Root scanning system and method

Abstract

The application provides a root system scanning system and method, relates to the technical field of plant root system monitoring, and is used for improving root system phenotype scanning efficiency.The system comprises a root system scanning root box array, the root system scanning root box array is composed of a plurality of root system scanning root box arrays, each root system scanning root box comprises a scanning imaging module and a local control unit, and the scanning imaging module is used for collecting images of plant roots in the root system scanning root box.The root system scanning root box is used for sending root system data to an edge gateway module.The edge gateway module is used for receiving the root system data uploaded by the root system scanning root box and uploading the root system data to a cloud server module.The cloud server module is used for receiving and storing the data uploaded by the edge gateway module, and establishing an association between the root system data and the root system scanning root box according to hierarchical coding.A terminal module is used for acquiring the root system data through the cloud server module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of plant root monitoring technology, and in particular to a root scanning system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Plant roots are vital organs for absorbing water and nutrients. Their phenotypic characteristics (such as length, diameter, number of branches, and biomass) directly reflect the plant's growth status and stress resistance, and are of great significance for crop breeding, cultivation management, and soil environment research. Currently, root phenotyping technology is the core means of obtaining root phenotypic characteristics, playing a crucial role in plant science research and agricultural production.

[0003] Current root phenotyping technologies generally employ a mobile scanning platform + individual root boxes approach. In this approach, the root boxes and scanning equipment are separate; during scanning, the root boxes need to be pulled out from the planting location, and then the mobile platform carrying the scanner scans each root box individually. However, this method requires scanning each individual root box sequentially, and the frequent pulling and pulling of the root boxes can easily affect plant growth. Therefore, how to improve the efficiency of root phenotyping has become a pressing technical problem to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a root scanning system and method to address the shortcomings of low root phenotypic scanning efficiency in the prior art, thereby improving root phenotypic scanning efficiency.

[0005] This invention provides a root scanning system, the system comprising: The root scanning root box array consists of multiple root scanning root boxes arranged in an array. Each root scanning root box includes a scanning imaging module and a local control unit. The local control unit of each root scanning root box is bound with a corresponding hierarchical code. The scanning imaging module is used to acquire images of the plant roots within the root scanning root box. The root scanning root box is used to send root data to the edge gateway module; The edge gateway module is used to receive root system data uploaded by the root system scanning root box and upload it to the cloud server module; The cloud server module is used to receive and store the data uploaded by the edge gateway module, and to establish the association between the root system data and the root system scan root box according to the hierarchical coding. The terminal module is used to obtain root system data through the cloud server module.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the hierarchical coding includes: regional hierarchical information, greenhouse hierarchical information, row hierarchical information, and root box number; The terminal module is also used to send control commands, which are used to control the root system scanning root box. The control commands include hierarchical encoding. The cloud server module is also used to receive control commands sent by the terminal module and send control commands to the corresponding edge gateway module according to the regional level information and greenhouse level information. The edge gateway module is also used to send control commands to the root system scan root boxes based on the row hierarchy information and root box number.

[0007] In another possible implementation, the root system scanning root box also includes the root box body; The root scanning imaging module of the root box includes: an imaging sensor, a light source, and a two-dimensional driving unit; the scanning imaging module is sealed and waterproofed and then attached to the transparent observation surface of the root box body. Imaging sensors for RGB imaging, single-point spectral scanning, or spectral imaging scanning; The two-dimensional drive unit is used to drive the imaging sensor and the light source to perform two-dimensional scanning motion in the back plane of the root box body.

[0008] In another possible implementation, the local control unit of the root scanning root box has an expansion interface for connecting a multi-parameter soil sensor. Soil multi-parameter sensors include one or more of the following: soil moisture sensor, soil temperature sensor, soil electrical conductivity sensor, and soil dielectric constant sensor.

[0009] In another possible implementation, the root scanning root box also includes a power supply and communication interface; the power supply and communication interface provides power and data transmission channels for connecting all sensors.

[0010] In another possible implementation, the edge gateway module is also used to preprocess the root system data to obtain processed root system data; Preprocessing includes at least one of the following: data filtering, data denoising, and data format standardization.

[0011] In another possible implementation, the system also includes a data transmission module; The data transmission module is used to establish a communication connection between the root scanning root box and the edge gateway module; The data transmission module supports at least one of the following wireless transmission methods: long-range low-power wireless transmission, WiFi, and cellular networks. The data transmission module supports at least one of the following wired transmission methods: Ethernet and serial communication bus.

[0012] The present invention also provides a root scanning method, comprising the following steps.

