Soil Inspector

Get the dirt on your dirt

Our Mission

Our mission is to create an affordable and time-efficient soil testing system, in order to use the results to improve the world's environment and safety.

Commercial and Elevator Pitch

Commercial

https://spark.adobe.com/sp/design/video/75a7b645-3d0a-4f62-a190-50a07fd021da

Elevator Pitch

https://spark.adobe.com/video/ejuZavGDMnMfO

Description

Our Product

The Soil Inspector is a remote-controlled automated robot designed to help landowners, farmers, construction companies and scientists in performing soil tests. Soil Inspector, which is controlled by an app, travels on land and inserts sensors into land to test it. The results are sent back to our app in real time. The robot can be customized with sensors specific to different types of soil tests. By interchanging sensors, the Soil Inspector provides farmers, construction companies and researchers with information about their land to give them the power of knowing the needs of their soil.

Background Research

What is a soil test?

A soil test is a way of determining soil health, by sampling and analyzing a soil’s moisture, nutrients, pH levels, toxicity, texture and fertility. These tests are carried out for landowners to be more knowledgeable about their soil, because when it comes to soil, knowledge is power.

Why are soil tests necessary?

The results of soil tests can assist people in how they interact with their environment, and can prevent catastrophic mishaps.

Agricultural soil tests allow farmers on the at least 570 million farms in the world to know in what nutrients their soil is deficient so they can provide it with the correct type and quantity of fertilizer. Without a soil test, a farmer may be providing his soil with excess or insufficient amounts of fertilizer, and the fertilizer may contain more or fewer nutrients than his soil requires. The farmer may be spending extra money for nutrients that his crops don't need. Excess fertilizer also harms the environment.

Constructional soil tests allow contractors, from hundreds and thousands of construction companies, to build the most sound foundation possible. Based on the texture of the soil, a foundation needs to be designed specially to counteract movements. If a foundation is not built properly for that type of soil, the building may lean, or even collapse. This is extremely dangerous, and costs thousands of dollars to repair.

Soil tests allow researchers to collect and analyze soil's data in order to better understand the environment. Soil is an abiotic factor in the environment and it is therefore important to learn more about the soil in order to learn more about the environment.

Contaminated soil needs to be tested for toxicity in order to determine how dangerous the site is for humans to be on. If the soil is polluted , it could be fatal for humans if they ingest the contaminants.

How are soil test traditionally done?

Traditionally, soil tests are performed by digging up samples of soil, either by hand or using a robot, or performing various tests on the samples in a lab or using at-home kits. These testing methods are either costly, time-inefficient or both.

Why Soil Inspector?

Advantages of Our Product

The Soil Inspector is a cost-effective and time-efficient way of carrying out soil tests. The device tests on site by sticking sensors directly into the ground and provides the user with immediate results via Wi-Fi, unlike traditional soil tests where one has to wait for lab results. Soil Inspector is a robot, and as such can be sent to test land in areas dangerous for people, such as locations with chemical spills. Soil Inspector tests the soil on-site, and unlike traditional soil tests does not remove the soil from the field. This can be advantageous in situations where the soil is toxic because it eliminates the need for human contact. Each soil test is customizable and with interchangeable parts, the user can test the soil for any properties he needs to know.

Expert Opinion

Upon hearing about our product, Ora, an Environmental Lawyer, said:

"There is a lot of soil contamination in the US and almost all building projects require some form of soil testing. Speeding up the preliminary testing (often called Phase I testing) and making it more efficient would be a help projects move along more quickly, safely, and efficiently."

Impacts on Target Markets

Agriculture

Agricultural soil tests are performed in order to determine the pH, and nutrient concentration of soil. Based on the results of the soil test, a farmer can determine the type and quantity of fertilizer to use to make up for nutrients deficient in the soil. The results can help a farmer maximize his crops, while not using excess fertilizer. The amount of fertilizer used globally in 2019 was nearly 200 million tonnes. Not only is this a waste of fertilizer, but it is also a threat to lakes and streams. Eutrophication, the over-enrichment of water, is responsible for algal blooms in lakes and streams and causes fish kills. This is a threat to the environment and hazardous for the conservation of ecosystems around the world. With the help of Soil Inspector, we hope to combat the dangers of over-fertilization and aid farmers in caring for their soil and the planet.

