PFI:AIR - TT: In-Situ Wireless Soil Sensor for Moisture, Salinity and Ions

该PFI：AIR技术转化项目的重点是将农业土壤传感器开发研究转化为对农业土壤特性时空变化的准确监测。 土壤传感器的开发非常重要，因为它们可以实时、就地监测生产农业中的土壤水分、盐分和养分，从而实现精确的养分管理。 该项目将产生一个可行的设计/原型的现场土壤传感器，用于农业应用。这种土壤传感器具有独特的功能，当部署在地下网格配置中时，它可以实时测量上述土壤特性，并支持无线交互。目前的传感系统不支持连续的原位监测，也需要手动操作，而拟议的系统是一个全自动化的解决方案，能够连续的原位监测和无线传输。该项目解决了农业土壤传感器从研究发现到商业应用的技术差距。在本项目中，将对基于电介质的水分/盐分传感器和电泳硝酸盐传感器的原型进行测试和评估，并将其集成信号处理和无线功能，用于地下部署。此外，参与本项目的人员，即两名博士生，将通过土壤传感器开发和评估研究获得创新和技术转化经验，定期参与与爱荷华州知识产权和技术转让办公室的互动，以披露和专利，并与农业领域的许可，技术转让和商业化的行业进一步互动。该项目由韦伯公司参与微波。作为具有产品设计、开发和商业化经验的顾问，增强团队的研究能力，并在从研究发现到商业现实的技术转化过程中指导商业化方面的工作。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating agricultural soil sensor development research into accurate monitoring of spatio-temporal variation of soil properties of agricultural interest. The development of the proposed soil sensors is important because they can enable the real-time, in-place monitoring of soil moisture, salinity, and nutrients in production agriculture, thus enabling precise nutrient management. This project will result in a feasible design/prototype of an in-situ soil sensor for agricultural application. This soil sensor has the unique features that it can measure the soil properties mentioned above in real-time when deployed in an underground grid configuration with support for wireless interaction. Current sensing systems do not support continual in-situ monitoring and also require manual operation, while the proposed system is a fully-automated solution, capable of continual in-situ monitoring and wireless transport.This project addresses technical gaps as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application in soil sensors for agriculture. Specifically in this project, sensor prototypes, using dielectric-based moisture/salinity sensing and electrophoretic nitrate sensing packaged with signal processing and wireless capability for underground deployment, will be tested and evaluated.In addition, personnel involved in this project, namely the two PhD students, will receive innovation and technology translation experiences through soil sensor development and evaluation research, regular participation in interactions with the Iowa State Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer for disclosures and patents, and further interactions with agricultural domain industries for licensing, technology transfer and commercialization.The project engages Microwaves by the Weber, Inc. as a consultant with experience in product design, development and commercialization to augment the team's research capability, and guide commercialization aspects in this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.