[0013] The root scanning root box collects root data of the plants inside the root scanning root box through the scanning imaging module and sends the root data to the edge gateway module; The edge gateway module sends root system data to the cloud server module; The cloud server module establishes the association between root system data and root system scanning root boxes based on the hierarchical coding corresponding to the root boxes in the root system scan, and sends the root system data to the terminal module.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the hierarchical coding includes: regional hierarchical information, greenhouse hierarchical information, row hierarchical information, and root box number; the method also includes: The terminal module sends control commands to the cloud server module. The control commands are used to control the root system scanning root boxes and include the hierarchical encoding of the root system scanning root boxes. The cloud server module sends control commands to the corresponding edge gateway module based on the geographical and greenhouse level information. The edge gateway module sends control commands to the root system scan root boxes based on the row hierarchy information and root box number.

[0015] In another possible implementation, when the preset scanning time is reached, the cloud server module sends a data acquisition instruction to all edge gateway modules. The data acquisition instruction is used to instruct the root system scanning root box to collect root system data. The edge gateway module sends data acquisition commands to the root system scanning root box.

[0016] The present invention also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements any of the root scanning methods described above.

[0017] The present invention also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the root scanning methods described above.

[0018] The root scanning system and method provided by this invention integrates the scanning imaging module and the local control unit into each root scanning box, enabling each root box to independently and in parallel acquire root images without relying on an external moving scanning platform and pulling mechanism. This not only significantly shortens the overall scanning time of large-scale root box arrays and improves scanning efficiency, but also completely eliminates the disturbance of mechanical movements to plant growth and soil structure, ensuring the authenticity of experimental data. Simultaneously, the hierarchical code bound to the local control unit of each root box serves as a unique identifier, allowing the cloud server module to establish a correlation between root data and root boxes. This enables precise traceability throughout the entire process from data acquisition and transmission to storage, facilitating users to quickly retrieve and obtain historical data for specific root boxes via the terminal module using the code. Furthermore, the edge gateway module, acting as a regional node, aggregates and uploads data, reducing the processing pressure on the cloud server. Combined with the hierarchical transmission mechanism of the hierarchical code, it effectively adapts to distributed deployment scenarios involving multiple regions, greenhouses, and rows, improving system management efficiency and scalability.

[0019] The core innovation of this invention lies in the fact that each root observation unit (i.e., root scanning root box) is equipped with an independent controller (i.e., local control unit) and an electrical support module (i.e., power supply and communication interface), so that the observation unit is no longer a simple physical container, but an intelligent unit with independent control, independent power supply, independent communication and independent expansion capabilities.

[0020] This enables flexible expansion and precise control of the observation unit, effectively solving the technical problems of traditional root observation equipment, such as inability to expand, difficulty in maintenance, low control accuracy, and poor applicability, and significantly improving the overall control accuracy and applicability of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram of the root scanning system provided by the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the root scanning root box provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is the second schematic diagram of the root scanning root box provided by the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is one of the flowcharts of the root scanning method provided by the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0028] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, used in the description of this invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or modules is not limited to the steps or modules listed, but may optionally include other steps or modules not listed, or may optionally include other steps or modules inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0029] Furthermore, in this invention, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this invention should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0030] Plant roots are vital organs for absorbing water and nutrients. Their phenotypic characteristics (such as length, diameter, number of branches, and biomass) directly reflect the plant's growth status and stress resistance, and are of great significance for crop breeding, cultivation management, and soil environment research. Currently, root phenotyping technology is the core means of obtaining root phenotypic characteristics, but existing technologies still have many shortcomings and cannot meet the needs of high-throughput, high-precision, and large-scale monitoring.

[0031] Current technologies generally employ a "mobile scanning platform + independent root box" model. In this model, the root box and scanning equipment are separate, requiring the root box to be pulled out and scanned serially by the mobile platform. This approach not only has a complex mechanical structure and low scanning efficiency, but also requires a large space for platform movement, leading to distortion of planting spacing. Frequent pulling and platform movement can also easily disturb plant growth. Furthermore, a single point of failure can paralyze the entire system, resulting in poor reliability. Simultaneously, current technologies lack a complete data processing system. Scanned data is mostly stored locally in a single root box, making it difficult to achieve synchronous aggregation of data from multiple root boxes, efficient transmission of massive amounts of data, and cloud storage and analysis. Moreover, the root box itself lacks an independent control unit, making it impossible to attach multi-parameter soil sensors, resulting in limited data acquisition dimensions and insufficient refined monitoring capabilities.

