Communications of the ACM
Engineers Make Wearable Sensors For Plants, Enabling Measurements of Water se in Crops
Iowa State University researchers have developed sensors that can be attached to plants to collect data.
Credit: Liang Dong
Researchers at Iowa State University (ISU) have developed graphene-based sensors-on-tape that can be attached to plants to collect data for scientists and farmers.
The researchers' "plant tattoo" sensor was created with a new process for fabricating intricate graphene patterns on tape.
The first step is creating indented patterns on the surface of a polymer block, either with a molding process or with three-dimensional printing, and then applying a liquid graphene solution to the block, filling the indented patterns. Tape is used to remove the excess graphene, and another strip of tape is used to pull away the graphene patterns, creating a sensor on the tape.
The researchers say their method can produce precise patterns as small as 5 millionths of a meter wide, which increases the sensitivity of the sensors.
"The plant sensors are so tiny they can detect transpiration from plants, but they won't affect plant growth or crop production," says ISU professor Liang Dong.
From Iowa State University News Service
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