An integrated cloud-based platform for labor monitoring and data analysis in precision agriculture

Abstract

Harvest labor has became a prevailing cost in cherry and other Specialty Crops industry. We developed an integrated solution that provided real-time labor monitoring, payroll accrual, and labor-data-based analysis. At the core of our solution is a cloud-based information system that collects labor data from purposely designed labor monitoring devices, and visualizes real-time labor productivity data through a mobile-friendly user interface. Our solution used a proprietary process [1] to accurately associate labor data with its related worker and position under a many-to-many employment relation. We also describe our communication API and protocol, which are specifically designed to improve the reliability of data communication within an orchard. Besides its immediate benefits in improving the efficiency and accuracy of labor monitoring, our solution also enables data analysis and visualization based on harvest labor data. As an example, we discuss our approach of yield mapping based on harvest labor data. We implemented the platform and deployed the system on a cloud-based computing platform for better scalability. An early version of the system has been tested during the 2012 harvest season in cherry orchards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest Region.