[0032] For distributed root box deployment scenarios involving multiple regions, greenhouses, and rows, existing technologies lack effective hierarchical management and data traceability mechanisms. Root boxes are scattered and difficult to manage uniformly, data cannot be accurately traced back to individual root boxes, and transmission latency is high, resulting in low management efficiency. Therefore, developing a high-throughput root phenotyping system and method that is structurally simplified, cost-effective, efficient, functionally scalable, adaptable to distributed deployment, and enables accurate data traceability has become an urgent technical problem to be solved in this field.

[0033] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a root scanning system. In this system, by integrating the scanning imaging module and local control unit into each root scanning box, each root box can independently and in parallel acquire root images without relying on an external moving scanning platform or pulling mechanism. This significantly shortens the overall scanning time of large-scale root box arrays, improves scanning efficiency, and completely eliminates disturbance to plant growth and soil structure caused by mechanical movements, ensuring the authenticity of experimental data. Simultaneously, the hierarchical code bound to the local control unit of each root box serves as a unique identifier. The cloud server module uses this code to establish the association between root data and root boxes, achieving precise traceability throughout the entire process from data acquisition and transmission to storage. This allows users to quickly retrieve and obtain historical data for specific root boxes via the terminal module using the code. Furthermore, the edge gateway module, acting as a regional node, aggregates and uploads data, reducing the processing pressure on the cloud server. Combined with the hierarchical transmission mechanism of the hierarchical code, it effectively adapts to distributed deployment scenarios involving multiple regions, greenhouses, and rows, improving system management efficiency and scalability.

[0034] Furthermore, multiple root cells are scanned independently in parallel. The more root cells there are, the higher the overall scanning efficiency, effectively solving the problems of long cycles and low efficiency in traditional serial scanning, and making it well-suited for large-scale experimental needs. At the same time, each root cell uses a low-speed micro-scanning module, reducing the cost of a single module. By achieving overall high efficiency through parallel scanning, it achieves the dual advantages of "low cost + high throughput".

[0035] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 5 The root scanning system and method of the present invention are described.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, a root system scanning system provided by the present invention includes: a root system scanning root box array (including multiple root system scanning root boxes, such as root system scanning root box 101), an edge gateway module 102, a cloud server module 103, and a terminal module 104.

[0037] The root system scanning root box array consists of multiple root system scanning root boxes arranged in an array. Each root system scanning root box includes a scanning imaging module and a local control unit. The local control unit of each root system scanning root box is bound with a corresponding hierarchical code. The scanning imaging module is used to acquire images of the plant root system within the root system scanning root box. Root system scanning root box 101 is used to send root system data to the edge gateway module.

[0038] For example, it is deployed in two distributed regions (region A and region B), with two greenhouses in each region (greenhouse A1, greenhouse A2; greenhouse B1, greenhouse B2). Each greenhouse has 5 rows of root scanning root boxes, with 10 root boxes in each row, for a total of 2×2×5×10=200 root scanning root boxes, realizing distributed high-throughput across multiple regions, greenhouses, and rows.

[0039] For example, the root scanning box can be flat, circular, etc., and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The root scanning box is used for planting plants, and the root scanning box is provided with a transparent observation surface to adapt to the needs of root growth and scanning.

[0040] The root scanning root box adopts an ultra-thin structure, which can be closely arranged (without the need for additional movement space). The planting spacing is close to the actual situation in the field, avoiding the spacing deviation caused by the reserved movement space in traditional solutions.

[0041] For example, the root scanning box is 60 cm high, 80 cm wide, and 40 mm thick.

[0042] The local control unit incorporates a microcontroller and a local storage module. The local control unit receives control commands and, based on these commands, controls the starting and stopping of the scanning imaging module and adjusts scanning parameters. The local storage module temporarily caches the scanning data acquired by the root box during root system scanning.

[0043] In this embodiment of the invention, each root system scanning root box is assigned a unique hierarchical code. The hierarchical code is generated according to the topological hierarchical rule of "regional code - greenhouse code - row code - root box number" and is bound to the local control unit to realize the physical positioning, data traceability and precise control of the root box.

[0044] The hierarchical coding includes: regional hierarchical information, greenhouse hierarchical information, row hierarchical information, and root box number.

[0045] For example, suppose a root scanning root box is deployed in the third row (e.g., the third row of planting racks) of greenhouse 02 (e.g., greenhouse 2) in region A, and the root box is numbered 08 in that row. Then the hierarchical code of the root box can be represented as: A-02-03-08. Through this code, the system can uniquely determine the physical location of the root box: region A → greenhouse 02 → third row → root box number 8, thereby achieving precise positioning, data traceability, and accurate issuance of control commands.

