Technologies in Alella Green Tech – Naoki Hashimoto
I am Naoki Hashimoto, a local high school student from Barcelona. During the summer of my sophomore year in June 2023, I had the opportunity to be at Alella Green Tech (AGT).
Throughout my time at AGT, I had the chance to explore fascinating aspects of this farm, including water wheel projects, Shellies, and automation throughout the property.
Checking out the main water reservoir…by kayak!
One of the most notable projects I worked on was the Pelton Wheel project. The aim was to design and engineer three different water wheels for energy generation and demonstration purposes for visitors. Alongside my college mentor, I developed a graphical user interface (GUI) to simulate the water wheel, which can be utilized by engineers worldwide.
Another aspect that intrigued me at AGT was the automation using shell technology. Shelly is a tech device that can regulate other gadgets by emitting its own wifi signals, connected to a larger network using MQTT protocols. These signals are then controlled through Node-red, an event-driven application. AGT uses these shells for security and automation throughout the property. I had a chance to aid a college student on their research project with humidities in plants by creating a function in node-red to properly take an average over a given interval of given payloads (messages) from the probes.
With the guidance of Martin Picard, the founder of AGT, I delved into the fundamentals of these gadgets, using Shelly uni, and their connectivity through MQTT protocols. While I had previous experience with electronics using Arduino, working with Shelly allowed me to combine my interest in electronics with a fascination for wireless communication, eliminating the need for extensive wiring.
Just as importantly, I had the opportunity to engage in hands-on agricultural projects. Exploring the gardens and the newly planned pumpkin farm in a serene environment was truly enriching.
Overall, my experience at AGT provided me with a deeper understanding of coding, electronics, and the basics of farming. This experience has served as a significant inspiration for me as an aspiring engineer.
