SBIR Phase I: Low-cost Communication, Sensing, and Prediction for Precision Agriculture

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop low-cost, low-power, wireless sensor networks with long lifetimes for high density deployments in the field, primarily for precision agriculture. Existing solutions in the market consist of sensor modules with bulky batteries and repeaters driven by solar panels which drive up the cost. These batteries and repeaters are infeasible for large-scale deployments. This project aims to provide sustainable solutions to increase the accuracy and efficiency of agricultural operations, while maximizing the crop yields and minimizing operational costs. The proposed sensor networks may also serve as a solution for military surveillance in the field, forest-fire prediction/mitigation, and smart highways. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes the use of wake-up receivers for radiofrequency (RF) communications, while also using the RF communications for moisture sensing. This use of wake-up receivers and RF-based sensing brings down the size and cost of the nodes and enables mesh networking. The research objectives of the project include both evaluation of such a network and the determination of the feasibility and reliability of wireless sensor nodes deployed inside the soil across varying soil conditions and permittivity variations. The outcome of the experiments will be a set of specifications for integrated circuits (ICs) and networks required for a dense network deployment in precision agriculture. 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.