Candidus is a startup company in Athens , GA , USA , that focus on wise lighting control system of rules for the greenhouse industry . Their charge is to melt off the cost of supplemental lighting for greenhouse growers by implementing an adaptative firing ascendance system .
Candidus was co - founded by Drs . Erico Mattos and Marc van Iersel in 2017 . Dr. Mattos examine photosynthesis optimisation using light-emitting diode lighting at the University of Georgia and previously founded a lead firing companionship . Dr. van Iersel is a professor of gardening at the University of Georgia , with a ground in plant life physiology and environmental measurement and control . His research focal point is optimization of the cost - effectiveness of LED lighting in horticulture .
Integration with third - party lightingCandidus was grant a US Department of Agriculture Cary Grant to develop an innovative adaptive lighting control scheme . Based on research conducted at the University of Georgia , Candidus has developed an adaptive ignition ascendancy system that assures that supplemental light is put up when the harvest can best use that light and only in the amount that can be effectively used by the crop . The system will not change the basic lighting context . " Because growers , not us , should settle how to rise their crop " , Marc van Iersel clarifies . " But growers can very easily vary the photoperiod and daily light integral , after which the comptroller will carry out it . "
Using instantaneous light measurements and a proprietary algorithmic rule , Candidus ’ control system determine precisely how much auxiliary luminance to supply and when . Using an industrial microcomputer , the control system monitor the ambient Lord’s Day light and sends a dip signal to third - political party lights . Candidus ’ supplemental lighting command organisation engineering science is particularly well - accommodate for use with dimmable light-emitting diode fixtures , but can also be used with non - dimmable LED or HPS lights .
The Candidus controller
Candidus does not make unaccented fixtures . Instead , the focus is on evolution of optimal control systems for third party lights . The company is already working with several light manufacturer . " So far we have worked with Fluence BioEngineering and our first round of grower trials used their VYPRx Plus light . We are also working with Illumitex and Osram " , Marc allege . " Most dimmable light-emitting diode fixtures take a 0 – 10 VDC sign to verify tripping outturn and our technology is to the full compatible with such lights , regardless of brand . Osram uses a proprietary protocol for dimming , so that requires coordination between Osram and Candidus . But our hardware is amply capable of dimming those lights as well . "
" Adjusting the firing is dim-witted and there really are no openhanded challenges on that terminal of things as long as lighting manufacturers use dimmable driver " , Marc continues . " Some companies , like Signify , employ non - dimmable driver and those Light can only be turn on and off . The gravid challenge is with lighting organisation that may not be contrive in a way that allow agriculturalist to actually achieve their goals . For example , the overall lighting capacity may not be enough to take into account growers to actually achieve the daily light constitutional when postulate . "
Web - based interfaceGreenhouse growers use the control system through a web - based interface , entering only a few dewy-eyed options : the daily promiscuous entire target note value , the time the light should come on , and when the light should go off . If necessitate , agriculturist can also program in low - intensity night break light up for ascendance of flowering of photoperiodic crops .
A sample distribution of the monthly report raiser get . snap here for a bigger version .
While the crop emergence is n’t monitored directly , Marc says they can make recommendations for a wide of the mark compass of crop . " If growers are unforced to share information on crop growth , we can make refinements in the light scheme . "
At the second , the Candidus weapons platform does n’t tie in with existing culture software , but the company is interested in doing this in the future . " Hopefully , our software can be an inherent component of control systems made by company like Priva and Hoogendoorn " , Marc articulate .
For more informationCandidus[email protected]www.candidus.us
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