Electronic detector of plant drought symptoms based on MEMS sensor of ultrasonic emissions

Project Summary

Sensors for autonomous, reliable field measurements of plant drought symptoms are a key missing technology for the implementation of precision irrigation systems for sustainable agricultural production under climate change. Basic research shows that early, non-invasive determination of the start of irrigation is possible by detecting ultrasonic acoustic emissions (AE) generated by the nucleation of micro-bubbles in plant tissues for water transfer under specific drought conditions. 

The aim of this proof-of-concept project is to verify the technical feasibility and assess the IP protection potential of an electronic detector of such ultrasonic emissions, based on a radically new AE sensor, design in MEMS technology. This would allow for a reduction in the dimensions, power consumption and cost of such sensor system.

 

Duration

The project duration if from January 13th 2025 to January 13th 2026.

 

Team

Asst. Prof. Dinko Oletić - Project leader, Department of Electronic Systems and Information Processing

Prof. Darko Vasić - Researcher, Department of Electronic Systems and Information Processing

Tomislav Bošnjak- Researcher, Department of Electronic Systems and Information Processing

Niko Plantak - Researcher, Department of Electronic Systems and Information Processing

Dr. sc. Davorka Moslavac Forjan - Partner, Innovation Centre Nikola Tesla (ICENT)


Acknowledgment

This research project has been supported by the European Union - NextGenerationEU under the grant NPOO.C3.2.R3-I1.05.0221. Value of the project is 64.427,22 €.

 

Contact

Asst. Prof. Dr. Sc. Dinko Oletić
University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing
Department of Electronic Systems and Information Processing
Unska 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
tel: + 385 1 6129 432
e-mail: dinko (dot) oletic (at) fer (dot) hr

News

Concept verified in laboratory

Concept of an integrated ultrasonic MEMS AE sensor for detection of drought-related plant-physiological AE signals was successfully tested in the laboratory.

Author: Dinko Oletić
MEMS samples characterized at the...

Structural properties, electrical, mechanical and piezoelectric response of MEMS samples was characterized in cleanroom laboratories of the institute Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies (C2N). The characterization was completed at C2N by November 2025.

Author: Dinko Oletić
Prototyped samples of MEMS sensors...

MEMS sensors submitted for prototype microfabrication through academic programme EUROPRACTICE, using the commercial technological process PiezoMUMPs (Science), have arrived in September, 2025. The MEMS sensor samples are currently being tested. 

Author: Dinko Oletić
Project presented at the conference...

Researchers presented the ongoing research at the IEEE conference DTIP 2025, from June 1st to 4th in Split. The presented paper is titled "Designing cantilever-based resonator arrays in PiezoMUMPs technology for in-sensor ultrasonic frequency decomposition of acoustic emissions". The paper is available here.

 

Author: Dinko Oletić

From January 15th 2025, researcher Tomislav Bošnjak has joined the project. We welcome new team member.

Author: Dinko Oletić

The project has kicked-off on January 13th 2025, and will last until January 13th 2026.

Author: Dinko Oletić