Control and sensor systems for an environmentally controlled vertical farming system

A system for growing plants using conveyed vertical towers, the system comprising:

• a growing chamber;
• one or more vertical towers, wherein a first sensor unit is coupled with a first vertical tower of the one or more vertical towers, the first sensor unit comprises a first sensor and a transmitter, and the first vertical tower comprises one or more plants;
• a conveyance system, wherein the conveyance system is operable to convey the one or more vertical towers from a starting point location to a finishing point location along a circuit within the growing chamber;
• a processor;
• a receiver operably coupled to the processor;
• and
• a memory operably coupled to the processor storing instructions thereon, that when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
• receive, via the receiver, first sensor information from the transmitter, wherein the first sensor information relates to first data captured by the first sensor, and the first vertical tower is at a first location on the circuit when the first sensor information is transmitted by the transmitter;
• provide first control information to adjust at least one environmental parameter in the growing chamber, wherein the first control information is based at least in part upon the first sensor information;
• provide second control information to cause the conveyance system to move the one or more vertical towers along the circuit, wherein the first vertical tower moves from the first location to a second location on the circuit based at least in part upon the second control information;
• receive, via the receiver, second sensor information from the transmitter, wherein the second sensor information relates to second data captured by the first sensor, and the first vertical tower is at the second location when the second sensor information is transmitted by the transmitter;
• and
• provide third control information to adjust the at least one environmental parameter in the growing chamber, wherein the third control information is based at least in part upon the second sensor information.

A computer-implemented method for growing plants using conveyed vertical towers in a growing chamber, wherein a first vertical tower comprises one or more plants, a first sensor unit is coupled with the first vertical tower, the first sensor unit comprises a first sensor and a transmitter, the first vertical tower is conveyed from a starting point location to an finishing point location along a circuit within the growing chamber using a conveyance system, the method comprising:

• receiving first sensor information from the transmitter, wherein the first sensor information relates to first data captured by the first sensor, and the first vertical tower is at a first location on the circuit when the first sensor information is transmitted by the transmitter;
• providing first control information to adjust at least one environmental parameter in the growing chamber, wherein the first control information is based at least in part upon the first sensor information;
• providing second control information to cause the conveyance system to move the first vertical tower along the circuit, wherein the first vertical tower moves from the first location to a second location on the circuit based at least in part upon the second control information;
• receiving second sensor information from the transmitter, wherein the second sensor information relates to second data captured by the first sensor, and the first vertical tower is at the second location when the second sensor information is transmitted by the transmitter;
• and
• providing third control information to adjust the at least one environmental parameter in the growing chamber, wherein the third control information is based at least in part upon the second sensor information.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions for growing plants using conveyed vertical towers in a growing chamber, wherein a first vertical tower comprises one or more plants, a first sensor unit is coupled with the first vertical tower, the first sensor unit comprises a first sensor and a transmitter, the first vertical tower is conveyed from a starting point location to an finishing point location along a circuit within the growing chamber using a conveyance system, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to:

• receive first sensor information from the transmitter, wherein the first sensor information relates to first data captured by the first sensor, and the first vertical tower is at a first location on the circuit when the first sensor information is transmitted by the transmitter;
• provide first control information to adjust at least one environmental parameter in the growing chamber, wherein the first control information is based at least in part upon the first sensor information;
• provide second control information to cause the conveyance system to move the first vertical tower along the circuit, wherein the first vertical tower moves from the first location to a second location on the circuit based at least in part upon the second control information;
• receive second sensor information from the transmitter, wherein the second sensor information relates to second data captured by the first sensor, and the first vertical tower is at the second location when the second sensor information is transmitted by the transmitter;
• and
• provide third control information to adjust the at least one environmental parameter in the growing chamber, wherein the third control information is based at least in part upon the second sensor information.