Titulo Estágio
Smart Farming Digital Twin: A Proof of Concept
Áreas de especialidade
Sistemas de Informação
Engenharia de Software
Local do Estágio
DEI-FCTUC
Enquadramento
Climate changes and population growth require more sustainable food production systems. For example, in the European Union, the Farm to Fork Strategy (https://food.ec.europa.eu/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_en) is an example of an important initiative aiming to efficiently produce food, while simultaneously protecting the environment, health, and fair economic returns. Therefore, modern agri-food production should minimize resource consumption (e.g., water, pesticides), contributing to carbon sequestration and the economic development of rural regions.
Digital technologies are also changing the agriculture landscape, allowing continuous monitoring of the soil, plants, and animals, assisting decision-making, and generating valuable data for regional development. More recently, the concept of digital twins (digital replicas of physical objects or spaces) was introduced in agri-food production. New platforms that collect data and suggest actions (e.g., irrigation, fertilization) may support farmers and local authorities, but examples are scarce.
This thesis will contribute to ongoing research conducted at DEI in cooperation with Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark (https://www.geoparkestrela.pt/). The overall aim is to create one of the components of a digital twin to assist the region of Estrela in the adoption of sustainable practices in local food production, supported by near real-time data collected in the farming and endogenous production process. The student will participate in the design and development of the web and mobile platform for farmers and Estrela Geopark Association. The latter will have an integrated view of all the farmers in the region, their production, and their environmental footprint.
Objetivo
The main objectives of this work are:
• Acquire knowledge about the vision for the regional digital twin at Serra da Estrela, previous work in the area, and the particularities for the digital twin component addressed in this thesis (smart farm);
• Literature review of digital transformation in agriculture, smart farming, and digital twins;
• Development of a digital platform for Estrela Geopark, as a proof of concept, focusing on the supply chain segment of the farmers;
• Evaluation of the applicability of the proposed solution to support the Geofood brand (https://geofood.no/).
The proposed goals are interesting to MEI students aiming to develop digital solutions for sustainable development, with real impact on how food is produced, and changing the role of data in rural settings. Digital twins are emerging in the market, allowing the candidate to understand in more detail its characteristics and design requirements. The student will participate in the information system design and software prototype developments (the communications and IoT infrastructure is out of the scope of the thesis).
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 1
The main phases for the first semester are presented as follows:
1) Research the state-of-the-art
Start: September 2023
Duration: 2 months
2) Contacts with the research team at DEI and Estrela Geopark to identify the digital twin requirements
Start: October 2023
Duration: 2 months
3) Initial design of the smart farm digital twin architecture
Start: November 2023
Duration: 1 month
Results of the 1st semester:
• Literature review
• Requirements and architecture for the application case
• Intermediate report
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 2
The main phases for the second semester are presented as follows:
4) Development of the proof of concept
Start: January 2024
Duration: 4 months
5) Writing the thesis and a scientific paper
Start: May 2024
Duration: 2 months
Results of the 2nd semester:
• Final report
• Scientific paper
Condições
The student will be integrated in the Information Systems group (ISG) of CISUC, Department of Informatics Engineering, University of Coimbra. A workplace and the required resources will be provided. This work offers an opportunity to strengthen the skills of IS design and software development. The development tasks will focus exclusively on the software elements of the digital twin (e.g., mobile or web platform; the student will also participate in the selection of technologies for software development).
Orientador
João Barata e José Monteiro
barata@dei.uc.pt 📩