Invention:
This technology is a device that facilitates accurate and precise volume measurements of solid objects. Originally created for the purpose of measuring the total volume of a sample of plant matter, it is ideal for measuring the volume of any solid material with complex shapes or many holes and gaps.
Background:
In agriculture, it is valuable to have methods of measuring the yield of crops in a reliable and repeatable way; this can facilitate precision agriculture practices, where the ideal distribution of nutrients or irrigation are used to maximize crop yields. However, to reliably maximize production, there needs to be a means of accurately and precisely measuring the crop yields. There are many remote sensing technologies being investigated for solving these problems (such as drone, camera, and satellite monitoring, 3D scanning, and soil sensors). However, many of these solutions either offer only a coarse approximation of volume measurement of a plant due to to the complex shape and open gaps in the plants.
This technology offers a simple, inexpensive, and high-fidelity means of measuring the true volume of plant matter, that can be used either on its own or to validate alternative means of volume measurement. Because it can accommodate many types of solid objects beyond just plant material, it has the potential for use anywhere there is a need for high-precision and high-accuracy measurements of the volume of objects with complex shapes.
Applications:
- Crop management / yield measurement
- Laboratory volumetric measurement
- Any applications needing precise and accurate measurement of objects with complex shapes
Advantages:
- Low cost
- Scalable and customizable
- Easy to use
- Enables fast measurement
