Hand-held vapor pressure deficit measuring and controlling device and method

A pistol shaped hand-held vapor pressure deficit (VPD) measuring and controlling device for plant cultivation, the pistol shaped hand-held VPD measuring and controlling device comprising:

• a muzzle, a barrel, a grip and a trigger;
• a battery unit for providing electric power to the pistol shaped hand-held VPD measuring and controlling device, wherein the battery unit is located in the grip of the pistol shaped hand-held VPD measuring and controlling device;
• an infrared receiving device for measuring a temperature value TLEAF, wherein the infrared receiving device receiving infrared beams through the muzzle and along a direction of the barrel of the pistol shaped hand-held VPD measuring and controlling device;
• a laser transmitter implemented to emit a laser beam parallel to the direction of the barrel and passes through the muzzle, wherein the infrared receiving device measures the temperature value TLEAF at where the laser beam is pointed to;
• an IO interface for input and output of control information and status information;
• a temperature-humidity sensor for sensing an environmental temperature value TENV and an environmental relative humidity value RHENV within a plant cultivation environment, wherein a leaf VPD value VPDLEAF is calculated from the environmental temperature value TENV and the environmental relative humidity value RHENV;
• and
• a main control unit for communicating with and controlling the battery unit, the trigger, the infrared receiving device, the laser beam, the IO interface, and the temperature-humidity sensor, wherein, the leaf VPD value VPDLEAF calculated from the environmental temperature value TENV and the environmental relative humidity value RHENV is implemented to control plant cultivation.

A networked vapor pressure deficit (VPD) measuring and controlling device system for a plant cultivation environment, the networked VPD measuring and controlling device system comprising:

• a plurality of VPD measuring and controlling devices deployed at different locations inside the plant cultivation environment;
• at least one VPD altering unit deployed inside the plant cultivation environment;
• a computation module;
• wherein, each of the plurality of VPD measuring and controlling devices further comprises:
• an infrared temperature senor,
• an environmental temperature sensor, and
• an environmental relative humidity sensor;
• and
• wherein, the plurality of VPD measuring and controlling devices, the at least one VPD altering unit, and the computation module are networked together.