A Novel Hybrid OCC/RF Architecture for IoT-Based Smart Farming

The incorporation of Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture promises to revolutionize farming, enhance productivity, and contribute to sustainable food production. This article introduces a novel IoT framework integrating optical camera communication (OCC) and radio frequency (RF) for advanced farming. OCC emerges as an efficient technology for wireless sensor networks, particularly where low power consumption, cost-effectiveness, and noncritical transmission rates are prioritized. Our innovative design effectively combines the strengths of both OCC and RF, setting the stage for cost-effective IoT solutions in farming. Validated through extensive experiments, this hybrid network demonstrates not only efficiency and flexibility but also its capability for rapid deployment across various conditions. The system uses unidirectional communications, where sensors periodically emit data without the need for polling or network access protocols, reducing the need for complex circuits and lowering power consumption. Remarkably, it achieved robust communication over 90 m with a 94% data recovery rate in diverse conditions, indicating a reliability of over 99.83%, supported by a theoretical BER of $1.7 \times 10^{-3}$ . This approach offers agile, affordable monitoring and is farmer-friendly. Notably, the flexibility of the OCC/RF combination addresses diverse farming needs. Our findings highlight the system’s capacity to accurately gather environmental data, enhancing user experience. The subpixel OCC feature supports scalability across large areas like crop fields, meeting dynamic agricultural needs. Overall, the integration of OCC and RF, bolstered by subpixel technology, marks a significant advancement in agricultural IoT applications.