Soil Moisture Modeling for Field Readiness Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining field readiness, such as physical scouting and existing soil moisture models, are labor-intensive, inaccurate, and computationally inefficient, especially for smaller field sizes and timely decision-making post-rain events.
Innovation Solution
A method that divides fields into elements, generates detailed and general moisture factors, estimates soil moisture, and constructs a soil moisture map to create a scouting mission plan, optimizing field operations by improving spatial resolution and reducing computational time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If physical scouting is used to determine field readiness, then field conditions can be directly observed, but the method is labor intensive and can be inaccurate due to limited visibility and access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical physical scouting method with a computational soil moisture modeling system. The model uses input data (precipitation, evaporation, soil properties) to calculate soil moisture levels and predict field readiness, eliminating the need for physical field visits while providing comprehensive and accurate assessments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual representation of the field through computational modeling. Instead of physically visiting the field, the system creates a digital copy that simulates soil moisture conditions, allowing repeated observations without traveling to the actual field location.
2Area of stationary object
If regional scale models like IBIS are used, then large areas can be covered, but the spatial resolution is too coarse (1 km) to assess individual fields accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the field into multiple sub-fields or zones based on soil moisture conditions, topography, and other relevant factors. This segmentation allows the model to provide detailed, field-level assessments while maintaining the ability to cover large regions by applying the same segmentation logic across multiple fields.
3Measurement precision
If field-level models like PALMS are used to achieve 5m resolution, then spatial precision is improved, but computational time increases dramatically (from 1 hour to 40,000 hours for 25,000 km²)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different levels of modeling complexity to different areas. Instead of using high-resolution field-level models for entire large regions, the system uses regional models for broad areas and only applies detailed field-level modeling to specific zones where precision is most critical, optimizing the balance between resolution and computational time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs computational modeling only for the portions of the region where field readiness assessment is most critical, rather than uniformly applying high-resolution modeling across the entire 25,000 km² area. This partial action approach reduces total computational time while maintaining accuracy where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining field readiness using moisture modeling of a plurality of fields in a region of interest includes (a) generating a detailed set of moisture factors covering a plurality of scenarios for each field element of the plurality of field elements for a particular field; (b) repeating act (a) for each field of the region of interest; (c) generating a general set of moisture factors for a particular field of the plurality of fields to be applied to each field element of the plurality of field elements in the particular field; (d) repeating act (c) for each field of the plurality of fields in the region of interest; and (e) estimating soil moisture for each field element in the region of interest based on the detailed set of moisture factors and the general set of moisture factors.