[0046] In some embodiments, the root scanning root box 101 further includes a root box body. The scanning imaging module of the root scanning root box 101 includes an imaging sensor, a light source, and a two-dimensional driving unit. The scanning imaging module is sealed and waterproofed before being attached and fixed to the transparent observation surface of the root box body. The imaging sensor is used for RGB imaging, single-point spectral scanning, or spectral imaging scanning. The two-dimensional driving unit is used to drive the imaging sensor and the light source to perform two-dimensional scanning motion within the back plane of the root box body.

[0047] For example, the two-dimensional driving unit includes a longitudinal driving component and a transverse driving component. The longitudinal driving component drives the imaging sensor and light source to move along the height direction (Y-axis) of the root box body, while the transverse driving component drives the imaging sensor and light source to move along the width direction (X-axis) of the root box body. In one possible implementation, both the longitudinal and transverse driving components employ stepper motors in conjunction with a lead screw and guide rail mechanism. The stepper motor has a step angle of 1.8°, and the driving chip supports microstepping (e.g., 16 microsteps), with a minimum single-step displacement of 0.01mm to 0.1mm. The lead screw has a lead of 2mm, and the linear guide rail ensures smooth movement. The control accuracy of the two-dimensional driving unit is ±0.1mm, which meets the requirements for repeatability of scanning position positioning during root system image acquisition.

[0048] In another implementation, the two-dimensional drive unit can also use a DC servo motor in conjunction with a grating ruler or magnetic grating ruler to form a closed-loop control, achieving a position feedback resolution of up to 0.01 mm, further ensuring the stitching accuracy of the scanned images. The motion control commands for the two-dimensional drive unit are issued by the local control unit. The local control unit controls the two-dimensional drive unit to drive the imaging sensor and light source to scan line by line behind the transparent observation surface according to the preset scanning path (such as a "bow" or "Z" shaped path). Each step forward triggers the imaging sensor to acquire a local image, and finally, the local control unit stitches all the local images into a complete root system image.

[0049] Based on the above technical solution, the scanning imaging module, after being sealed and waterproofed, is attached and fixed to the transparent observation surface of the root box body, forming an integrated structure with the root box body. This eliminates the need for an external moving scanning platform, allowing the root box to remain stationary during scanning. This completely avoids the mechanical disturbance to plant growth and soil structure caused by pulling or moving the root box or platform in traditional solutions, ensuring the authenticity and repeatability of experimental data. Simultaneously, the imaging sensor supports multiple imaging modes, including RGB imaging, single-point spectral scanning, and spectral imaging scanning, allowing for flexible selection of imaging methods according to different experimental needs, acquiring richer root phenotypic information. The two-dimensional driving unit drives the imaging sensor and light source to perform two-dimensional scanning motion within the plane on the back of the root box, ensuring complete and high-precision coverage imaging of the root region within the entire transparent observation surface, thereby improving the integrity and data quality of root image acquisition.

[0050] In some embodiments, the local control unit also has an expansion interface for binding sensors and controlling and acquiring data from them, and supports online expansion of sensor functions without the need for additional control equipment.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the extended interface is used to connect to a multi-parameter soil sensor. The multi-parameter soil sensor includes one or more of a soil moisture sensor, a soil temperature sensor, a soil conductivity sensor, and a soil dielectric constant sensor.

[0052] Among them, a soil moisture sensor measures the volumetric water content of the soil. A soil temperature sensor measures the thermal state of the soil. A soil conductivity sensor measures the salt content or ion concentration in the soil solution. A soil dielectric constant sensor measures the dielectric properties of the soil, thereby indirectly reflecting soil moisture or texture information. By binding the above sensors, the root scanning root box can simultaneously acquire root phenotypic data and soil environmental parameters, realizing the collaborative acquisition of multi-dimensional data.

[0053] In some embodiments, the root scanning root box also includes a power supply and communication interface; the power supply and communication interface provides a power supply and data transmission channel for connecting all sensors.

[0054] The power supply and communication interface has a built-in small power supply module that is compatible with solar power or wired power supply. The power supply and communication interface also integrates a communication interface that supports wired and / or wireless communication to enable bidirectional data transmission with the edge gateway. The power supply and communication interface is also used to provide a stable power supply and data transmission channel for various bound sensors to ensure that the data collected by the sensors and the root system scan data are transmitted synchronously and stored collaboratively.

[0055] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, a schematic diagram of the root system scanning root box is presented. The root system scanning root box includes: a root box frame (i.e., the root box body), a control module (i.e., the local control unit), a vertical axis drive motor, a horizontal drive motor, a vertical axis guide rail, a horizontal axis guide rail (i.e., the two-dimensional drive unit), and an illumination imaging unit (i.e., the scanning imaging module).

