The VIVOSUN Smart Grow System: Automated Growing, No Hassle

VIVOSUN have dubbed this new line of products their “Smart Grow System,” as they connect to one another via WiFi, merging them into the Internet of Things.

The Smart Grow System is a very interesting step forward for growing technology because it marks a newer style of growing that opens the industry to everyone, beginners and experts included: Because the grow system is now connected to the internet and technology like LED lighting systems and EC duct fans can be electronically adjusted, the industry is now looking at automated or customizable operation that can be done through apps that feel familiar to the average consumer.

VIVOSUN has released three new, notable product lines in their Smart Grow System: the AeroLight LED System, the GrowHub Controller and App, and the AeroZesh inline duct fan.

The AeroLight

The AeroLight holds the title as the first ever LED grow light system with an integrated circulatory fan. This fan is built directly in the center of the system and it points downwards onto a plant’s canopy. The system itself is 100W but can be daisy-chained to other AeroLight systems for larger spaces. VIVOSUN states that it works best to cover a 2×2-foot space.

The circulation fan is an interesting addition: it is built with angled flanges that direct airflow in a cone shape to cover the 2×2-foot space while it pulls cool air from above the system. VIVOSUN touts this fan has having a lifespan of 70,000 hours because the fan is built with a dual ball-bearing EC fan, which means it is also quiet.

What makes this fan such an interesting step forward is that it pushes air into the canopy, an area where growers often struggle to provide airflow. Airflow through the canopy is crucial because poor circulation leads to higher humidity and then growth of molds and white powdery mildew, which can seriously damage a plant.

The most important feature of the AeroLight is its programmability. VIVOSUN states that the AeroLight can be controlled remotely through their GrowHub App and growers can program everything from light intensity to spectrum range to day and night periods to fan speed.

This gives growers a lot more control over their environment than they have had before—essentially, it means a grower can schedule each period of growth and have the AeroLight transition between growth stages automatically rather than having to adjust the light manually. 

The AeroLight is built with Samsung 301B white diodes, specialized diodes for creating a balanced spectrum. As well, VIVOSUN includes diodes that emphasize 390nm, 450nm, 650nm, and 730nm, spanning the light spectrum from UVA light to far-red/infrared light, all designed to improve flower and vegetative growth.

The device also features a unique heatsink fin design that dissipates heat away from the system so cool airflow is not disrupted by the LED operation.

With all of these features it is no surprise the AeroLight was awarded the 2022 Red Dot Design Award.

The GrowHub Controller and App

The central component to VIVOSUN’s Smart Grow System is the GrowHub Controller and App. The GrowHub Controller is a WiFi-enabled motherboard that connects to growing equipment—LED grow light systems, ventilation fans, even circulation fan—and controls how and when the equipment operate.

The GrowHub is a simple device that is extremely powerful: by connecting all growing equipment through the GrowHub Controller, growers can begin designing their own growing parameters: the on and off times of equipment, the speed of fans, light intensity, light spectrum, and how equipment reacts to changes in humidity and temperature. Additionally, the GrowHub tracks changes in the environment alongside equipment settings so growers can measure their environment performance.

What makes the GrowHub Controller and App particularly special is the Grow Recipe feature. Grow Recipes, says VIVOSUN, are automated operations that are designed to help relieve the burden of constantly checking in on a tent and having to manually adjust equipment performance. Grow Recipes are operational parameters that determine how equipment runs—these can be set in the short-term or over the entire growth of a plant.

VIVOSUN also has contracted professional growers to design Grow Recipes that a beginner grower can rely on to adjust photoperiod, airflow, light intensity, and spectrum range to match each stage of plant growth automatically—that’s right, a grower can entirely automate the growth of their plant from seedling to flowering. Grow Recipes can also be designed from scratch, so professional growers can create their own parameters.

What is more, the GrowHub Controller contains measuring tools that will automatically alert a grower if there has been an environmental change outside of their preset parameters, and the GrowHub will automatically turn on or off equipment in response to these changes.

The GrowHub Controller is expanded with the addition of the App, which makes all of the Grow Recipes possible. The app also presents data collected by the controller in graphs and charts so growers can track past environment performance. This data can then be used to set parameters in the GrowHub App that can define a better growth cycle. The more data at a grower’s fingertips, the better a grow will become. And because the GrowHub Controller is WiFi-enabled, a grower can check on the status of their tent and make changes from anywhere in the world as long as the phone has an internet connection.

The GrowHub Controller also comes with a magnetic mounting plate that makes attaching it to the wall or fabric of a tent easy. VIVOSUN reports that the face of the controller comes with capacitive buttons that are easier to press so one does not need to press hard to make changes, making tent mounting a much more feasible option.

The AeroZesh

The final product VIVOSUN is adding to their Smart Grow System of products integrated into the Internet of Things is the AeroZesh, VIVOSUN’s newest inline fan. The AeroZesh is a “PWM controlled EC fan that uitilizes a mixed flow design to create high static pressure.” EC fans are known to be much quieter than alternative types of fans, as well, higher static pressure in turn means that this fan is more efficient.

What sets this fan apart is that it too is integrated into the VIVOSUN GrowHub ecosystem. The AeroZesh responds to environmental changes that are measured by the GrowHub Controller, which in turn means that growers have more control over their tent and their environment. Inline fans are often ignored when upgrading systems, so this is a welcome addition.

The VIVOSUN Smart Grow System is taking shape in a way that addresses many common problems growers have faced in the past. The changes are exciting for the industry as a whole—hopefully VIVOSUN’s pioneering attitude will encourage more innovation that will continue to push the industry towards a better future.