Pivot Irrigation UAV Feedback for Zone-Based Water Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional irrigation systems lack the ability to gather real-time data on crop conditions, leading to inefficient water distribution and application of fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in overwatering or underwatering of certain areas.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is integrated with a center pivot irrigation system to survey soil and crop conditions, providing real-time data for tailored irrigation scheduling and substance delivery, allowing for zone management and optimized resource application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional irrigation systems are used without real-time data collection, then the system structure remains simple, but water distribution efficiency deteriorates leading to overwatering or underwatering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as an intermediary component to collect real-time crop and soil condition data. The UAV acts as a mediator between the irrigation system and the environment, providing aerial imagery and sensor data that enables intelligent water distribution decisions without requiring complex embedded sensors throughout the entire irrigation infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where real-time data from UAV surveys about crop health, soil moisture, and environmental conditions is continuously fed back to the irrigation control system. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of water distribution parameters, allowing the system to respond to actual field conditions and optimize water efficiency
2Reliability
If uniform irrigation is applied across the entire irrigated area, then the irrigation system operation is simple, but crop health deteriorates due to not addressing varying moisture levels in different zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by dividing the irrigated area into distinct zones with different irrigation requirements based on real-time sensor data and aerial imagery. Each zone receives customized water distribution parameters tailored to its specific crop conditions, soil type, and moisture levels, rather than applying uniform irrigation across the entire area
Solution Approach 2:
The irrigation system is segmented into multiple independently controllable zones, each with its own irrigation schedule and parameters. This segmentation allows different parts of the irrigated area to receive appropriate water amounts based on their specific needs, improving overall crop health while maintaining manageable operational complexity through automated zone control
3Measurement precision
If real-time data collection and zone management are implemented, then resource distribution precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional UAV platforms that can perform multiple tasks including aerial imagery capture, soil moisture sensing, crop health monitoring, and environmental parameter measurement. This universality allows the system to achieve high measurement precision across multiple parameters using a single integrated platform rather than requiring separate specialized devices for each measurement function
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses aerial imagery and remote sensing to create digital representations and maps of the irrigated area, including moisture distribution maps and crop health indices. These digital copies enable precise measurement and analysis of field conditions without requiring physical contact with the crops or soil, reducing the complexity of on-ground sensor infrastructure
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for obtaining real-time data regarding the condition of a crop and planning and executing an irrigation cycle in response to the data. The invention uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to survey the conditions within an irrigated area. The unmanned aerial vehicle is operated from a base station mounted on the boom assembly of a pivot irrigation system. The inventive system determines a position for the base station and uses that position to land the UAV.