The HoloponicsTM Aquaponic System
We have just launched the HoloponicsTM Project!
We are building a system that automates the monitoring and control of aquaponics systems, both small and large.
The system uses sensors to capture relevant metrics, as well as capture images and video. The result will be vibrant, balanced aquaponics system that produces excellent plant and fish yields.
What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is a form of agriculture that combines fish with plant cultivation. Although an ancient method of food production, having examples in South America, ancient Babylonia and China, a modern version has gains popularity in the last thirty years. It uses fish waste as fertilizer for the plants, and the plants in turn clean the water for the fish.
Aquaponics includes (3) common techniques:
- Deep Water Culture: Plants float on rafts over a trough of water, usually 8-12″ deep.
- Nutrient Film Technique: Water passes through wide pipes that have plants growing out of large holes
- Media Bed: Water is poured over media (usually volcanic rocks), in which plants are grown
Benefits of Aquaponics
Aquaponics systems provide many benefits.
- Growing fish and plants together
- Growing food year-round
- Using significantly less water
- Using significantly less chemicals
- Providing locally grown food
Challenges with Aquaponic Systems
Aquaponic systems have some challenges, which make them hard to maintain and provide a reliable and worthwhile income.
Aquaponic systems include fish and so must be climate-controlled year-round. This requires some kind of greenhouse system as well as means to heat. This is the first major challenge.
Also, the water is a system can get out of balance quickly and cause many or all of the fish to do. Therefore, lots of labor is required to keep the system in balance and to correct issues as they arise.
Objectives of the HoloponicsTM System
The goal of the HoloponicsTM system is to provide a semi-automated system to keep the water quality in balance, and to foresee and prevent issues with both fish and plants before they happen. The system uses an array of sensors and imaging devices, and advanced software for continuous monitoring and evaluation. Some issues can be prevented automatically, while others are raised with the owners via text notifications.
The long-term goal will be several modular, turnkey systems that enable extensibility and scaling. The data model continues to learn and improve itself, thus provided better and more reliable analytics and system control.
See www.holoponics.com for more information! (Website launching 8/25/2025)
