You have reached your limit of 5 free stories. A story preview is shown instead.
To view more stories
(If your subscription is current,
click here to Login or Register.)
What We Need Now Is A "Smart" Ear of Corn
Recent reports from Europe about a "smart spud" made us think about how the idea could be used to improve combines, augers, and crop handling other equipment.
The "smart spud" is shaped like an average-sized potato but it's filled with electronic sensors and a transmitter. The idea is to use it to calibrate har
..........
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the page.
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the flip-book
What We Need Now Is A "Smart" Ear of Corn CROPS Miscellaneous 23-4-5 Recent reports from Europe about a "smart spud" made us think about how the idea could be used to improve combines, augers, and crop handling other equipment.
The "smart spud" is shaped like an average-sized potato but it's filled with electronic sensors and a transmitter. The idea is to use it to calibrate harvesting or grading equipment to do the least amount of damage to the real potatoes going through. The "smart spud" rides along through the equipment with the other potatoes, and sends data to a hand-held computer-receiver that displays the data. It gives an easy-to-read analysis of what's going on within parts of the machine that aren't visible.
"It's as easy to use as a stop watch and doesn't require a computer or other special software," says inventor Frank Pirie of Pirie Crop Storage Systems, Dundonald, Ayrshire, England.
It seems like a great idea to us. Why not create a "smart" ear of corn that you could run through a combine to ensure that it's set properly? With computer chips continuing to shrink, maybe they could even create "smart soybeans" or "smart wheat".
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click
here to register with your account number.
