Subcortical Plant Injection Device with Force Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current subcortical injection methods for plants are inefficient due to variable needle insertion and injection forces, leading to high failure rates and inability to perform injections in an industrial, precise, and repeatable manner.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with force sensors and a microcontroller to measure and modulate the insertion and injection forces, ensuring consistent and precise subcortical delivery of substances by adjusting needle insertion and injection based on real-time feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual subcortical injection is performed without force sensing, then the device structure remains simple, but the injection success rate is low due to variable insertion and injection forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by equipping the injection device with force sensors that detect insertion force and injection force in real-time. The microcontroller processes these force signals to determine injection status and provide feedback to the operator through visual indicators, enabling adaptive control of the injection process based on actual plant conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical judgment with automated sensing systems. Force sensors substitute for operator tactile perception, and the microcontroller substitutes for operator decision-making, automatically determining injection success based on measured force characteristics rather than human experience
2Manufacturing precision
If force sensors and control systems are added to the injection device, then injection precision and adaptability improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses force sensors to continuously monitor insertion and injection forces, with the microcontroller processing these signals to provide real-time feedback control. Visual indicators convey injection status to the operator, creating a closed-loop system that enhances precision without requiring complex manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The injection device performs self-diagnosis and self-adjustment by automatically detecting force characteristics and determining injection status. The system serves itself by making real-time decisions about injection parameters based on sensor data, reducing the need for complex external control mechanisms
3Productivity
If drilling is used to access the xylem, then direct substance delivery to the vascular system is achieved, but large holes and localized heating increase the risk of spreading pathogens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the injection process by using controlled force application instead of high-speed drilling. The force sensors monitor and regulate insertion forces to remain below thresholds that would cause tissue damage or heating, delivering substances directly to the xylem through gentle, controlled penetration rather than aggressive mechanical drilling
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for subcortical injection of a substance into a plant includes a body, a first force sensor measuring bearing force of the apparatus on the plant, a hollow needle to penetrate the plant, a reservoir communicating with the needle and containing the substance, a first actuator moving the needle to insert it into the plant, a second force sensor measuring the force of insertion of the needle, a second actuator compressing the substance in the reservoir, a third actuator measuring pressurization force of the substance, and a microcontroller activating the first actuator only if the first force sensor detects a bearing force, modulating the activation of the first actuator, and thus the injection of the needle into the plant, depending on the measured insertion force, and which modulates compression in the reservoir, and thus injection into the plant, depending on the force measured by the third force sensor.