| COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AUTOMATED GREENHOUSES | ||||||
The objective of DAMOCIA is
the application of ITs onto the design of new greenhouse structures, adapted
to semi-arid zones (including south-eastern Spain). Its result is a tool-set:
DAMOCIA-Design, DAMOCIA-Sim (simulation), DAMOCIA-Exp (experimental data
exploitation) and DAMOCIA-Control.
The active climate control commonly used in greenhouses in northern
Europe is not appropriate to Mediterranean conditions. Greenhouse technology
in Spain is now being enhanced through computer-aided design to help Spanish
farmers to maintain an edge in an increasingly competitive market. In design
tool named DAMOCIA has been developed which can de used by agronomic technicians
for generating complete greenhouse development projects, including plans
and budget, This has already been used to produce a commercial exploitable
greenhouse incorporating new design features. The development has also
increased understanding of greenhouse processes.
In order to maintain and improve the development reached in the Mediterranean
mild winter regions, market liberalisation demands better product quality
and harvest opportunities from crops grown in greenhouses. At this moment,
we can differentiate two major approaches to crop growing in greenhouses:
The principal result of the DAMOCIA project has been the development
of computer tools for the validation and exploitation of experimental data
to help technicians design greenhouses in maximum technical detail. In
conjunction with these is the development of an automatic generator of
reports and budgets. This systematic and integrated approach replaces traditional
design methods, which tended to be based on an ad hoc empiricism.
The experimental research, including greenhouse construction and data
collection, was carried out at the Experimental Centre of the Foundation
for the Agricultural Research of Almeria Province (F.I.A.P.A). Training
courses were offered on greenhouse construction and introduction to several
enterprises and farmers' associations. Software was implemented at these
installations and at the University of Almeria. An office was set up in
the Novedades Agricolas installations to show the design tool to the zone
market. At the moment, new installations are being built to demonstrate
the different tools and their results in Dunia Export, located in the zone
where there is the biggest growing concentration. The main goal is to test
the products commercial exploitation and distribute them out among the
farmers associated with that enterprise. A model has been built to be shown
outside the permanent installations, which are also used for teaching at
the University of Almeria.
The use and exploitation rights for teaching the different modules (especially
the simulation module and the behaviour models) to the University of Almeria
(AGR-0172 Research Group) which will be able to distribute them with this
aim.
Business sectors
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