Extendable Wireless Soil Sensor Pole for Depth-Adaptive Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless soil sensor probes have a fixed length, making them inflexible and costly for large-area field deployments where varying soil conditions require different monitoring depths, increasing deployment difficulty and cost.
Innovation Solution
An extendable wireless soil measurement apparatus with a top head and sensors that can be assembled into a pole, featuring a sensor unit, circuit module, and engaging elements for flexible deployment, allowing sensors to be connected head-to-tail and adjustable in length to accommodate varying soil conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed-length wireless soil sensor probes are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the adaptability to different soil conditions and deployment flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is divided into multiple modular sensor units that can be connected in series to form an extendable pole structure. Each sensor unit contains a sensor module, circuit module, and engaging element, allowing the probe to be segmented into configurable lengths based on different soil monitoring requirements while maintaining structural simplicity through standardized modular components
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional fixed-length wireless soil sensor probes are used, then the manufacturing cost per unit is low, but the total deployment cost for large-area fields increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular sensor units are designed with universal engagement interfaces and standardized components that can be combined in different configurations. A single type of sensor unit can serve multiple monitoring depths and conditions by simply changing the number of units connected, eliminating the need to manufacture and stock multiple different probe models for different applications
3Ease of operation
If conventional fixed-length wireless soil sensor probes are used, then the design is simple, but the deployment difficulty and time increase for varying soil conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The probe transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic extendable structure where sensor units can be easily added or removed based on real-time deployment requirements. The engaging elements enable quick connection and disconnection of modular units, allowing the probe length to be dynamically adjusted to match different soil depths and monitoring needs without complex reconfiguration
Data Source
AI summary
A two-tier wireless soil measurement apparatus is disclosed, including a top head and a plurality of sensors, wherein the top head being placed on or above the ground and the plurality of sensors being buried under the soil for sensing soil conditions, generating soil data representing the sensed soil conditions, and transmitting generated soil conditions to the top head; the plurality of sensors able to be assembled into a pole and each of the plurality of sensors including a sensor unit for sensing a soil condition; a circuit module connected to the sensor unit for transmitting sensed soil condition to the top head, a sensor housing for housing the sensor unit and the circuit module; and an engaging element for engaging two sensors in a head-to-tail manner for form a pole.