Measurement of soil compaction level using acoustic waves

• Grant number: 23/10526-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Measurements, Instrumentation
• Agreement: SEBRAE-SP
• Principal Investigator: Julio Cesar Eduardo de Souza
• Grantee: Julio Cesar Eduardo de Souza
• CNAE: Atividades de apoio à agricultura ; Atividades de pós-colheita
• Associated researchers: Élcio Hiroyoshi Yano ; Marcelo Moreira Tiago ; Ricardo Tokio Higuti
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/03590-8 - Measurement of soil compaction level using acoustic waves, BP.PIPE

Abstract

The level of soil compaction is valuable information for agricultural development, in highly compacted soils, crops cannot develop properly due to the reduction in nutrient and water absorption, in addition, there is a reduction in the capacity of the soil to store carbon and reduced water retention in the soil. Currently, the level of soil compaction is measured either with a penetrometer, which is a bar inserted into the soil that measures the entry resistance, or by performing a visual analysis of a soil profile, or through laboratory techniques. All of these strategies are time-consuming and require trained analysts to perform the measurement. With the development of 4.0 technology in agriculture, new equipment and machinery require real-time information from sensors to carry out their decision-making in the plantation. Thus, this proposal aims to validate the idea of measuring the intensity of soil compaction using acoustic waves. With this type of technology, a new sensor can be created, which measures in real time and which can collaborate with the advancement of automation in agriculture, mainly coupling the meter with automatic machinery. The prototype will use speakers operating at low frequencies to send an acoustic wave on the ground, part of the wave will be reflected, and the reflection intensity will be sampled using a microphone. As the variation in the soil compaction intensity occurs the variation in the sound intensity sampled by the microphone, and it is intended to use this information to develop the sensor. The proponent has been developing his work in ultrasound and has experience in signal classification, artificial intelligence, microcontroller and embedded systems. In addition, the purpose of the proposal is to identify more precisely the customers' necessities and present the idea to companies that work with automation of machines in agriculture. At the end of the project, a prototype will be presented, with the acoustic reflections of some terrains with different levels of soil compaction, and a mature business plan in which it is expected to be better prepared to submit proposals in the subsequent phase of the PIPE Program. (AU)