Greenhouse Management Technologies and the Internet

Abstract Due to demands for higher levels of automation, the use of hierarchical and distributed control systems that integrate estimation, prediction, adaptation, learning and fault tolerance, is becoming a reality, A scada system, including its own special PLC with a class of generic control functions and signal processing math library, was built to control and manage complex process operations properly. It also includes an embedded fuzzy inference system for high level decision making, coordination and management of hierarchical systems, Added some special built-in functions for event driven control loop activation, it has been tested for applications in greenhouses. With recent additions for IP connectivity, operations modelling, a callable optimiser and remote camera support it has become a virtual laboratory system for training but also for remote management. This paper explores the potentialities of a new approach to the general virtual laboratory concept.