Plant Sensor Light Path Merging for Accurate NDVI
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plant sensors face challenges in accurately determining the growing condition of crops with uneven surfaces due to displacement issues when emitting light with different wavelengths, which affects the acquisition of reflected light fluxes.
Innovation Solution
A plant sensor design that includes a first and second light emitter for emitting light with different wavelengths, a light receiver for capturing reflected light, a controller for synchronizing light emission, and a light path merging unit to ensure both lights are emitted from the same location, using a common outgoing light path to maintain accurate reflection rate measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a first light emitter and a second light emitter are arranged in a line to emit measuring light with different wavelengths, then the plant sensor can acquire reflection rates at different wavelengths, but the irradiation areas for the two measuring lights are displaced from each other, leading to unstable reflected light acquisition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the outgoing light paths of the first and second measuring lights into a common outgoing light path. This ensures that both measuring lights are emitted from the same physical location (light exit portion), eliminating the displacement problem between irradiation areas while maintaining the ability to measure reflection rates at different wavelengths accurately and stably
2Measurement precision
If the first irradiation area and the second irradiation area are adjusted to exactly the same place at a certain distance, then measurement accuracy is improved at that distance, but the areas are displaced from each other at distances other than the certain distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light path merging unit as an intermediary component that combines the outgoing light paths of the two measuring lights. This mediator ensures that both lights travel through the same optical path and exit from the same location, making the system adaptable to various distances without displacement issues, thereby improving both measurement precision and distance adaptability
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
This design allows for precise acquisition of reflected light fluxes from crops, reducing the influence of ambient light and enabling more accurate calculation of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), thereby improving the determination of crop growing conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a first light emitter configured to emit first measuring light with a first wavelength to irradiate a growing condition measurement target with the first measuring light; a second light emitter configured to emit second measuring light with a second wavelength
Implementation Method 2
a light receiver configured to receive reflected light of each of the first and second measuring light from the growing condition measurement target and output a received light signal
Data Source
AI summary
A plant sensor includes a first light emitter to emit first measuring light with a first wavelength to irradiate a growing condition measurement target therewith; a second light emitter to emit second measuring light with a second wavelength to irradiate the growing condition measurement target therewith; a light receiver to receive reflected light of each of the first and second measuring light from the growing condition measurement target and output a received light signal; a controller to control light emission; a light path merging unit to merge a first outgoing light path of the first measuring light from the first light emitter and a second outgoing light path of the second measuring light from the second light emitter; and a common outgoing light path connecting the light path merging unit to a light exit portion emitting the first measuring light and the second measuring light.