Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A simple and scalable fabricated hydrogel with multiple functionalities to realize self-sustainable outdoor monitoring solely by it for large-scale applications in precision agriculture. • Stable direct-current output without requirement on stochastic or temporal environmental energies, achieving an energy density of 1.36 × 10^7 J m−3 with continuous operation of 56.25 days in normal outdoor environment. • Self-powered noninvasive leaf relative water content monitoring and environmental sensing to evaluate plant health status with high durability and self-recoverability in severe environments. • The multifunctional hydrogel enables self-sustainable outdoor systems with scalable and low-cost production, paving the way for future agriculture.
Abstract
Smart farming with outdoor monitoring systems is critical to address food shortages and sustainability challenges. These systems facilitate informed decisions that enhance efficiency in broader environmental management. Existing outdoor systems equipped with energy harvesters and self-powered sensors often struggle with fluctuating energy sources, low durability under harsh conditions, non-transparent or non-biocompatible materials, and complex structures. Herein, a multifunctional hydrogel is developed, which can fulfill all the above requirements and build self-sustainable outdoor monitoring systems solely by it. It can serve as a stable energy harvester that continuously generates direct current output with an average power density of 1.9 W m−3 for nearly 60 days of operation in normal environments (24 °C, 60% RH), with an energy density of around 1.36 × 10^7 J m−3. It also shows good self-recoverability in severe environments (45 °C, 30% RH) in nearly 40 days of continuous operation. Moreover, this hydrogel enables noninvasive and self-powered monitoring of leaf relative water content, providing critical data on evaluating plant health, previously obtainable only through invasive or high-power consumption methods. Its potential extends to acting as other self-powered environmental sensors. This multifunctional hydrogel enables self-sustainable outdoor systems with scalable and low-cost production, paving the way for future agriculture.
1. Introduction
Climate change is dramatically impacting agricultural productivity. Global warming, unpredictable rainfall, and severe weather conditions threaten crop yields and cropping frequency when food demand rises due to changing diets and a growing global population, projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 [1–3]. In response, smart farming is emerging as a crucial innovation, offering sophisticated data management systems that deliver precise information directly to agricultural decision-makers [4, 5]. While smart sensing technologies have already proven effective in indoor agriculture, particularly in monitoring environmental parameters and plant health, their expansion into outdoor settings is still in its formative stages. This development is driven by the demand for cost-effective agriculture technology for the vast expanses of unexploited farmland and the significant potential for improvements in yield and for improvements in productivity and sustainability of outdoor farming [6, 7]. Further enhanced by smart sensing technology, the sophisticated practices create an imperative transition from current farming technology to future sensing-enhanced technology such that food security and self-sustainable green earth will be achieved [8–12].
The Internet of Things (IoT) is pivotal in modern precise agriculture, merging physical and digital realms to enhance production efficiency [13]. Through cloud-assisted wireless sensor networks [14–16], IoT enables real-time remote monitoring, providing critical information on environmental conditions, crop status, and autonomous agricultural machinery [17, 18]. However, these systems encounter challenges for outdoor applications. IoT struggles to adapt to dynamic, unpredictable outdoor conditions without human intervention, suffering performance setbacks from environmental disruptions like soil erosion and rainstorms [19]. Moreover, the maintenance demands, such as repairs, reconfigurations, and, most importantly, battery replacements, of traditional IoT systems are complicated and even become a concern due to the widespread deployment.
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Xinge Guo, Luwei Wang, Zhenyang Jin, Chengkuo Lee (2024). A Multifunctional Hydrogel with Multimodal Self-Powered Sensing Capability and Stable Direct Current Output for Outdoor Plant Monitoring Systems. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-024-01587-y
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main innovation of this hydrogel?
The hydrogel serves as a multifunctional material that can act as a stable energy harvester generating direct current output and as a self-powered sensor for monitoring plant health, enabling self-sustainable outdoor monitoring systems.
How long can the hydrogel generate electricity in normal outdoor conditions?
It can continuously generate direct current output for nearly 60 days in normal environments (24 °C, 60% RH) with an average power density of 1.9 W m−3.
What is the energy density achieved by the hydrogel?
The hydrogel achieves an energy density of approximately 1.36 × 10^7 J m−3.
Can the hydrogel recover from severe environmental conditions?
Yes, it shows good self-recoverability in severe environments (45 °C, 30% RH) and can operate continuously for nearly 40 days under such conditions.
What applications does this hydrogel have in agriculture?
It enables noninvasive and self-powered monitoring of leaf relative water content, providing critical data for evaluating plant health, and can also act as other self-powered environmental sensors, making it suitable for precision agriculture and self-sustainable IoT systems.
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