| Summary: | One way to efficiently and intensively produce fresh food in extreme environments is through hydroponic techniques which have been widely used in the world, especially from the 1960s to the present. Likewise, to obtain fresh food in places with unfavorable environmental conditions, hydroponic systems are complemented by "Indoor" production technology, which consists of creating environments that artificially provide the necessary conditions for plant growth, mainly appropriate light and temperature. Argentine maintains its presence in Antarctica since 1904. This has required great logistical efforts, among which, due to its complexity, food supply stands out. This impacts negatively on nutritional and organoleptic quality of food and, consequently, on people's quality of life, especially those with prolonged stays such as permanent staff. The usual alternative for food provision in the Joint Antarctic Bases (BAC) of Argentina is the use, for long periods of time, of dehydrated, canned, preserved or super-frozen rations. The aim of this project called "Antarctic Hydroponic Production Module" was to install a production module capable of providing fresh vegetables to supply the Argentine Antarctic bases, in order to improve the nutrition of the staff.The system is based on 4 fundamental pillars: (i) a semi-automated production module, (ii) a training program and permanent remote support for new crews, (iii) a remote control panel for critical system data to ensure monitoring and build a database through Big Data and IoT (Internet of Things) technology necessary for the continuous generation of information aimed at improving development and its processes, and (iv) an informative website to communicate status and progress of the project, link with society on issues related to food production in the Antarctic continent.To achieve the objective, a 20-foot shipping container was conditioned, and two production sectors with three levels each were installed inside. At each production level, 12 10-liter boxes with 4 ...
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