During May, researchers from the EPIC research group at the I3A-UCLM carried out a series of large-scale deployments of IoT-LPWAN devices across several locations in the Castilla-La Mancha region. These activities are part of the initiatives developed within the ruralDATA project, which aims to create and consolidate a rural data space that supports data-driven decision-making based on information collected directly from the territory.
The deployments have enabled the generation, standardization, and integration of telemetry data gathered from a variety of rural ecosystems. This information represents a key resource for the development of digital solutions designed to improve the efficiency of natural resource management, environmental sustainability, and the competitiveness of the agri-food sector.
As part of the fieldwork, the research team installed portable base stations based on the open LoRaWAN standard, together with industrial sensor nodes capable of monitoring multiple environmental and agronomic variables. The parameters collected include soil electrical conductivity and pH, ambient temperature, relative humidity, light intensity, solar radiation, carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration, and water levels in ponds and lagoons, among other relevant indicators.
The data collected through this infrastructure contributes to enriching the rural data space promoted by ruralDATA, fostering data interoperability and enabling its subsequent exploitation through open technologies and smart management platforms.
These activities are led by researchers Celia Garrido Hidalgo, Luis Roda Sánchez, Adrián Muñoz Alarcón, and Emilio Castillejo García, members of the EPIC research group at I3A-UCLM, with the invaluable support of Professor Antonio Quintanilla Rodenas.