Plant Tracking Apparatus with GNSS Sensor for Automated Location Recording
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manually tracking planting locations of seedlings is cumbersome and inefficient for farmers, often requiring expensive surveying equipment and labor to collect and organize data on planting efficiency and crop growth.
Innovation Solution
A battery-powered, micro-processor-based device is integrated into planting utensils, featuring a GNSS sensor, triggering sensor, and controller to automatically record and transmit planting locations to a cloud server, allowing for efficient tracking and reporting of seedling positions, quantity, and density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If farmers manually track planting locations using expensive surveying equipment, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical surveying equipment with an electronic system comprising a GNSS receiver, microcontroller, and data processing unit. This substitution maintains measurement precision for tracking planting locations while significantly reducing device complexity and operational burden on farmers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically tracks and records planting locations without requiring manual intervention. The microcontroller continuously receives GNSS signals, processes location data, and stores planting information autonomously, eliminating the need for farmers to manually operate complex surveying equipment.
2Measurement precision
If farmers manually collect and organize planting location data, then measurement precision is maintained, but loss of time increases due to cumbersome data collection processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection and organization automatically during the planting process. The microcontroller continuously records GNSS coordinates and planting information in real-time, so that when planting is complete, the data is already organized and ready for analysis, eliminating post-planting data collection time.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual data collection and organization tasks are replaced by an automated electronic data processing system. The microcontroller and memory unit automatically capture, store, and organize planting location data, reducing the time farmers spend on these administrative tasks while maintaining data accuracy.
3Productivity
If automated tracking devices are integrated into planting utensils, then productivity is improved through automation, but device complexity increases due to integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tracking device with the planting utensil by integrating a compact GNSS receiver and microcontroller into the utensil handle or shaft. This combination allows automated tracking during normal planting operations without requiring separate equipment, improving productivity while managing integration complexity through unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The planting utensil is designed to serve multiple functions: traditional planting operations and automated location tracking. The integrated system uses the existing utensil structure for planting while incorporating electronic components for data collection, making the device versatile and reducing the need for additional specialized equipment.
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 solution automates the tracking of planting locations, reducing the burden on farmers by providing accurate and organized data on planting efficiency and crop growth, enhancing monitoring capabilities and reducing manual data collection efforts.
Implementation Method 1
The GNSS sensor may be positioned within the housing and may further be configured to generate location data
Implementation Method 2
the triggering sensor may comprise at least one of an accelerometers, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer positioned within the housing and functionally linked to the controller
Data Source
AI summary
A plant tracking apparatus, system, and method for tracking planting locations of a plurality of plants configured to be planted in a ground surface using a planting utensil having a handle, a blade, and a shaft defined between the handle and the blade is disclosed herein. The plant tracking apparatus includes a housing configured to be coupled to the planting utensil. The plant track apparatus further includes a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor, a planting sensor, and a controller positioned within or coupled to the housing. The controller is configured to record location data from the GNSS sensor in response to a planting signal from the planting sensor. In certain embodiments, the controller may determine the planting signal by comparing data from the planting sensor to a predetermined motion profile.