'Serious game' for growing cucumbers energy-efficiently

The game ties in with KASSIM, the online greenhouse model developed by WUR, and is also based on the KASPRO simulation model. The game has also been expanded with a crop growth model for cucumber. From the start - in January 2022 - the game will be playable via an online environment.

Rules of the game and starting points

At the start of a game round - for example by a teacher - the rules of the game are determined and certain starting points can be entered, such as a certain plant density or the presence of an energy screen or lighting. The player can then start growing the digital cucumbers. This allows the player to change climate setpoints and choose a different screen strategy. At the end the game shows how many cucumbers have been produced and how much energy has been used and the ranking in the high score.

AI-images

Recently, students from Inholland tested the Beta version of the game. This resulted in, among other things, the wish for more visual elements to be added. Therefore, the player now sees AI generated images of the cucumbers grown. Those images are based on, among other things, the number of cucumbers that have been virtually grown and the fruit weight.

WUR is developing the game as part of the project Het Nieuwe Telen: Gas Erop! The aim of this project is to disseminate knowledge through the education of energy-efficient cultivation (HNT). The project is co-financed by Regie Organ SIA, part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

Source and Photo Courtesy of Wageningen University & Research

Source: Wageningen University & Research