Field monitoring and data collection systems and methods for a precision agriculture system
A sensor network for measuring and processing agricultural sensor measurements having multi-depth sensors, field monitors, and/or field data collection systems. The multi-depth sensor having a GPS; sets of physical sensors located at different depths; a processing structure sampling measurements from the physical sensors; and storing the measurements. The field monitor for use with a mobile platform having: a housing; a camera; a LiDAR sensor; a processing structure capturing point data and image data; generating above-ground field data; and determining crop data. The field data collection system having a stationary field monitor and one or more mobile field monitors capturing above-ground data. The stationary field monitor and the mobile field monitors having an associated GPS. The multi-depth sensors capture below-ground data and communicating the below-ground data to the stationary field monitor. A GPU processes the above-ground data and the GPS data to generate a point cloud data set.
1. A multi-depth sensor comprising:
a global positioning sensor;
at least two sets of agricultural sensors located close to at least two different depths;
a processing structure executing a plurality of instructions stored on a tangible computer-readable memory, the instructions comprise:
sampling at least one measurement from the at least two sets of agricultural sensors; and
storing the at least one measurement on the memory.
2. The multi-depth sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising a pipe housing the at least two sets of agricultural sensors beneath a ground surface.
3. The multi-depth sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising an above-ground pipe; and a housing coupled thereto for holding at least the processing structure and the computer-readable memory.
4. The multi-depth sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the above-ground pipe comprises a striking surface for driving the pipe housing beneath the ground surface.
5. The multi-depth sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the at least two sets of agricultural sensors are spaced at uniform depths beneath the ground surface.
6. The multi-depth sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the at least two sets of agricultural sensors are spaced at varying depths beneath the ground surface.
7. The multi-depth sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one agricultural sensor is selected from at least one of: a moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, a nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium (NPK) sensor, a solar radiation sensor, a rain gauge, and a wind speed sensor.
8. The multi-depth sensor according to claim 1 , wherein instructions further comprise: communicating the stored measurement via a wireless module to at least one of: a stationary field monitor, a host server, and a mobile field monitor.
9. A field monitor for use with a mobile platform, the field monitor comprising:
a housing coupled to the mobile platform;
a camera;
a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor;
a processing structure executing a plurality of instructions stored on a tangible computer-readable memory, the instructions comprise:
capturing point data from the LiDAR sensor;
capturing image data from the camera;
generating an above-ground field data from the image data and the point data; and
determining crop characteristic data based at least on the above-ground field data.
10. The field monitor according to claim 9 , wherein the instructions further comprise: filtering the above-ground field data prior to determining the crop characteristic data.
11. The field monitor according to claim 9 , wherein the instructions further comprise: filtering the point data set prior to generating the above-ground field data.
12. The field monitor according to claim 9 , wherein the instructions further comprise: segmenting crop data points from the above-ground field data as part of the determining of the crop characteristic data.
13. The field monitor according to claim 9 , wherein the processing structure comprises a graphical processing unit (GPU).
14. The field monitor according to claim 9 , further comprising: a wireless transceiver; and wherein the instructions further comprise: receiving below-ground field data from at least one multi-depth sensor.
15. A field data collection system comprising at least one of:
a stationary field monitor and at least one mobile field monitor capturing above-ground field data;
the stationary field monitor and each of the at least one mobile field monitor having an associated GPS therewith; each of the associated GPS providing GPS data;
at least one multi-depth sensor capturing below-ground field data and communicating the below-ground field data to the stationary field monitor; and
a GPU processing the above-ground field data and the GPS data to generate a point cloud data set.
16. The field data collection system according to claim 15 , wherein the stationary field monitor comprises a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor and a camera; and each of the at least one mobile field monitor comprises an associated Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor and an associated camera; the LiDAR sensor, the associated LiDAR sensors, the camera, and the associated cameras together providing the above-ground field data.
17. The field data collection system according to claim 16 , wherein the above-ground field data comprises image data and point data.
18. The field data collection system according to claim 17 , wherein the GPU filters the image data and the point data.
19. The field data collection system according to claim 18 , wherein the GPU segments a plurality of crop data points from the cloud point data set to determine crop characteristic data.
20. The field data collection system according to claim 19 , wherein the GPU adjusts the crop characteristic data in response to the below-ground field data.