Research Fields

Researchers test soil in order to collect data for various studies. Areas of soil study include soil biogeochemistry, soil chemistry, soil physics, soil ecology, and many more. Soil is an important abiotic factor in the environment and its biogeochemical cycles, a key in maintaining the health of organisms here on earth. Scientists are constantly researching and analyzing soil to better their understanding of the world around us, and with the Soil Inspector, we hope to provide them with a deeper knowledge of soil composition. Whether it be contamination levels, moisture levels, or the fertility of soil the Soil Inspector can help scientists to learn more about the world we live in an efficient and cost-effective way.

Construction

Soil tests for building construction tests a soil's consistency (its moisture, density, etc.). Based on the results of the soil test, a contractor is able to design the building's foundation to make it as safe and sturdy as possible. Construction companies need a proper analysis of soil composition, moisture levels, and compactness to ensure that buildings are safely constructed. The Soil Inspector provides an efficient way of doing so by testing soil before building properly, helping us to attain our goal of making the world a safer place.

Toxic Sites

On sites where soil toxicity needs to be tested, it could be dangerous for a human to be on the site. This robot can be remotely guided to test for soil toxicity on the site which allows people to receive the information they need about the soil, while not needing to put their lives at risk to get the information.

Design and Methodology

Design

Our prototype for Soil Inspector is a robot with a thermistor and moisture sensor attached to a servo-motor controlled arm. The thermistor and moisture sensor serve as examples of sensors which can be used to customize Soil Inspector for soil tests. A GPS module provides its location to the user. The robot will be controlled with a phone app and WiFi connection.

When the operator presses a button on the app, it will cause the Soil Inspector to move in the indicated direction. Once the robot is in the desired location, testing can be initiated by pressing the test button. When this button is pressed, first the GPS location is recorded, then the Servo-motor controlled arm is lowered and the sensors attached to the arm are inserted into the soil. The values that these sensors read is then recorded, and the arm is raised, removing the sensors from the soil.

Schematic and Flowchart

Materials and Cost

Copy of Copy of Soil Surveyor Materials List

Code*

Code

Our App

Soil Inspector's movements are remote controlled by an app, and the data collected by the sensors will be sent in real time back to the app. Our goal is for the app to be easy to use so that anybody can operate Soil Inspector with ease. The user presses the Forward, Backward, Left and Right buttons to control the movement of Soil Inspector through a field, and the Test button to initiate testing. When the Test button is pressed, the arm will lower, inserting the attached sensors into the ground, the data from the sensors will be recorded and sent back to the app*, and the arm is raised. One push of a button initiates all of these steps.

Competition

Lab Testing

There are labs set up all over the United States, in which people can send soil samples to in order to get various tests done on it. The lab will usually receive the samples within a couple of business days, and usually the results are sent back within two weeks. However this process is highly time-inefficient because the person who wants the soil test done has to collect a soil sample for every 2.5 acres, and the average size farm is 444 acres, and construction sites tend to be large as well, and then wait days or even weeks for the results to come back. Additionally, this process is expensive, costing a couple

AutoProbe

The AutoProbe is a soil collecting robot. It travels autonomously through a field using a gridded satellite image, and collects soil in bags. As the robot collects, it labels the bags with the coordinate location of the grid from which it was taken. The samples can then be tested at a lab or using another form of testing.

DIY Test Kits

DIY test kits are a cheaper alternative which allows for the person to complete the testing themselves. However, some of these kits are inaccurate and don't work well, and even the kits that do work well are time consuming when testing a big area, since a test should only represent about 2.5 acres.

