Grid Search for Lowest Root Mean Squared Error in Predicting Optimal Sensor Location in Protected Cultivation Systems

Irregular changes in the internal climates of protected cultivation systems can prevent attainment of optimal yield when the environmental conditions are not adequately monitored and controlled. Key to indoor environment monitoring and control and potentially reducing operational costs are the strategic placement of an optimal number of sensors using a robust method. A multi-objective approach based on supervised machine learning was used to determine the optimal number of sensors and installation positions in a protected cultivation system. Specifically, a gradient boosting algorithm, a form of a tree-based model, was fitted to measured (temperature and humidity) and derived conditions (dew point temperature, humidity ratio, enthalpy, and specific volume). Feature variables were forecasted in a time-series manner. Training and validation data were categorized without randomizing the observations to ensure the features remained time-dependent. Evaluations of the variations in the number and location of sensors by day, week, and month were done to observe the impact of environmental fluctuations on the optimal number and location of placement of sensors. Results showed that less than 32% of the 56 sensors considered in this study were needed to optimally monitor the protected cultivation system’s internal environment with the highest occurring in May. In May, an average change of −0.041% in consecutive RMSE values ranged from the 1st sensor location (0.027°C) to the 17th sensor location (0.013°C). The derived properties better described the ambient condition of the indoor air than the directly measured, leading to a better performing machine learning model. A machine learning model was developed and proposed to determine the optimal sensors number and positions in a protected cultivation system.