The difference between vertical farming and machine learning

Sometimes inspiration comes in the oddest ways. I like to watch CBS News Sunday Morning because of the variety of stories they air. Recently, they did one on "Vertical Farming - A New Form of Agriculture" (see video above).

What you'll learn

• What is vertical farming?
• Why is this author comparing it to machine learning?
• Is there really any relationship between these two things?

CBS News Sunday Morning recently did a piece on vertical farming that spawned this article.

For those who didn't watch the video, vertical farming is essentially a method of indoor farming using hydroponics. Hydroponics isn't new; it's a subset of hydroculture where crops are grown without soil. Instead, the plants grow in a mineral-enriched water. This can be done in conjunction with sunlight but typically an artificial light source is used.

The approach is useful in areas that don't provide enough light, or at times or in locations where the temperature or conditions outside would not be conducive for growing plants.

Vertical farming is hydroponics taken to the extreme, with stacks upon stacks of trays with plants under an array of lights. These days, the lights typically are LEDs because of their efficiency and the ability to generate the type of light most useful for plant growth. Automation can be used to streamline planting, support, and harvesting.

Continue reading.

Image Courtesy of Electronic Design

Source: Electronic Design