Deep inside a cutting-edge Planet Farms manufacturing unit atmosphere, nestled not on sprawling fields however towering upwards in layers, produce is being farmed in tightly managed circumstances. That is the place conventional agriculture is being revolutionized, inside a extremely automated, data-driven, vertical farming mannequin.
“If we need to set new requirements in vertical farming, we should begin with a radical change of perspective,” says Massimo Mistretta, CISO, Planet Farms. “We need to change the way in which the world thinks about agriculture.”
The change is to shift from supply-led farming to demand-led. The Planet Farms mannequin isn’t restricted by seasonal rising cycles, geography, or entry to water. For Planet Farms, the work isn’t finished by tractors, however by robots transferring on the plant and automatic guided automobiles (AGVs). That is vital to sustaining the extremely environment friendly processes Planet Farms has developed to develop recent, nutritious, flavorful meals. Robots transport all the pieces from seedlings to harvested produce, making certain minimal human contact and most velocity. No soil, no pesticides, and minimal water.
“The shopper is the primary to open the bag and contact the product,” Mistretta factors out. “Every part else is totally automated, from seeding to major and secondary packaging. The product doesn’t should be washed; it arrives able to eat.”
Nonetheless, retaining all the pieces seamlessly linked posed a problem. For vital, latency-sensitive communications required by AGVs, a dropped connection or perhaps a pause throughout handoff may disrupt operations, doubtlessly resulting in delays or errors.
Enter Cisco Extremely-Dependable Wi-fi Backhaul (URWB). Planet Farms found that URWB was designed exactly for connecting transferring property, offering a degree of efficiency that customary Wi-Fi couldn’t assure for its vital operations. URWB provides ultra-reliable, low-latency wi-fi connectivity with seamless handoffs and 0 packet loss, important for uninterrupted motion of their robots and AGVs.
“Cisco URWB allows our AGVs and 3D cameras to gather information in actual time with out interruption. This information is significant for superior agentic AI fashions to make knowledgeable choices.” – Massimo Mistretta, CISO, Planet Farms
In contrast to Wi-Fi, URWB employs a “make earlier than break” roaming mechanism, establishing the connection to the subsequent entry level earlier than dropping the connection to the present one. Its Multipath Operations (MPO) know-how permits site visitors, particularly vital information, to be despatched to a number of entry factors concurrently. Which means even with obstacles and interference frequent in complicated industrial environments, comparable to a multi-level vertical farm, if one connection is interrupted, the site visitors nonetheless will get via by way of one other path.
Deploying URWB felt surprisingly acquainted to Planet Farms’ current IT staff. The answer is constructed on 802.11 requirements and deploys identical to Wi-Fi, making it fast for groups to get linked. Planet Farms now has a wi-fi community that may lastly preserve tempo with its formidable automation. The community is then centrally monitored and maintained utilizing instruments comparable to Cisco Industrial Wi-fi Monitor, offering real-time information and alerts.
“We need to present that vertical farming isn’t solely possible however may be worthwhile.” – Massimo Mistretta, CISO, Planet Farms
For Planet Farms, Cisco URWB allows the excessive degree of automation essential to run its vertical farms effectively, decreasing downtime, complexity, and handbook intervention. It helps the exact, sub-millisecond latency wanted for AGVs to navigate tightly managed paths. This technological leap isn’t nearly connectivity; it allows Planet Farms’ mission of manufacturing scrumptious, wholesome, and sustainable greens with out pesticides, minimizing its environmental impression.
By going vertical and embracing applied sciences like Cisco URWB, Planet Farms is really shaping the way forward for agriculture.