Apr 2023
Abstract:
Aquaponics is a vertical farming technique and an integrated production
of fish and hydroponic crops with recirculation of the aquaculture
effluent used by the plant as fertilizer. This technique offers high
water efficiency, a faster growth rate, and high crop yields. Despite
all the advantages offered by this technology, its implementation on a
commercial scale is hindered by many technical and economic factors,
which can be addressed by integrating smart technologies, automation,
and control. Together with the landmark technologies of Industry 4.0,
such as robotics, artificial intelligence, smart systems, and
digitization, the societal relevance of the technologies is the key for
future industries. Smart agricultural robotics has emerged as an
important area of study, with robots and autonomous systems used to
monitor crops and optimize production. Autonomous robots in agriculture
enable real-time crop growth monitoring and identification of any
issues, such as pests or diseases. This is especially important in
monitoring applications where robots must interpret complex data and
interact with fish and plants in real time. The Aquaponics 4.0 Learning
Factory (AllFactory, http://allfactory.ca/) at the University of Alberta
(Canada), founded and led by Dr. Rafiq Ahmad, supports the Canadian
industry in such ventures. This presentation will emphasize practical
engineering solutions based on state-of-the-art and innovative robotic
platforms and cloud-based systems for monitoring in vertical farming
(e.g., Aquaponics).
Bio:
Dr. Rafiq Ahmad is an Associate Professor in the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta. He is also a
Faculty Associate at the Nasseri School of Building Sciences and
Engineering at the University of Alberta. He is the founder and director
of the “Smart & Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Laboratory (SMART
Lab)”, which focuses on systems design and engineering. Dr. Ahmad is
also the founder and director of “Aquaponics 4.0 Learning Factory
(AllFactory),” a unique learning factory researching system design and
development for plants and fish production in an indoor, vertical,
symbiotic ecosystem soil-less environment. His research interest
includes smart engineering systems design, technologies development,
digitization, lean manufacturing, hybrid manufacturing, additive
manufacturing, robotics, and green technologies (3Rs: recycling,
remanufacturing, and repair).
Dr. Ahmad is a Ph.D. in advanced manufacturing from Ecole Centrale de
Nantes, France, and Master’s in design and manufacturing from
ENSAM-Paris, France. He holds a BSc. Degree in Mechanical Engineering
from the UET-Peshawar, Pakistan. Dr. Ahmad obtained a two-year
Post-doctoral fellowship from the University of Luxembourg. Dr. Ahmad is
a board member of the International Society of Automation - Edmonton
(as Co-UofA Student Section Advisor) and a member of APEGA, CSME, and
ASME. He is also an active editor, reviewer, and organizer of numerous
international conferences and journals. Dr. Ahmad is the recipient of
the prestigious Edmonton’s 2022 Top 40 under 40 Award by Edify Magazine
for his serial innovation and streamlined technology development to
impact our society. He is also the director and founder of the Canadian
not-for-profit ProBEEs Digital Education Society.