Sensor and system for plant canopy measurement
AssigneeX Development LLC
InventorsBenoit Schillings, Elliott Grant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A technique and apparatus for monitoring a plant canopy over a field is disclosed. The technique includes receiving first sensor values from a plurality of plant canopy sensors disposed in or on a ground of the field under the plant canopy. The first sensor values are indicative of near-infrared (IR) light reflected or reradiated from the plant canopy. Second sensor values are also received from the plant canopy sensors. The second sensor values are indicative of red light that is incident through the plant canopy. A map of the plant canopy may be generated based upon the first and second sensor values.
Claims20
A sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having a first end shaped for placing on, or inserting into, a ground;
- a first photo-sensor disposed at a second end, opposite the first end, of the housing and having a near-infrared (IR) bandpass filter, the first photo-sensor oriented to be sensitive to near-IR light received from above the sensor opposite the first end;
- a second photo-sensor disposed at the second end of the housing and having a red light bandpass filter, the second photo-sensor oriented to be sensitive to red light received from above the sensor opposite the first end;
- a wireless transmitter disposed within the housing;
- and
- a controller coupled to the first and second sensors to acquire sensor values from the first and second photo-sensors and coupled to the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit the sensor values via the wireless transmitter.
A method of monitoring changes in a plant canopy over a field, the method comprising:
- receiving first sensor values from a plurality of plant canopy sensors disposed in or on a ground of the field under the plant canopy, the first sensor values indicative of near-infrared (IR) light reflected or reradiated from the plant canopy;
- receiving second sensor values from the plant canopy sensors, the second sensor values indicative of red light, which encourages photosynthesis, that is incident through the plant canopy;
- and
- generating a map of the plant canopy based upon the first and second sensor values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.