Automation: The Future of Hydroponics

Automation: The Future of Hydroponics

For some growers who may not be as plugged in to what’s going on in the world of technology, some of the stuff that we have seen applied to hydroponic gardening might seem like science fiction, but to others, the future is already here. There are some pretty interesting components to the best new hydro systems that will give most of today’s less cutting-edge gardeners food for thought. A lot of this has to do with automation, and those looking at innovation in hydro projects can really look at this two ways: on the one hand, automation in controls helps to provide better monitoring and outcomes for plants, but a very different kind of automation, that you could call robotics, is also re-inventing how plants make their way from seed to harvest.

Automation in Hydro Controls

You don’t have to look very far to see automation in action when it comes to controlling the plant environment. Lots of growers use a pH meter, temperate control or other component with a digital readout. But what’s truly new for many gardeners is the idea that these digital controls can be linked to a remote destination, so that growers can kick back and keep an eye on plants from a distance. This ‘voip hydro maintenance’ is a new part of a style of gardening that has been around for ages, but keeps getting re-invented with the times.

Automation in Plant Handling

New robotics projects can accomplish some amazing things when it comes to handling plants. Small net pots in robotic frames can be easily stacked, circulated or flipped over without the need for any human labor at all. These kinds of innovations are likely to drive a trend toward bigger and cheaper hydroponic gardens that can feed quite a lot of people, and these sorts of modular systems are well worth looking into for someone hoping to cultivate a high volume.

Ask your hydroponic retailer about how to integrate these kinds of ideas into your next hydro project.