Environmental and Agricultural Sensor Research - ERI Seminar - Feburary 2024

Many applications exist for low-cost sensors for environmental and agricultural applications. Traditional sensor technologies, such as those fabricated with macro-machining or MEMS techniques, often have long and expensive development cycles. These sensors can also be very expensive to manufacture in small quantities. Dr Robert Dean at Auburn University has been developing a variety of low-cost sensors applicable to environmental and agricultural applications by using commercial printed circuit board (PCB) technology. This technology is mature, low-cost, and has short fabrication times. With this sensor technology, electrodes on the circuit board are designed so that they electromagnetically interact with the environment surrounding the circuit board. The presence or quantity present of a measurand results in a corresponding change in the circuit board’s impedance, which is easily detected with electronic circuitry. This sensor technology has been applied to various applications, including drought monitoring, sea turtle nesting research, soil moisture content measurement, and rust detection.

Dr Robert N. Dean is a McWane Endowed Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. He has over 33 years of professional experience in academic and industrial environments. Dr Dean conducts research in a variety of areas, including sensors, instrumentation, and electronics. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in electronics, sensors, MEMS, and photovoltaics. Dr Dean is a Fellow of IMAPS, a Senior Member of IEEE and SPIE, and a member of ASME.