Sap Flow Sensor

IoT - The Internet of Trees

Sap Flow Sensor.
A sensor that measures the flow of sap in a tree.
Sounds straightforward.
And with ingenious input from Edaphic and our team behind the design, it is relatively straightforward.
But it wasn’t always.

The Sap Flow Sensor measures data that tells you about a tree’s growth activity. From Yarra Valley grapevines to American Redwood forests, this sensor enhances the way researchers, growers and scientists look at tree health, growth, and environmental studies.

Edaphic came to us with a problem. The existing sensors available on the market just weren’t up to scratch. They would crack in the sun, split as the tree grew and end up a dud when it then rained.

Edaphic also came to us with an incredibly clever idea to improve the technology. Rather than take readings from the end of the pin outside the tree, they wanted to place the sensor elements inside the tree, – a far more accurate sensing solution, but one that required an ample measure of electronic and mechanical design wizardry.

Cobalt designed an all-new housing for this tech, tackling all the observed problems with the competitor’s hardware. With a flexible mounting solution for the pins, robust housing and a carefully selected potting compound, the outcome transformed the level of accuracy, reliability, and longevity of this technology. We even took the opportunity to rework the assembly process to make production significantly easier and more cost-effective.

What started with a discussion; “I’m not happy with this existing product”, ended with the production of an all-new product that has positioned Edaphic as a leader in the space - exceeding initial order expectations.

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Focus Areas

CAD Modelling
Industrial Design
Installation and Fit-Out Assistance
Mechanical Design
Product Engineering
Prototyping
Testing and Evaluation
Design for Manufacture (DFM)

Year

2022

Client

Edaphic Scientific

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Design Objectives

Durability

Performance

Design for Manufacture

IoT Integration

Designed for the harsh dry sun, freezing, wet winters and everything in between. In existing designs, the growth of the tree would result in cracked housings, leaks, and a destroyed sensor. The innovative flexible pin mounts, non-toxic potting compound and durable housing address these issues – resulting in a tiny sensor that’s designed to last.

The accuracy of sensors is paramount, and this is no exception. The device houses sensors inside the pins, to ensure reliable data as time goes by. The pins are also kept equidistant from each other for data consistency, all while allowing a level of flexibility to cater for tree growth from extended use.

We look at projects holistically. While our primary goals centred around sensor reliability and accuracy, that didn’t stop us from optimising the assembly process. We developed a new snap-together housing that allows the electronics to be soldered and assembled outside the device, before all sliding in as one – simplifying the manufacturing effort drastically over the prior onerous design.

While a sensor can act as a standalone source of intel, it can optionally be equipped with a central data logger that captures numerous sensors' worth of data – enabling newfound insights that span an entire ecosystem.