Soil Testing Equipment

Companies such as LaMotte and ELE International offer equipment to assist with soil testing. However these pieces of equipment don't offer the range of tests which Soil Inspector does, and some of these pieces of equipment can cost up to a couple thousand dollars, and this is still time consuming because the person would still have to gather the soil sample in order to run the tests.

Incorporation of Feedback

After receiving feedback from our peers, we decided to incorporate more of the emotional impact generated when soil tests are not administered. Thus, the section of "why are soil tests necessary" was born.

Discussion

Process

We chose to design this product because we wanted to create something that would improve the environment in a meaningful way. We originally planned to create a soil surveying system solely for researchers, but decided to broaden our products capabilities to have a more diverse target market. By creating Soil Inspector, which can be used for a variety of soil tests, we are able to improve human interactions with the environment on many plains.

Reflections

Soil Inspector began as an idea designed for a different purpose than it's current one. Now, about two months later, with many breaks in the middle, we are amazed that were able to complete our vision of Soil Inspector with such little time, and limited face-to-face communication. Overall, this project has taught us how much can be accomplished even with little time and different resources than expected.

Future Directions

As of now, there are limited sensors available which would be useful for soil tests. Once these sensors are available, we will be able to incorporate these into Soil Inspector to run many more types of soil tests than we currently can.

We would also like to fully automate Soil Inspector so that it can collect data without needing a human to guide it.

Bibliography

NJDEP - HPCTF Final Report - V. Costs and Economic Impacts, www.nj.gov/dep/special/hpctf/final/costs.htm.

Admin. “Soil Testing.” Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, 8 June 2017, ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/greenhouse-best-management-practices-bmp-manual/soil-testing.

Engineering, Posted in Geotechnical. “What Types of Soil Tests Required for Building Construction?” The Constructor, 25 Sept. 2017, theconstructor.org/geotechnical/types-of-soil-tests-construction/12679/.

Faber, Ben A., et al. “Accuracy Varies for Commercially Available Soil Test Kits Analyzing Nitrate–Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and PH in: HortTechnology Volume 17 Issue 3 (2007).” HortTechnology, American Society for Horticultural Science, 12 Dec. 2018, journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/17/3/article-p358.xml.

Flannigan, Will. “How Do I Test My Soil?” Farm and Dairy, 4 Mar. 2014, www.farmanddairy.com/top-stories/test-soil/178350.html.

Folnovic, Tanja. “Importance of Soil Analysis.” Agrivi Blog, blog.agrivi.com/post/importance-of-soil-analysis.

Heimgartner, Jeffrey. “New Soil Sampling Autonomous Robot Aims to Boost Farm Production.” Engineering.com, www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/19485/New-Soil-Sampling-Autonomous-Robot-Aims-to-Boost-Farm-Production.aspx.

Professionals, Ag. “Robotic Soil Testing.” Agproffessional.com, 11 Apr. 2011, 02:35 PM,

www.agprofessional.com/article/robotic-soil-testing.

“Soil Testing.” Soil Testing - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/soil-testing.

Smith, Ashley. “Getting Your Soil Tested - How Much Does Soiling Testing Cost?” Kompareit, 27 Sept. 2018,

www.kompareit.com/.

https://scs.cals.cornell.edu/research/soil-science

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_030758.pdf

https://www.farmanddairy.com/top-stories/test-soil/178350.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao5XcORsYxA

https://www.usfarmdata.com/percentage-of-small-medium-and-large-farms-in-the-us

https://www.cropnutrition.com/nutrient-management/soil-sampling

https://www.globalagriculture.org/report-topics/industrial-agriculture-and-small-scale-farming.html

https://www.zippia.com/advice/biggest-construction-companies-in-america/

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2020/01/03/global-fertilizer-demand-bright

https://www.ele.com/ProductGroup/rapid-method-by-speedy-moisture-tester

https://www.lamotte.com/en/soil/agricultural/5029.html

Team

Elana Rosenblatt

Eva Lebowitz

Vered Gottlieb

Our School

We are all 11th grade students at Bruriah High School For Girls.

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