PFI-RP: Novel Sensors for Efficient and Scalable Production of Indoor Crops

创新研究伙伴关系（PFI-RP）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力在于减少浪费和能源使用，同时提高作物质量和产量。这将通过开发和实施革命性的传感器技术来实现，该技术使用基于打印的制造方法。该技术将集成营养、温度和pH传感器，可直接用于生长介质，并在室外和室内农业操作的受控环境中提高自动化程度。该项目通过以现有方法成本的一小部分提供连续、稳健和可靠的数据收集，以使公众和行业受益的方式增强了对作物系统的科学和技术理解。具体而言，拟议的创新将为种植者提供他们所需的信息，以便他们就肥料和水管理做出明智、有效和实时的决策。随着农业用地变得越来越少，化肥变得越来越昂贵，这项技术满足了一个关键的需求，这将使实践可持续。采用这种新型传感器技术将简化流程，提高生产率，优化资源和粮食安全，提高盈利能力和经济增长，并为可持续和有竞争力的未来做出贡献。拟议的项目解决了现有农业工作流程中对更有效和可靠的数据采集的迫切需求。利用这种新型传感器技术，该项目旨在克服手动数据收集的局限性，从而最大限度地减少人为错误并简化操作。该项目的研究目标包括通过开发氮/磷/钾（NPK）和电导率，氢势，温度（EC/pH/T）传感器，在室外和室内农业系统的受控环境中进行设计，开发，制造和验证。农业行业的工业合作伙伴参与该项目将确保开发的技术适用于商业运营，并适应各种环境条件和农业应用场景。在项目期间进行的实验和验证将展示这些传感器的技术能力和好处，包括提高数据准确性，提供连续现场监测的能力，以及改进的维护程序。NPK和EC/pH/T传感器技术的成功集成将揭示新的科学知识，并将使行业能够实现更高水平的生产力，可持续性和经济竞争力，使其处于创新和增长的前沿。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation – Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) project lies on reducing waste and energy use, while improving crop quality and yield. This will be done through the development and implementation of a revolutionary sensor technology that uses print-based manufacturing approaches. The technology will integrate nutrient, temperature, and pH sensors that can be used directly in the growing media and enable increased automation in controlled environments for outdoor and indoor agriculture operations. This project enhances the scientific and technological understanding of crop systems in a way that benefits both the public and industry by providing continuous, robust, and reliable data collection at a fraction of the cost of existing methods. Specifically, the proposed innovation will give growers the information they need to make informed, effective, and real-time decisions about fertilizer and water management. As agricultural lands become less available and fertilizers become increasingly expensive, this technology answers a critical need that will make practices sustainable. The adoption of this novel sensor technology will enable streamlined processes, improved productivity, resource optimization and food security, profitability, and economic growth, and contribute to a sustainable and competitive future.The proposed project addresses the pressing need for more efficient and reliable data acquisition in existing agricultural workflows. Taking advantage of this novel sensor technology, the project aims to overcome the limitations of manual data collection, thereby minimizing human error and streamlining operations. The research objectives of this project encompass the design, development, manufacturing, and validation in controlled environments for outdoor and indoor agriculture systems by developing nitrogen/phosphorous/potassium (NPK), and electrical conductivity, hydrogen potential, temperature (EC/pH/T) sensors. The participation of an industrial partner in the agriculture industry in the project will ensure the developed technology is suitable for use in commercial operations and adaptable to the various environmental conditions and agricultural application scenarios. Experimentation and validation carried out during the project will demonstrate the technical capabilities and benefits of these sensors, including enhanced data accuracy, ability to provide continuous in-situ monitoring, and improved maintenance procedures. Successful integration of the NPK and EC/pH/T sensor technology will uncover new scientific knowledge and will empower industries to achieve higher levels of productivity, sustainability, and economic competitiveness, positioning them at the forefront of innovation and growth.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.