Mobile Open-Source Plant-Canopy Monitoring System

Fisher, Daniel K.; Huang, Yanbo

doi:10.4236/mi.2017.61001

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The P-B and P-C have calibrations that are closest in values to the sensor manufacturer's specifications, and thus have an advantage for liquid volume measurement. Similar studies have shown the use of ultrasonic sensors to be well fitted and accurate for the liquid level in similar type of containers, though with much larger diameters relative to the sensors' cone pattern [4]. The operational performance data show how well the calibration, described previously, can be applied to new data for each tube and pipe, as seen in Figure 4.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 59%

“…The autonomous measurement of liquid volume has multiple applications in the fields of precision agriculture and precision livestock farming, both in operations and development of new technologies. Such technologies could include water intake monitoring in livestock, sprayer nozzle analysis, and chemical tank level monitoring [1][2][3][4]. Of particular interest is the liquid volume measurement for sprayer nozzle patternator tables.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of Ultrasonic Sensor for Precision Liquid Volume Measurement in Narrow Tubes and Pipes

2023

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The introduction of computer vision and machine learning into agricultural systems has produced significant new opportunities for high precision application of liquid products in both grain and livestock agriculture. These technologies, which enable liquid application in site-specific, non-broadcast applications, are driving new evaluations of nozzle technologies which apply a consistent dose of liquid product in a non-conventional manner compared to historic perceptions. This field of innovation is driving the need for improved high-capacity systems for evaluating nozzle performance in high-precision applications. Historically, patternator tables with volumetric measurements of total applied liquid have served as the standard for fluid nozzle evaluation. These volumetric measurements are based on measuring the displaced distance of liquid over a defined time to determine flow rate. However, current distance sensors present challenges for achieving small-volume measurements and enabling automation at a scale necessary to meet innovation demands of high-precision nozzle systems. A novel concept for high speed and automated measurement of a high precision patternator table was developed using an ultrasonic sensor and a carefully designed liquid retainment system to maximize measurement precision. The performance of this system was quantified by comparing calibrations and performance across different vessels for volume measurement (tubes and pipes) used in the application of a nozzle patternator. A total of three square tubes (15.9, 22.3, 31.0 mm widths) and three pipes (25.2, 27.0, 35.1 mm diameters) were evaluated, with the 27 mm pipe matching the ultrasonic sensor’s rating. All calibrations were successful, depicting linear characteristics with R2 > 0.99. The smallest pipe presented issues for the sensor to measure in post-calibration and was thus not evaluated further. The residual values from operational performance highlight that the 25.2 mm tube and the 27.0 mm pipe are highly accurate with no indication of bias or non-normality. The relative uncertainty ranges from 2.9 to 42% (350 mL to 25 mL) depending on the tube and pipe cross-sectional diameter or width with the sensor accuracy and uncertainty in the tube and pipe area being the largest factors. The results of this study indicate that the 25.2 mm tube and the 27.0 mm pipe could be excellent options for autonomous liquid volume measurement with the ultrasonic sensor. A key challenge identified in this study is that the assumptions in the sensor’s intrinsic calibration are violated with the tubes and pipes evaluated.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 59%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Ultrasonic Sensor for Precision Liquid Volume Measurement in Narrow Tubes and Pipes

2023

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“…The sensor described by [5] was used in this study. It consisted of a batterypowered, microcontroller-based system containing a Bluetooth radio, global positioning receiver, four infrared temperature sensors (plant canopy temperature measurements), four ultrasonic distance sensors (plant height measurement), micro secure digital card, and voltage regulation components.…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, [5] developed a plant-canopy monitoring system with inexpensive sensors and open-source software, demonstrated how the system components worked, and discussed data output and potential applications of the data as a survey tool. The sensor system can be easily mounted on an agricultural vehicle such as a tractor to record plant height, plant canopy temperature, and location data as the device is moved throughout the field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Analysis of Soybean Plant Height and Plant Canopy Temperature Measured with On-the-Go Tractor Mounted Sensors

Fletcher¹,

Fisher²

2019

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There is a growing interest in the Open Ag community to use inexpensive sensors controlled by open-source software to measure plant height and plant canopy temperature of agricultural crops. Plant height and plant canopy temperature are key indicators of plant health. This research study reports on an ongoing research initiative to test a compact and inexpensive mobile sensor to measure plant height and plant canopy temperature. The system is controlled by open source software and hardware. The specific objectives for this study were to analyze the relationship between plant height and plant canopy temperature of soybeans (Glycine max L.

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“…Open hardware platforms are easy to realize and use; their low cost, coupled with the increasing amount of information sharing, supports the rapid development of new-generation, inexpensive, and very flexible scientific instrumentations [ 19 , 20 ]. Ultrasound-based high-throughput sensors or platforms have been proposed for use in different crops [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], mostly in the on-the-go mode.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring Plant Height and Spatial Distribution of Biometrics with a Low-Cost Proximal Platform

Bitella,

Bochicchio,

Castronuovo

et al. 2024

Plants

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Measuring canopy height is important for phenotyping as it has been identified as the most relevant parameter for the fast determination of plant mass and carbon stock, as well as crop responses and their spatial variability. In this work, we develop a low-cost tool for measuring plant height proximally based on an ultrasound sensor for flexible use in static or on-the-go mode. The tool was lab-tested and field-tested on crop systems of different geometry and spacings: in a static setting on faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and in an on-the-go setting on chia (Salvia hispanica L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Cross-correlation (CC) or a dynamic time-warping algorithm (DTW) was used to analyze and correct shifts between manual and sensor data in chia. Sensor data were able to reproduce with minor shifts in canopy profile and plant status indicators in the field when plant heights varied gradually in narrow-spaced chia (R2 = 0.98), faba bean (R2 = 0.96), and wheat (R2 = up to 0.99). Abrupt height changes resulted in systematic errors in height estimation, and short-scale variations were not well reproduced (e.g., R2 in widely spaced chia was 0.57 to 0.66 after shifting based on CC or DTW, respectively)). In alfalfa, ultrasound data were a better predictor than NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) for Leaf Area Index and biomass (R2 from 0.81 to 0.84). Maps of ultrasound-determined height showed that clusters were useful for spatial management. The good performance of the tool both in a static setting and in the on-the-go setting provides flexibility for the determination of plant height and spatial variation of plant responses in different conditions from natural to managed systems.

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Mobile Open-Source Plant-Canopy Monitoring System

Cited by 9 publications

References 19 publications

Evaluation of Ultrasonic Sensor for Precision Liquid Volume Measurement in Narrow Tubes and Pipes

Evaluation of Ultrasonic Sensor for Precision Liquid Volume Measurement in Narrow Tubes and Pipes

Spatial Analysis of Soybean Plant Height and Plant Canopy Temperature Measured with On-the-Go Tractor Mounted Sensors

Monitoring Plant Height and Spatial Distribution of Biometrics with a Low-Cost Proximal Platform

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