Experimental system for simultaneous collection of soil dielectric and mechanic parameters

Due to the fact that soil is the mixture of solid, liquid and air, the difficulties and complexities in studying soil physics may be diverse. In order to simultaneously analyze soil mechanics and dielectric property, an experimental system based on dual-sensor and virtual instrument techniques was developed. In particular, this system is able to characterize soil cone index and water content profiles at the depths of 0～40 cm. Additionally, the correlation of the dual signals associated with soil mechanics and dielectrics can also be treated quantitatively at real-time. As an application example of the designed system, a field test was conducted in a cooperation project with the Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn.