Kazuhiro Nishioka
[EN]
We are proud to announce the birth of our new sap flow sensor!
With the help of Nippon Mektron and its parent company, NOK, we have completed the first mass production of thin-film sap flow sensors. With the help of Nippon Mektron and its parent company, NOK, we have completed the first mass production of thin-film type sap flow sensor. There are still some parts that are not in the realm of engineering samples, but unlike the conventional thermopile type, we have four size variations (more sizes will be added). By using a thermistor as the thermal sensor, sap flow can now be monitored using a Tiny microcontroller such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi as a data logger!
Sap flow sensor is one of the minor sensor in plant science. Almost academist doesn't know the stethoscope for plants in global yet. Sap flow sensor has a valuable function to detect physiological condition directly, however, this sensor has not become more popular than expected due to its high system cost and complicated handling.
Conventional sap flow sensor has manufactured in last 30 years in academic market. This was the reason why the price of the sensor harness alone did not drop. Since researchers are sometimes highly funded by the government, sensor manufacturers have not had to lower their costs. It's embedded tiny three thermopiles around a thin film heater by hand with high level processing skills of craftsman, but less clearance than general industrial products. User was forced to use the high end data logger include accurate ADC to measure the feeble output in micro volt level, then the system costs could be further inflated.
Whereas, it's no so easy to get noise-free signals for each sensor to calculate accurate sap flow rates, because of difficulty to implement the fitness between the cylindrical sensor and non-cylindrical plant stem/shoot with un-smooth surface. In order to improve the usability of the sap flow sensors and to make them more widespread, it was necessary to reduce the cost and to review the structure of the sensors.
We have witnessed the accelerated evolution of Internet technologies for the past 20 years, and the Makers 2.0 trend, driven by the IT boom, has continued for the past 10 years. Humanity has acquired many tools to advance to a new stage. I believe that sap flow sensors can play a role in this trend. So, pick up the new sap flow sensor and join us in building a new relationship between plants and humanity!
[JP]
ๆฐใใๆจนๆถฒๆตใปใณใตใฎ่ช็ใใ็ฅใใใใพใ๏ผ
Nippon Mektron็คพใจใใฎ่ฆชไผ็คพใงใใNOK็คพใฎๅฉๅใซใใใ่่ๅๆจนๆถฒๆตใปใณใตใฎ้็ฃ็ฌฌ1ๅผพใๅฎไบใใพใใใใพใ ใจใณใธใใขใตใณใใซใฎๅใๅบใฆใใชใ้จๅใฏใใใพใใใๅพๆฅใฎ็ฑ้ปๅ ใฟใคใใจ็ฐใชใใใตใคใบใใชใจใผใทใงใณใ4็จฎ้กใใใใฆใใพใ๏ผ้ ๆฌกใตใคใบใใชใจใผใทใงใณใฏๅขใใใพใ๏ผใๆธฉๅบฆใปใณใตใใตใผใในใฟๅใใใใจใซใใใArduinoใRaspberry PiใชใฉใฎTiny ใใคใณใณใใใผใฟใญใฌใผใจใใฆๆจนๆถฒๆต้ใๆธฌใใใใใซใชใใพใใ๏ผ
ๆจนๆถฒๆตใปใณใตใฏใๆค็ฉ็งๅญฆใฎไธญใงใใใคใใผใชใปใณใตใฎไธใคใงใใไธ็็ใซ่ฆใฆใใๆค็ฉ็จ่ด่จบๅจใฎๅญๅจใฏใปใจใใฉ็ฅใใใฆใใพใใใ ๆจนๆถฒๆต้ใปใณใตใฏใ็็็ถๆ ใ็ดๆฅๆคๅบใใใใจใใงใใ่ฒด้ใชใปใณใตใงใใใใทในใใ ใณในใใ้ซใใๅใๆฑใใ็ ฉ้ใงใใใใจใใใๆๅพ ใใใใปใฉๆฎๅใใฆใใชใใฎใ็พ็ถใงใใ
ๅพๆฅใฎๆจนๆถฒๆต้ใปใณใตใฏใใใ30ๅนดใปใฉใขใซใใใใฏใชๅธๅ ดใง่ฃฝ้ ใใใฆใใพใใใใใฎใใใใปใณใตใผใใผใในใ ใใงใฏไพกๆ ผๅ จไฝใไธใใใพใใใงใใใ็ ็ฉถ่ ใฏๆใซๅฝ่ฒปใใ้ซ้กใฎ็ ็ฉถ่ฒปใ็ฒๅพใใฆใใใใจใใใใใใใปใณใตใกใผใซใผใฏใณในใใไธใใๅฟ ่ฆใใชใใฃใใฎใงใใ่่ใใผใฟใผใฎๅจใใซๅฐใใช3ใคใฎใตใผใขใใคใซใ่ทไบบใฎ้ซๅบฆใชๅ ๅทฅๆ่กใงๆไฝๆฅญใงๅใ่พผใพใใฆใใพใใใไธ่ฌ็ใชๅทฅๆฅญ่ฃฝๅใซๆฏในใฆใฏใชใขใฉใณในใไฝใใงใใใฆใผใถใผใฏใใคใฏใญใใซใใฌใใซใฎๅพฎๅฐใชๅบๅใๆธฌๅฎใใใใใซ้ซ็ฒพๅบฆใชADCใๆญ่ผใใใใใคใจใณใใปใใผใฟใญใฌใผใไฝฟ็จใใใใจใไฝๅใชใใใใฆใใใใใใซใใฃใฆใทในใใ ใณในใใใใใซ่จใใใงใใพใใพใใ
ไธๆนใงใๅ็ญๅฝขใฎใปใณใตใจๅฎๅ จใซใฏๅ็ญๅฝขใงใชใๆค็ฉใฎ่ใปใทใฅใผใใจใฎ้ใฎใใฃใใใในใๅฎ่ฃ ใใใใจใๅฐ้ฃใชใใใๆญฃ็ขบใชๆจนๆถฒๆต้ใ่จ็ฎใใใฎใซๅใปใณใตใงใใคใบใใชใผไฟกๅทใๅพใใฎใฏใใ็ฐกๅใงใฏใใใพใใใๆจนๆถฒๆต้ใปใณใตใฎไฝฟใๅๆใๅไธใใใใใๆฎๅใใใใใใซใฏใใณในใใฎไฝๆธใจใปใณใตๆง้ ใฎ่ฆ็ดใใๅฟ ่ฆใงใใใ
็งใใกใฏใใ20ๅนดITๆ่กใฎๅ ้็้ฒๅใ็ฎใฎๅฝใใใซใใใใ10ๅนดใฏITใใผใ ใซใใๅผใใใMakers2.0ใฎๆฝฎๆตใ็ถใใฆใใพใใไบบ้กใฏๆฐใใชในใใผใธใซ้ฒใใใใฎๆฒขๅฑฑใฎใใผใซใ่บซใซ็ใใพใใใๆจนๆถฒๆตใปใณใตใใใฎไธ่งใๆ ใใใจใใงใใใจไฟกใใฆใใพใใใใใใใชใใๆฐใใๆจนๆถฒๆตใปใณใตใๆใซๅใฃใฆใๆค็ฉใจไบบ้กใฎๆฐใใชใ้ขไฟๆงๆง็ฏใซๅๅ ใใพใใใ๏ผ