The prototypes4soil2data project, funded under the grant number 281DP01C20, ran from 8 June 2020 to 7 June 2023 and was led by ANEDO GmbH. Its goal was to advance the mobile field laboratory “soil2data” into a modular, market‑ready system that can deliver on‑field nutrient analyses and automated fertilisation recommendations in accordance with the VDLUFA standard. The research team combined expertise from industry and academia: ADVES GmbH & Co. KG, Bodenprobetechnik Peters GmbH, Hochschule Osnabrück, iotec GmbH, LUFA Nord‑West and MMM tech support GmbH & Co. KG. ANEDO handled project coordination, hardware integration, software development and the final installation of the system in a control cabinet. The university partners supplied the field‑lab infrastructure, conducted validation tests, and provided scientific oversight, while Bodenprobetechnik supplied the sensor platforms and trailers that carry the liquid‑sampling module.

Technically, the project delivered a fully modular architecture comprising five distinct applications: field2soil, soil2liquid, liquid2data, app2field and data2app. Each module bundles its own hardware and software stack, allowing them to operate independently or as part of the complete mobile laboratory. The liquid2data module, the centerpiece of the effort, was integrated into the field‑lab chassis and validated through a series of measurement campaigns. Initial laboratory tests confirmed that the electronic read‑out board is fully compatible with the new NUTRISTAT analysis block; subsequent field trials in the university’s test hall and on the Osnabrück campus reproduced the expected nutrient and pH values, matching reference measurements taken by the Landesamt für Naturschutz und Umwelt (LANUV). The system’s robustness was demonstrated by repeated operation cycles, with no loss of accuracy or drift in the sensor signals. The modular design also permits the liquid2data unit to be repurposed as a stand‑alone laboratory instrument or as a component in other outdoor and indoor applications, such as hydroponic vertical‑farming setups. In fact, the module is currently being adapted for the “Nutrient_Ctrl_IVF” research project, which explores nutrient control in indoor hydroponic systems.

From a performance perspective, the mobile laboratory can collect a representative mixed‑soil sample from the entire topsoil layer and analyse macro‑nutrients and pH in situ, providing data that can be directly fed into an automated fertilisation recommendation engine. While the report does not list specific numerical accuracy figures, the repeated agreement with LANUV reference data and the successful field‑lab validation confirm that the system meets the stringent requirements for official fertilisation guidance. The modular approach also offers a clear path to commercialization: each module can be marketed separately, and the liquid2data unit alone is expected to generate revenue through sales to the sensor‑equipment manufacturer Bodenprobetechnik Peters and through licensing for hydroponic and water‑management applications.

Financially, the project received a total of €111,904.74, of which €104,950.29 has been expended to date. These funds covered material purchases, external engineering services and, most importantly, personnel costs for the project engineers. The funding was essential for the development of the new hardware and the extensive testing regime; without it, the prototype would not have reached its current level of maturity. The project’s outcomes position the soil2data laboratory as the only fully mobile, VDLUFA‑compliant system capable of on‑field nutrient analysis, and the modular architecture opens up multiple revenue streams for the partners involved.