[0056] The edge gateway module 102 is used to receive root system data uploaded by the root system scanning root box and upload it to the cloud server module.

[0057] The edge gateway module 102 serves as a regional control and transmission node, receiving cloud commands and aggregating root box data within the region to achieve hierarchical management and graded transmission, thereby reducing latency and data congestion in cross-regional and large-scale transmissions.

[0058] Optionally, the edge gateway module is divided into regional edge gateway modules and greenhouse edge gateway modules. For example, consider two distributed regions (Region A and Region B), each with two greenhouses. Each region has one regional edge gateway module, and each greenhouse has one greenhouse edge gateway module, for a total of two regional edge gateway modules and four greenhouse edge gateway modules. For instance, the edge gateway module uses an industrial-grade gateway with a built-in 16GB local cache, supports multiple interfaces including Ethernet, 5G, and WiFi, and has a processing capacity of ≥1GHz.

[0059] The edge gateway module 102 is also used to preprocess the root system data to obtain processed root system data; Preprocessing includes at least one of the following: data filtering, data denoising, and data format standardization.

[0060] Data filtering refers to removing invalid or substandard data from the collected root data according to preset filtering rules. For example, for root scan images, if the image is blurry due to insufficient lighting or occlusion and cannot be used for subsequent phenotypic analysis, the image is marked as invalid data and discarded; for sensor data, if the measurement value at a certain time point significantly exceeds the normal range (such as a sudden drop in soil temperature to tens of degrees below zero), it is determined to be an outlier and filtered. Through data filtering, the amount of data uploaded to the cloud can be reduced, lowering storage and processing pressure.

[0061] Data denoising refers to the use of signal processing or image processing algorithms to eliminate noise interference in root system data. For example, for root scan images, methods such as mean filtering, median filtering, or Gaussian filtering can be used to remove image noise caused by sensor thermal noise or ambient stray light, making root edges clearer. For sensor data (such as soil moisture, conductivity, etc.), methods such as moving average or low-pass filtering can be used to smooth short-term fluctuations and extract stable trends. Data denoising can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the data, providing more reliable input for subsequent phenotypic parameter calculations.

[0062] Data format standardization refers to converting heterogeneous data collected from different root boxes and sensors into a predefined standard format. For example, root system images with different resolutions and bit depths can be uniformly scaled or resampled to a fixed size and pixel depth; timestamps, numerical values, and other fields collected by sensors can be standardized into structured data formats such as JSON or Protocol Buffers, with specified field names, units, and data types. Standardized formats facilitate efficient data aggregation and uploading to the cloud by edge gateways, and also enable cloud servers to perform subsequent unified storage, retrieval, and analysis.

[0063] The edge gateway has a local temporary caching function. When the cloud server fails or the network connection is interrupted, it can temporarily store the data uploaded by the root boxes in the jurisdiction locally, and automatically synchronize and upload it to the cloud after the network is restored to prevent data loss.

[0064] The cloud server module 103 is used to receive and store the data uploaded by the edge gateway module, and to establish the association between the root system data and the root system scan root box according to the hierarchical coding.

[0065] In this embodiment of the invention, the cloud server module 103 can receive root system data and corresponding hierarchical codes sent by the root system scanning root box, and then establish the association between the root system data and the corresponding hierarchical codes.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cloud server module has data encryption, data backup, and data recovery functions to prevent data leakage and loss, and to ensure the integrity and security of experimental data. At the same time, the cloud server module supports data access control, allowing different users to view and download root box data in their respective areas according to their access levels, thus ensuring the security of data access.

[0067] The cloud server module provides a standardized data interface, which is used to connect with the terminal analysis module and third-party testing platforms to achieve data sharing and secondary analysis, in order to meet the needs of different testing scenarios.

[0068] Status monitoring: The cloud server module monitors the operating status of all edge gateway modules and root system scanning root boxes in real time, quickly locates faulty nodes based on hierarchical coding, and issues alarm signals when a fault is detected to notify users to perform maintenance in a timely manner.

[0069] Terminal module 104 is used to obtain root system data through the cloud server module.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the terminal module supports users to download root system data stored in the cloud from different locations. Users can filter data for specific root boxes or specific time periods by hierarchical coding, and can also download root box data for a certain region, a certain greenhouse, or a certain row in batches.

[0071] For example, the terminal module 104 sends a download instruction to the cloud server. The download instruction includes: regional information, greenhouse information, row information, root box code, specific time period, etc.

