Optical Pasture Sensor for Real-Time Density Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pasture management techniques, such as the rising plate meter, are slow and prone to errors due to the need for numerous and representative readings, which limits the ability to accurately measure pasture growth and feed availability in real-time, especially in pugged conditions, hindering the implementation of precision agriculture in feed budgeting systems.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly with infrared emitter and receiver pairs mounted on a support frame, capable of taking 200 readings per second, geo-referenced data collection, and processing to calculate pasture density, which can be towed behind a vehicle for efficient and accurate pasture measurement, providing real-time data on pasture height, density, and metabolizable energy values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rising plate meter is used for pasture measurement, then measurements can be taken, but the process is slow and time-consuming, requiring considerable time to provide enough samples for accurate production pictures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical rising plate meter system with an optical measurement system using light emitters and receivers. This optical system can capture pasture height data much faster than manual mechanical measurements, enabling rapid data collection across paddocks without sacrificing measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the measurement parameters by using light transmission properties instead of mechanical plate displacement. By measuring light intensity variations as it passes through pasture vegetation, the system achieves rapid quantification of pasture height and density, dramatically reducing measurement time while maintaining precision.
2Loss of time
If fewer readings are taken with a rising plate meter, then less time is spent measuring, but errors are amplified and readings may not be representative of the paddock
Solution Approach 1:
The optical measurement system replaces manual mechanical sampling, enabling continuous or near-continuous data collection along travel paths. This substitution allows for significantly more data points to be captured in the same time period, improving the representativeness of the measurements across the entire paddock while maintaining efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous measurement action as the device moves through the paddock, rather than discrete intermittent measurements. This continuity ensures that a comprehensive dataset is collected that accurately represents spatial variations in pasture conditions, eliminating sampling gaps that could lead to unrepresentative readings.
3Measurement precision
If a rising plate meter is used in pugged conditions, then measurements can be obtained, but operator error increases significantly due to non-representative readings from hoof prints
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system replaces the mechanical rising plate meter that physically contacts the ground surface. By using light transmission through vegetation rather than mechanical insertion into the ground, the system completely eliminates operator error associated with placing the plate in or out of hoof prints, ensuring consistent and accurate measurements regardless of ground conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light as an intermediary between the measurement system and the pasture. Instead of direct mechanical contact with the ground that is susceptible to pugging artifacts, light passes through the vegetation canopy to measure height and density, using the vegetation itself as the measurement target rather than the ground surface, thereby eliminating the influence of hoof prints.
4Quantity of substance
If rising plate meter measurements are taken every 10 days, then enough samples can be collected, but only a snapshot in time is obtained and real-time pasture growth monitoring is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The optical measurement system replaces slow mechanical measurements with rapid optical sensing capability. This enables the collection of large quantities of pasture data in real-time or near real-time as the system moves through the paddock, eliminating the need for infrequent periodic sampling and allowing continuous monitoring of pasture growth dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous data collection throughout the measurement period rather than discrete periodic sampling. This continuous action captures the dynamic nature of pasture growth, providing temporal resolution that allows real-time monitoring and management decisions, while still accumulating sufficient data quantity for accurate assessment.
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 fast and accurate measurement of pasture conditions, reducing operator error and allowing for timely decision-making in feed management, improving pasture utilization by up to 15% and providing detailed data for targeted applications of fertilizers, irrigation, and grazing strategies.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor assembly with infrared emitter and receiver pairs mounted on a support frame
Implementation Method 2
a plant matter sensor, the sensor comprising a pair of parallel spaced apart sensor arms... a first of said arms having a plurality of emitter means spaced along its length, each emitter means configured and arranged to, in use, emit a signal substantially perpendicularly to the said arm to be received by a corresponding receiver means on the second arm
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A plant matter sensor (100), the sensor (100) comprising a pair of parallel spaced apart sensor arms (2) and a control console (3), a first of said arms (2) having a plurality of emitter means (6) spaced along its length, each emitter means (6) configured and arranged to, in use, emit a signal substantially perpendicularly to the said arm to be received by a corresponding receiver means (7) on the second arm (8), the console (3) containing control means to, in use, control the rate, strength and regularity of the signal emitted by each of the said emitter means (6), collection means to, in use, collect data from each receiver means (7) as to the existence or absence of receipt of a signal, processor means to process data received from the control means and the collection means and determine the height of any plant matter traversed by the plant matter sensor (100) and predetermined intervals, and storage means to store the plant matter height data generated by the processor means for subsequent download or analysis.