Acceptance of an IoT System for Strawberry Cultivation: A Case Study of Different Users

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been impacting multiple industries worldwide for over a decade. However, less developed countries have yet to make the transition to these technologies. South America is among the regions with the least IoT influence in all sectors, indicating a need for studies to explore IoT acceptance among various users in this region. This study analyzes two different users of a monitoring and irrigation system for strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) farming. Monitored variables include soil moisture, and ambient temperature and humidity, with irrigation performed via water pumping from a reservoir. The system is based on the M5Core2 development kit for the local station and the IoT platform ThingSpeak for remote access. It features a web user interface consisting of an application developed in HTML using a plugin on ThingSpeak. Thus, the system can be used locally via a touchscreen and remotely through a web browser. Measurements are cross-verified with commercial meters to ensure their reliability, and users are asked to fill out a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for IoT to gauge their acceptance level. Additionally, an interview is conducted that explores four critical factors, aimed at understanding their experience and interaction with the system after a period of usage. The findings confirm the validity of the monitored variables and demonstrate a global acceptance rate of slightly over 80%, albeit with varying user acceptance perspectives. Specifically, the technical user exhibits greater acceptance than the crop administrator, evidenced by a mean discrepancy of 1.85 points on the TAM scale.