Soil Measurement System Using Wireless Signal Time of Flight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current soil moisture and soil electrical conductivity (EC) sensing technologies are costly, limiting their adoption in precision agriculture, as existing sensors are expensive and often unreliable, with high-end systems costing thousands of dollars and low-cost options being inaccurate and short-lived.
Innovation Solution
A low-cost soil measurement system using a soil surveying device with a wireless radio transmitter and a plurality of subterranean antennas to estimate soil permittivity by measuring the relative time of flight of Wi-Fi signals, allowing for accurate determination of soil moisture and EC levels without the need for expensive sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If expensive high-end soil sensing technologies are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional physical soil sensors with wireless electromagnetic signal-based measurement. Multiple wireless transmitters emit signals that penetrate the soil, and receivers detect the signals at different depths. The system processes the signal characteristics (amplitude, phase, time of flight) to determine soil moisture and electrical conductivity, eliminating the need for expensive physical sensors while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional wireless measurement system that simultaneously measures soil moisture, electrical conductivity, and depth-dependent soil properties using the same infrastructure of transmitters and receivers. This universal approach replaces multiple specialized sensors with a single integrated wireless system, reducing overall device cost while providing comprehensive soil characterization.
2Ease of manufacture
If low-cost soil sensors are used, then device cost is reduced, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces unreliable low-cost physical sensors with wireless electromagnetic sensing that has no moving parts or consumable components. The wireless transmitters and receivers operate without direct contact with soil, eliminating issues related to sensor degradation, contamination, and mechanical failure while maintaining low device cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless electromagnetic signals as an intermediary between the measurement system and the soil. Instead of physical sensors directly contacting and potentially degrading in the soil environment, the electromagnetic signals penetrate the soil and carry information about its properties back to receivers, providing reliable long-term operation without direct sensor-soil contact.
3Measurement precision
If traditional soil sensing methods are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a universal wireless communication infrastructure to perform multiple measurement functions simultaneously. The same transmitters and receivers that would be used for wireless communication also serve as the sensing system, measuring soil moisture, electrical conductivity, and depth-dependent properties without requiring separate specialized sensors for each parameter, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses wireless electromagnetic signals as an intermediary that naturally interact with soil properties to provide measurement information. The signals' amplitude, phase, and time of flight characteristics automatically encode soil moisture and electrical conductivity information as they penetrate and travel through the soil, eliminating the need for complex sensor mechanisms and signal processing hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A soil measurement system is provided, comprising a soil surveying device, a radio receiver, a plurality of subterranean antennas, and a processor. The soil surveying device comprises a wireless radio transmitter configured to emit a wireless signal at a predetermined bandwidth in a predetermined spectrum. The plurality of subterranean antennas are in an array electronically connected to the radio receiver and configured to be mounted in a subterranean environment at different depths in the subterranean environment. Each of the plurality of subterranean antennas is configured to receive the wireless signal at a respective point in time. The processor is configured to determine a relative time of flight of the received wireless signal between the plurality of antennas at the respective point in time, and estimate a soil permittivity based on the determined relative time of flight. The measurement system may be applied to materials other than soil, in some examples.