[0072] Optionally, the terminal module incorporates a root phenotypic analysis algorithm. This algorithm is used to automatically analyze scanned images and spectral data to extract root data (such as root length, diameter, number of branches, biomass, and other phenotypic parameters). Simultaneously, the terminal module integrates sensor data parsing functionality to enable collaborative analysis of root phenotypic data and multi-parameter soil data, outputting quantitative results to provide data support for experimental research.

[0073] In some embodiments, the terminal module supports intuitive display of root growth status and scan data change trends in the form of charts, image comparisons, etc., and supports comparison of data from multiple root boxes and data from multiple time periods, so that users can quickly grasp the dynamics of plant growth.

[0074] In some embodiments, the terminal module allows users to remotely view the operating status of each root box, edge gateway module, and cloud server module, quickly locate the specific region, temperature range, and order of the faulty root box based on hierarchical coding, and receive fault alarms including root box faults or transmission interruptions, facilitating timely maintenance by users; at the same time, users can trace the historical data and control records of the root box through hierarchical coding to achieve full lifecycle management.

[0075] The terminal module allows users to remotely set the scanning parameters and sensor acquisition frequency of the root box by sending control commands, thereby enabling remote management and control of the root box.

[0076] Based on the above scheme, by integrating the scanning imaging module and the local control unit into each root scanning root box, each root box can independently and in parallel acquire root images without relying on an external mobile scanning platform and pulling mechanism. This not only significantly shortens the overall scanning time of large-scale root box arrays and improves scanning efficiency, but also completely eliminates the disturbance of mechanical movements to plant growth and soil structure, ensuring the authenticity of experimental data. At the same time, the hierarchical code bound in the local control unit of each root box serves as a unique identifier. The cloud server module uses this to establish the association between root data and root boxes, realizing accurate traceability of the entire process from data acquisition, transmission to storage. This allows users to quickly retrieve and obtain historical data of specific root boxes by code through the terminal module. In addition, the edge gateway module, as a regional node, aggregates and uploads data, reducing the processing pressure on the cloud server. Combined with the hierarchical transmission mechanism of hierarchical coding, it effectively adapts to distributed deployment scenarios with multiple regions, multiple greenhouses, and multiple rows, improving system management efficiency and scalability.

[0077] In some embodiments, the root system scanning system further includes a data transmission module. The data transmission module is used to establish a communication connection between the root system scanning root box and the edge gateway module.

[0078] For example, the root system scanning root box transmits root system data to the edge gateway module 102 through the data transmission module.

[0079] The data transmission module supports at least one of the following wireless transmission methods: Long Range (LoRa), WiFi, and cellular networks. The data transmission module also supports at least one of the following wired transmission methods: Ethernet and serial communication bus.

[0080] It should be understood that cellular networks refer to mobile communication networks based on cellular structures, such as 4G LTE, 5G NR, 3G WCDMA, and GSM. In this system, the root scanning root box or edge gateway can remotely transmit data with the cloud server via 4G / 5G modules, making it suitable for cross-regional, distributed deployment scenarios.

[0081] Serial communication bus refers to bus standards used for serial data transmission between devices, such as RS-485, RS-232, CAN bus, and Inter-Integrated Circuit (IIC) bus. 2 C) Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), etc. In this system, the root box and the edge gateway can communicate via an RS-485 bus, which features strong anti-interference capability, long transmission distance, and support for multi-node networking, making it suitable for stable data transmission in greenhouses.

[0082] In some embodiments, the data transmission module may employ a data compression algorithm (for lossless / lossy compression of image and spectral data) to reduce data transmission volume and improve transmission efficiency; it also supports breakpoint resumption to avoid data loss due to network interruption.

[0083] The terminal module 104 is also used to send control commands to control the root system scanning root boxes. These control commands include hierarchical encoding. The cloud server module 103 is also used to receive the control commands sent by the terminal module and, based on the regional hierarchical information and greenhouse hierarchical information, send the control commands to the corresponding edge gateway modules. The edge gateway module 102 is also used to send control commands to the root system scanning root boxes 101 based on the row hierarchical information and the root box number.

[0084] In one possible implementation, the cloud server module 103 determines the corresponding regional edge gateway module based on the regional hierarchy information. Then, the regional gateway module determines the corresponding greenhouse edge gateway module based on the greenhouse hierarchy information and sends control commands to the greenhouse edge gateway module.

[0085] For example, control commands include, but are not limited to: scan parameter setting commands, scan start / stop commands, sensor configuration commands, root box status query commands, etc.

