Plant Monitoring via Vibration Frequency Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant monitoring systems face challenges in continuously monitoring plant growth and health due to limitations in image capturing and vibration-based methods, such as the inability to capture images when obstructions occur and the potential for vibration to influence plant growth.
Innovation Solution
A plant monitoring apparatus that utilizes vibration analysis by extracting feature amounts from frequency responses of plant vibrations, calculating changes, and estimating plant states using growth models, allowing continuous monitoring without forcibly applying vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If image capturing apparatus is used to monitor plant growth, then plant growth can be monitored using captured images, but monitoring cannot continue when images of the reference marker or measurement target cannot be captured due to obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the optical/image capturing system with a vibration-based measurement system. Instead of using an image capturing apparatus to monitor plant growth, the system uses vibration sensors to detect vibrations of the plant, extracting feature amounts from frequency responses to calculate growth changes. This substitution eliminates the problem of image capture failure due to obstructions, as vibration measurements can be taken even when visual access is blocked.
2Reliability
If vibration is forcibly applied to plant using vibration source to ascertain health, then plant health can be monitored, but this can influence the growth of the plant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs ambient vibrations naturally present in the environment (wind, insect activity, animal movement) to excite the plant and generate measurable vibrations. The vibration sensor detects these naturally occurring vibrations without requiring an external vibration source, thereby monitoring plant health while avoiding harmful forced vibrations that could affect plant growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vibration sensor as an intermediary that passively detects vibrations transmitted through the plant from environmental sources. Rather than directly applying vibration to the plant, the sensor acts as a mediator that captures the plant's natural vibrational response to ambient stimuli, enabling health monitoring without direct mechanical interaction that could harm the plant.
3Ease of operation
If vibration sensor is used to detect plant vibrations, then continuous monitoring is possible without forcibly applying vibration, but the system requires extraction and analysis of feature amounts from frequency responses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores the relationship between feature amounts extracted from vibration frequency responses and actual plant growth states. By establishing this correlation model in advance, the system can directly estimate growth changes from measured feature amounts without requiring complex real-time analysis, thereby simplifying the operational complexity while maintaining continuous monitoring capability.
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 continuous monitoring of plant growth and health, even when images cannot be captured or vibration is not forcibly applied, facilitating remote monitoring and accurate recording of plant states.
Implementation Method 1
a vibration sensor that detects vibration of the target plant
Implementation Method 2
detects vibration of the fruit stem or branch caused by the imparted vibration
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A plant monitoring apparatus 1 includes: an extraction unit 2 that extracts a feature amount in a frequency response of vibration of a target plant with use of the vibration; a calculation unit 3 that calculates a change that indicates growth of the plant, based on the extracted feature amount and a reference feature amount that corresponds to a reference state of the plant; and an estimation unit 4 that estimates a state of the plant by, with use of the calculated change, referencing state information in which changes of the feature amount from the reference feature amount corresponding to growth of the plant are associated with states of the plant.