Aircraft-Based Sensor Scattering for Farmland Environment Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-scale agricultural operations face challenges in efficiently collecting and optimizing water and agricultural chemical usage due to the labor-intensive process of battery replacement and data retrieval from numerous field observation devices, leading to inefficiencies and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft equipped with a transmitter capable of sending electromagnetic waves of specific wavelengths and rotary wings, autonomously flying over a field to collect environment information such as water content, temperature, and pH using sensor elements that change properties in response to environmental conditions, allowing for efficient data collection without the need for frequent battery replacements or manual data retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an enormous number of field observation devices are located on extensive farmland to obtain environment information distribution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and labor requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from ground-based field observation devices to aerial observation using aircraft, changing the spatial dimension from two-dimensional ground coverage to three-dimensional aerial surveillance. This allows comprehensive environmental monitoring of extensive farmland areas without requiring numerous ground devices, thereby improving measurement precision while reducing device complexity and labor requirements.
2Ease of operation
If field observation devices operate using batteries, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of time increases due to periodic battery replacement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs biodegradable sensor elements that are scattered across the farmland and degrade naturally after use. These disposable sensor elements eliminate the need for battery replacement and device maintenance, allowing continuous operation without time loss for servicing. The sensor elements perform their measurement function and then biodegrade, converting the maintenance burden into a simple scatter-and-forget approach.
3Ease of operation
If workers manually approach field observation devices to obtain measurement results, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity decreases due to significant efforts and long periods required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of workers physically approaching and collecting data from ground-based devices with aerial aircraft that fly over the farmland and capture environmental information remotely. This substitution eliminates the need for manual data retrieval, significantly improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation through automated aerial surveillance and data collection.
4Productivity
If water and agricultural chemicals are used in large amounts on industrialized large scale farms, then productivity is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to environmental problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements environmental monitoring using sensor elements scattered across the farmland that detect water content, temperature, pH, and other environmental parameters. This feedback information is collected by aerial aircraft and used to optimize water and agricultural chemical application, enabling precise delivery only where and when needed. This feedback loop maintains high productivity while reducing harmful environmental factors by eliminating excessive resource use.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and effortless acquisition of environment information across extensive farmland areas, reducing labor and environmental impact by using autonomous flight and biodegradable sensor elements that adapt to environmental changes.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respect to electromagnetic wave changes in accordance with the surrounding environment
Implementation Method 2
at least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respect to electromagnetic wave changes in accordance with the surrounding environment
Implementation Method 3
at least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respect to electromagnetic wave changes in accordance with the surrounding environment
Implementation Method 4
at least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respect to electromagnetic wave changes in accordance with the surrounding environment
Implementation Method 5
an aircraft which transmits an electromagnetic wave with a specific wavelength to a target region
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~3B
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An environment information collecting system (1) collects environment information on a surface of the earth or a surface layer of the earth. The environment information collecting system (1) includes a sensor element (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) which is scattered (10) in a target region where the environment information is collected, of which at least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respective to an electromagnetic wave (E1, E2, E2) with a specific wavelength, or light emitting properties changes in accordance with an environment, and an aircraft (20) configured to receive the electromagnetic wave (E1, E2, E2) obtained from the sensor element (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) and configured to collect the environment information in the target region.