[0086] The scanning parameter setting command is used to set the operating parameters of the scanning imaging module, such as scanning frequency, imaging resolution, and spectral scanning range. The scanning start / stop command is used to indicate whether to start or stop the scanning task. The sensor configuration command is used to set the acquisition frequency, measurement range, etc. of the bound soil multi-parameter sensor. The root box status query command is used to query the current operating status, fault information, and storage capacity of the root box.

[0087] Through the aforementioned layer-by-layer parsing and hierarchical forwarding control mechanism, combined with the unique identification function of hierarchical coding, the system achieves precise and efficient control of large-scale distributed root box arrays: it can control a single root box individually, or control a group of root boxes in batches based on the region, greenhouse, or row information in the hierarchical coding (e.g., sending a unified command to all root boxes under a certain greenhouse). This hierarchical control method avoids network congestion caused by command broadcasting, while ensuring the accuracy and traceability of control.

[0088] The above is an introduction to the root scanning system. The following section describes a root scanning method proposed in an embodiment of the present invention, using the root scanning system as an example.

[0089] Figure 4 This is one of the flowcharts of the root scanning method provided by the present invention, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following: Step 401: Root Scanning Root Box The root box collects root data of the plants in the root box through the scanning imaging module and sends the root data to the edge gateway module.

[0090] The root scanning root box is an independent device that integrates a scanning imaging module and a local control unit.

[0091] In one possible implementation, after receiving the acquisition command, the root scanning root box's internal two-dimensional drive unit drives the imaging sensor and light source to perform a row-by-row or column-by-column two-dimensional scan of the root area behind the transparent observation surface of the root box, generating a series of local images, which are then stitched together by the local control unit into a complete root image as root data.

[0092] Step 402: The edge gateway module sends root data to the cloud server module.

[0093] The edge gateway module acts as a regional data aggregation node. In one possible implementation, the edge gateway module listens to its network port in real time, receiving root system data uploaded from all root system scan root boxes within its jurisdiction. After receiving the data, the edge gateway module can package it or establish a secure connection with the cloud server module according to a preset strategy (such as real-time upload or timed upload), and then send the data out via the Internet.

[0094] Step 403: The cloud server module establishes the association between root system data and root system scanning root boxes based on the hierarchical code corresponding to the root system scanning root boxes, and sends the root system data to the terminal module.

[0095] The hierarchical code is a unique identifier for each root system scan root box, such as "A-02-03-08".

[0096] In one possible implementation, the root system data carries this hierarchical code throughout its transmission from the root box. Upon receiving the data, the cloud server module parses the hierarchical code and creates a new data record in its database. In this record, the root system data file and the hierarchical code field are stored together. In this way, the cloud server module can build a database that can be retrieved and indexed via hierarchical codes, clearly identifying the specific source of each piece of data. Subsequently, the cloud server module can send the corresponding root system data to the terminal module based on requests from the terminal module (such as download requests).

[0097] Based on the above technical solution, distributed parallel processing of data acquisition is achieved by independently collecting and directly sending data from the root box, greatly improving the overall scanning throughput. The introduction of an edge gateway for data aggregation alleviates the connection pressure on the cloud server. Data association is established on the cloud server based on hierarchical coding, enabling efficient data management and accurate traceability. The entire methodology forms an efficient and reliable data loop from the physical world (root box) to the digital world (cloud) and then to the user interface (terminal).

[0098] In some embodiments, the terminal module sends control commands to the cloud server module. These control commands control the root system scanning root boxes and include the hierarchical code of the root system scanning root boxes. The cloud server module sends control commands to the corresponding edge gateway modules based on the regional and greenhouse hierarchical information. The edge gateway modules then send control commands to the root system scanning root boxes based on the row hierarchical information and the root box number.

[0099] In some embodiments, upon reaching a preset scanning time, the cloud server module sends a data acquisition command to all edge gateway modules. This data acquisition command instructs the root system scanning root box to collect root system data. The edge gateway module then sends the data acquisition command to the root system scanning root box.

[0100] In this embodiment of the invention, the cloud server module can serve as the time synchronization source and task scheduling center for the entire system. Users can pre-set a unified scanning schedule (e.g., 2:00 AM daily) for the entire system or root box groups at different levels on the cloud server module. When the system time reaches the preset scanning time, the cloud server module automatically generates a data acquisition command and broadcasts or sends the command to each edge gateway module via a long-lived connection with it. Upon receiving the command, each edge gateway module immediately forwards it to all root boxes within its jurisdiction, triggering all root boxes to begin scanning and data acquisition almost simultaneously. This unified cloud scheduling mechanism ensures a high degree of synchronization for large-scale distributed root box arrays, which is crucial for comparative experiments that require comparing root growth differences between different treatment groups at the same time, guaranteeing the comparability of experimental data over time.

