The UrbanFarmLab currently operates 2 growing rooms, purpose-built for applied CEA research and technology testing:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Number of rooms | 2 |
| Floor area per room | 16 m² |
| Temperature range | 8 °C to 30 °C |
| Humidity range | 30% to 85% RH |
| Climate control | Advanced automation and control system |
These rooms are designed for realistic urban farming scenarios, accommodating a variety of growing systems including vertical racks, NFT systems, and container-based setups.
Through the DiAGRI project, the UrbanFarmLab receives significant new capabilities:
New Imaging Equipment and Networked Sensors Installation of imaging systems and IoT sensor networks compatible with the Viikki site, enabling standardised data collection across both campuses.
Automation Components and PLC Integration New Siemens PLC controllers and actuators for automated climate control, nutrient dosing, and lighting management — enabling closed-loop AI-driven growing.
MetroCloud Integration Connection to Metropolia's MetroCloud platform — a data lake and computational environment that provides storage, processing power, and AI model hosting for UrbanFarmLab data.
Private 5G Network Expansion Expansion of the campus private 5G network to the growing rooms, enabling high-bandwidth, low-latency data transfer from imaging systems and sensors to edge and cloud computing resources.
Digital Twin Development Deployment of digital twin models that mirror the physical growing rooms in real time, allowing remote monitoring, simulation, and optimisation of growing conditions.
The UrbanFarmLab has a proven track record in applied R&D: