Wireless Soil Sensor with Impedance and Capacitive Nodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional soil moisture monitoring systems are inefficient due to manual operation, expensive trenching methods, and susceptibility to damage from field operations, leading to inaccurate data collection and potential plant harm.
Innovation Solution
A wireless soil sensor system with integrated sensing structures for moisture and salinity measurement, featuring a processing unit, impedance sensing nodes, and capacitive sensing nodes that transmit data wirelessly, allowing for easy installation and continuous operation without trenching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual monitoring and control of soil moisture is used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but time consumption increases and measurement precision deteriorates due to inconsistent operator actions
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs self-monitoring and self-transmission of soil moisture data without requiring operator intervention. The sensor automatically measures soil moisture levels, processes the data internally, and transmits it wirelessly to a reader device, eliminating the need for manual checking and recording by operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement and recording processes with an automated electronic sensing and transmission system. The sensor uses electronic probes to measure soil moisture and wireless communication to transmit data, substituting the manual mechanical process of digging, measuring, and recording with an automated electronic system.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If trenching method is used to install probes, then continuous data collection is enabled, but installation cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data collection function from the complex trenching installation process. The sensor can be easily installed in the ground without requiring trenching for cable protection, as it uses wireless transmission to communicate with the reader device. This separates the continuous monitoring capability from the complex installation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless transmission system acts as an intermediary between the sensor and the reader device, eliminating the need for physical cable connections through the ground. The sensor communicates data to the reader wirelessly, avoiding the need for trenching and cable protection while enabling continuous operation.
3Reliability
If wired probe system is used, then power and data transmission are achieved, but susceptibility to damage from field operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired connection system with a wireless transmission system. The sensor communicates data to the reader device without physical cable connections, eliminating the vulnerability of wires to damage from field operations such as tractor traffic, harvesting equipment, and manual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication system serves as an intermediary that transmits data without requiring physical connections through the ground. This eliminates the point of failure that wired connections create, as the wireless signal can pass through the ground and surrounding environment without being damaged by field operations.
4Ease of operation
If manual data recording is used, then flexibility in data management is maintained, but measurement precision and accuracy deteriorate due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual data recording with automated electronic data capture and transmission. The sensor automatically measures soil moisture, processes the data electronically, and transmits it to the reader device without human intervention in the measurement process, eliminating transcription errors and ensuring precise, accurate data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides automatic feedback by continuously monitoring soil moisture levels and transmitting the data to the reader device. This automated feedback loop ensures that accurate, precise measurements are continuously recorded and made available for analysis, eliminating the delays and errors associated with manual recording and analysis.
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
The system provides accurate, continuous monitoring of soil conditions, reducing the risk of damage and improving resource management by automating data collection and transmission, thus optimizing watering and fertilization practices.
Implementation Method 1
impedance sensing nodes, and capacitive sensing nodes that transmit data wirelessly
Implementation Method 2
impedance sensing nodes, and capacitive sensing nodes that transmit data wirelessly
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a sensor device comprising: a housing; a processing unit assembly disposed within the housing, wherein the processing unit comprising a high frequency oscillator, a first voltage meter, a low frequency oscillator, a second voltage meter; a probe having a predetermined shape and profile attached to the processing unit and extending from the housing a predetermined distance; and a first sensing unit integrated into the probe and in electrical communication with the high frequency oscillator and the first voltage meter; a second sensing unit integrated into the probe relative to the first sensing unit and in electrical communication with the low frequency oscillator and the second voltage meter.