[0101] The root scanning device provided by this invention will be described below. The root scanning device described below corresponds to the root scanning method described above. It is understood that electronic devices (such as root scanning root boxes) include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to achieve the above functions. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the root scanning method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this invention, this invention can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0102] Figure 5 An example is a schematic diagram of the physical structure of an electronic device, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device may include a processor 510, a communications interface 520, a memory 530, and a communication bus 540, wherein the processor 510, the communications interface 520, and the memory 530 communicate with each other through the communication bus 540. The processor 510 can call logical instructions in the memory 530 to execute the root scanning method.

[0103] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 530 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0104] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer is able to perform the root scanning methods provided by the above methods.

[0105] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, is implemented to perform the root scanning methods provided by the methods described above.

[0106] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0107] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0108] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A root scanning system, characterized in that, The system includes: A root scanning root box array, wherein the root scanning root box array is composed of multiple root scanning root boxes arranged in a row, each root scanning root box includes: a scanning imaging module and a local control unit; the local control unit of each root scanning root box is bound with a corresponding hierarchical code, and the scanning imaging module is used to acquire images of the plant roots in the root scanning root box; The root system scanning root box is used to send root system data to the edge gateway module; The edge gateway module is used to receive the root system data uploaded by the root system scanning root box and upload it to the cloud server module; The cloud server module is used to receive and store the data uploaded by the edge gateway module, and establish the association between the root system data and the root system scanning root box according to the hierarchical encoding; The terminal module is used to obtain the root system data through the cloud server module.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hierarchical coding includes: regional hierarchical information, greenhouse hierarchical information, row hierarchical information, and root box number; The terminal module is also used to send control commands, which are used to control the root system scanning root box, and the control commands include the hierarchical encoding; The cloud server module is also used to receive the control command sent by the terminal module, and send the control command to the corresponding edge gateway module according to the regional level information and greenhouse level information; The edge gateway module is also used to send the control command to the root system scanning root box according to the row hierarchy information and the root box number.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The root scanning root box also includes a root box body; The root scanning imaging module of the root box includes an imaging sensor, a light source, and a two-dimensional driving unit; the scanning imaging module is sealed and waterproofed and then attached to the transparent observation surface of the root box body. The imaging sensor is used for RGB imaging, single-point spectral scanning, or spectral imaging scanning. The two-dimensional driving unit is used to drive the imaging sensor and the light source to perform two-dimensional scanning motion in the back plane of the root box body.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local control unit of the root scanning root box has an expansion interface for connecting a multi-parameter soil sensor. The soil multi-parameter sensor includes one or more of the following: soil moisture sensor, soil temperature sensor, soil conductivity sensor, and soil dielectric constant sensor.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The root scanning root box also includes a power supply and communication interface; the power supply and communication interface provides a power supply and data transmission channel for connecting all sensors.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The edge gateway module is also used to preprocess the root system data to obtain the processed root system data; The preprocessing includes at least one of the following: data filtering, data denoising, and data format standardization.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a data transmission module; The data transmission module is used to establish a communication connection between the root system scanning root box and the edge gateway module; The data transmission module supports at least one of the following wireless transmission methods: long-range low-power wireless transmission, WiFi, and cellular networks. The data transmission module also supports at least one of the following wired transmission methods: Ethernet and serial communication bus.

8. A root scanning method, characterized in that, The method includes: The root scanning root box collects root data of the plants in the root scanning root box through the scanning imaging module and sends the root data to the edge gateway module; The edge gateway module sends the root system data to the cloud server module; The cloud server module establishes the association between the root system data and the root system scanning root box according to the hierarchical code corresponding to the root system scanning root box, and sends the root system data to the terminal module.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The hierarchical coding includes: regional hierarchical information, greenhouse hierarchical information, row hierarchical information, and root box number; the method further includes: The terminal module sends control commands to the cloud server module. The control commands are used to control the root system scanning root box, and the control commands include the hierarchical encoding of the root system scanning root box. The cloud server module sends the control command to the corresponding edge gateway module based on the regional level information and the greenhouse level information; The edge gateway module sends the control command to the root system scanning root box based on the row hierarchy information and the root box number.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the preset scanning time is reached, the cloud server module sends a data acquisition instruction to all edge gateway modules. The data acquisition instruction is used to instruct the root system scanning root box to collect root system data. The edge gateway module sends the data acquisition command to the root system scanning root box.

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