A practical approach to comparative design of non-contact sensing techniques for seed flow rate detection

- Passing seeds can be detected by being faced with the photosensitive elements.
- The LDR sensor showed the slightest strength in determining falling seeds.
- The IR sensor was the most appropriate technique for estimating seed flow rate.

This study, as a part of a broader research project on development of a seed drill performance monitoring system, seeks to make a practical approach to comparative design of non-contact sensing techniques for seed flow rate detection. To determine actual flow rate, various non-contact sensing techniques have been proposed by other researchers. The methods of light dependent resistors (LDR), infrared (IR), and laser diodes (LD) drew more attention. LD, IR, and LDR sensing units were successfully designed and developed. Each of these sensors has a type of LEDs, consist of infrared, visible light and laser-LED as well as an element as a radiation receiver. When the seeds pass through the seed sensor and through the band of light beams, their shades fall on the receiver elements, resulting in output voltage changes. Thus, the seed flow rate could be estimated by investigating signal information corresponding to the passing seeds. A particular test apparatus was designed to compare proposed sensing units ability in confronting with the same seed flow. For each seed flow rate in experiments, individual LDR, IR, and LD, pulse signals and discharged seeds mass were recorded. Results show that there is a strong linear relationship (r = 0.87) between the actual seed mass changes and the corresponding voltages of IR sensing unit. Due to obtained results in comparison with other investigated sensing methods, it is recommended that IR detection technique is a more proper non-contact sensing technique for estimating of the seed flow rate.