Wireless Underground Sensor Communication Using Acoustic Technology

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Wireless Sensor Networks

Background:

• Smart city initiatives drive IoT adoption for sustainable agriculture.
• Above-ground IoT devices face risks from environmental factors and pests.
• Wireless Underground Sensor Networks (WUSNs) are proposed to mitigate these risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review acoustic propagation models for agricultural WUSNs.
• To identify a suitable model for signal attenuation estimation in soil.
• To assess the feasibility of acoustic WUSNs in agriculture.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of acoustic propagation models.
• Analysis of signal attenuation in various soil types.
• Verification of model performance against experimental agricultural data.

Main Results:

• The Kelvin-Voigt model is identified as a suitable framework for acoustic WUSN signal attenuation.
• Model performance aligns with experimental findings in agricultural settings.
• Acoustic WUSNs demonstrate feasibility across different soil conditions.

Conclusions:

• Acoustic wave-based WUSNs present a viable alternative to RF-based systems for underground agriculture.
• The Kelvin-Voigt model provides accurate signal attenuation estimates for agricultural WUSNs.
• This research supports the advancement of robust WUSN technology for sustainable farming.