This study explores the development and evaluation of an intelligent system for monitoring natural resources, integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) with LoRa technology as an affordable, scalable, and efficient solution for industrial, commercial, and residential environments. The objective is to track, in real time, the consumption of electricity, water, and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) by transmitting data via LoRa and providing access through the Modbus TCP protocol, enabling visualization on dynamic dashboards. The proposed architecture comprises modules dedicated to interpreting electricity meters (via Modbus RTU), water meters with pulse outputs, a gateway for protocol conversion, and repeaters to extend signal coverage. Field results showed that the average transmission rate reached nearly 80%, although it was affected by physical obstacles and electromagnetic interference. The implementation of a 20 dBi external antenna and strategically positioned repeaters expanded network coverage by approximately 40%, ensuring greater robustness and reliability. Experimental tests indicated an error margin below 2% for electrical measurements and deviations of up to 1.5% in water consumption readings, confirming the accuracy of the system. The proposed solution demonstrates strong potential for application in Industry 4.0 environments, supporting sustainable resource management and contributing to the reduction of operational costs.
Marim et al. (2025) studied this question.