality and the healthiest are selected, weighed and transported to the packing area. The packing machine then collects the vegetable before storing them in a cold room. The last stage is the delivery stage510in which the packed vegetables are loaded into trucks and delivered to retailers.

In various embodiments and as described above, the vertical farming process500may integrate upstream and is triggered when an order for a plant or vegetable is received from consumers via an order platform in communication with FOMS. In various embodiments, the vertical farming process500may integrate downstream taking into account the preference of the retailers or end consumers. For example, the harvesting process may be planned to take place near to the preferred delivery time of the retailers, ensuring that quality or freshness of the delivered plants or vegetables. In various embodiments as shown inFIG.14, FOMS may also keep track of each delivery order and alert the operator if any delivery is delayed or is unsuccessful. Thereafter, the operator may rectify the unsuccessful delivery accordingly, either with or without suggestions provided by FOMS. In various embodiments, FOMS may also update the inventory as soon as the delivery is signed off and successful.

It should be further appreciated by the person skilled in the art that variations and combinations of features described above, not being alternatives or substitutes, may be combined to form yet further embodiments falling within the intended scope of the invention. In particular,Automation may be adopted in other production stages, leveraging the appropriate machineries for sowing of seeds, harvesting with a robotic arm, and packing of vegetables.The vertical farm may be configured to grow a large variety of vegetables or plants, including but not limited to Pakchoy, Naibai, Chyesim, Romaine Lettuce, Butterhead Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Kale, Arugula, Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Strawberry, rice and Japanese Cucumbers.In various embodiments as shown inFIG.18, farming resources (such as raw materials, growth racks, farming trays, farming modules) may be allocated for research and development (R&D). A research project may be initiated via FOMS which will verify if sufficient farming resources are available for the research project by checking with at least one inventory in the database. Thereafter, the research project may be executed and the progress may be automatically monitored by FOMS and the research results may be recorded in FOMS. In various embodiments, FOMS may be programmed to self-learn from the R&D results and continuously update the most optimal growth recipe for each plant variety for use in the next farming or production cycle.