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Apr 3, 2024

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Team Unity Presents:

1 The Overgrazing Sensor

2 Worked on by: David Chang, Delquan Murphy, Saffiya McNulty, Ronico Gelado, and Manuel Bustamante Executive Summary Team Unity is trying to create an ultrasonic sensor to control overgrazing in Farms. Our team’s focus is in Australia because 89.7% of the country’s desertification is caused by overgrazing. Overgrazing occurs when cows or other types of livestock stay to graze in one area for too long and when fields are not given enough time to regrow in between grazing periods. We will create a system to notify the shepherd when his herd has eaten the grass down to a certain height. This will ensure that the cows won’t eat the entire ecosystem of grass and weeds within their designated feeding pen. The ultrasonic sensor that our team will use will be able to measure distance by sending out a sound wave at a specific frequency and listening for that sound wave to bounce back. By measuring the time that passes while the sound wave is being generated and the sound wave that bounces back, it is possible to calculate the distance between the sonar sensor and the grass level. It is a fact that overgrazing is not just a role of animal numbers it is also a role of time, which has to be given special importance. Our system will also prevent the death of the livestock. The long term effects of overgrazing are food shortage, which can make cattle die of starvation. Without sufficient pasture for livestock grazing, cattle lack the necessary nutrients for them to survive. The use of a grazing chart can help in planning out how to implement rotational grazing. It can be used while the ultrasonic sensor is recording the grass level that is currently being eaten

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3 by the cattle. Once the ultrasonic sensor has reached the level of grass that it is programed to detect the shepherd will be notified and the cattle will be removed from that grassland part of the field. The Problem Desertification is a huge issue all over the world, causing serious damage to natural ecosystems and resulting in endangered species and infertile land. One of the largest contributors to this issue is overgrazing, which is the cause of 89.7% of Australia’s desertification. Overgrazing occurs when cows or other types of livestock stay to graze in one area for too long and when fields are not given enough time to regrow in between grazing periods. This is often due to negligent shepherding. For instance, it will happen if the farmer puts too large a group of livestock in one area, leaves the flock out with no time limit or puts animals in an area that has recently been grazed. The most immediately pressing consequences of overgrazing are soil erosion, land degradation and the loss of valuable species. Soil erosion occurs when the earth is continually trampled by the hooves of livestock, which kills native plants and compacts the dirt so that new plants cannot take root. Once vegetation has diminished, the top layer of soil is left unprotected from the elements and eventually gets blown away by the wind or washed away by rainfall. This leaves the ground dry and nutrient-poor which in turn leads to land degradation. Without the top layer of nutrient rich soil, the previous quality is extremely hard to regain, preventing plants from growing and eventually leading to desertification. Because it is so hard for native plants to regrow, invasive species begin to spread, making it even more difficult and sometimes

4 impossible for native plants to grow. Without their main food sources, native animal species begin dying out, damaging the natural system even more. In some parts of Australia’s GER corridor, such as Wagga Wagga, overgrazing has already caused lasting impact to the existing ecosystem. There has been loss of slow-growing mosses and lichens which once acted as habitat and food for many species of invertebrates. In fact, only 2% of original grasslands remains in some of Australia’s temperate regions. Long term effects of this issue include a decrease in fertile soil, loss of important native flora, less food, more starving people, and animal endangerment and extinction. Design Specifications - Height of cell tower 25.8 inches - Height of low grass 0.5 inches, length 17 inches, width 14 inches - Height of high grass 4 inches, length 17 inches, width 14 inches - Elegoo Ultrasonic HC-SR04 Distance Measuring Transducer Sensor Specifications: - Product Dimensions: 1.8 X 0.6 X 1.2 inches - Ranging distance: 2cm - 500 cm - Resolution: 0.3 cm - Effectual angle: <15 degrees - Power supply: 5V DC - Quiescent current: <2mA - Raspberry Pi 3 Model B motherboard specification:

5 - Product weight: 4.8 ounces - Product Dimensions Length x Width x Height = 4.8 X 2.99 X 1.34 inches - Operating System: Linux - Processor Brand: Broadcom - Processor Speed: 1.2 GHZ - Processor count: 4 - RAM 1GB - Wireless Type: 802.11 b/g/n - USB Ports: 4 - 2.0 USB - Voltage 5 Volts The Concept The concepts of this project is to make some kind of way to detect the height of grass and then notify the shepherd what height it is at thus having him move the cattle to a different location. It starts by having a sonar sensor attached to a nearby cell tower. The sona sensor would be facing down looking down onto the grass and sending sound waves to the floor and back, by calculating the time it takes for the wave to hit the floor and back, we can accurately determine the distance between the sonar sensor and the grass. The shorter the distance the longer the grass, so that means the longer the distance the shorter the grass. We would then have the sensors set to a “greater than a certain distance” then notify the shepherd, for example in our model, if the distance between the sonar and the grass is 80cm the grass would be 6 cm long, but you want to be notified when the grass is 3 cm long then you would set the sensor to send an alert when it shows a distance of 83cm. All this relaying of information will be through a sonar

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6 sensor and a raspberry pi connected together. Us presetting the software to be at X cm, when it reaches that X cm it would then notify the shepherd via an app we created that it has reached X cm and that it is time to move the cattle. Detailed Design Work Materials needed are a cell tower or anything with very high elevation, an open land with taller grass to begin with, a really powerful sonar sensor to be put into the cell tower or other, and finally a raspberry pi or any device to connect to a computer to be able to program. You would have a cord that connects the sonar to the raspberry pi, but I am sure using different technologies you could have it wireless. The prototype that we have created allows us to determine the distance of an object, and in the case, grass. With the distance of the grass, we are able to consistently monitor the height of grass based on how far or how close the grass distance is from the ultrasonic sensor. For the most part, this prototype is pretty simple and straightforward, as would a more efficient device to monitor overgrazing. The sensor basically determines how far the grass is, and comparing that data with the previous data informs the user or shepherd about if the grass is too low or not. The complex aspect to the design of our prototype is the behind the scenes part; the part that allows the ultrasonic sensor to actually function and provide a distance number. The first step in getting the sonar sensor to accurately read data is to properly connect the Raspberry pi with the sonar sensor, also known as HC-SRO4. To do this, we used a breadboard. To accurately connect the circuit pins, the following reference was used: “HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Range Sensor on the Raspberry Pi.” There was a minor variation in the wiring from the reference. We didn’t use any resistors, so when placing the circuit pins , the TRIG circuit wire

7 was placed in a blank rail on the breadboard with the GPIO 23 wire connecting to the Raspberry Pi. The construction manual goes into full detail in connecting the Raspberry Pi to the Sonar Sensor, but short to the point, a positive & negative wire is connected to both the Raspberry Pi and Sensor, which connects to the breadboard, along with a blue & yellow wire. The second complex aspect of the prototype is the python program that triggers the sensor to send out a signal and determine the distance. The program used for the prototype can also be referenced by “HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Range Sensor on the Raspberry Pi.”. The concept of the program is to calculate the distance, using the formula speed equals distance over time. The speed of sound has previously been calculated and is known to be 343 m/s. The program that we’ve used calculates time. When the program runs, the program records the timestamp of the last low output, the sonar reaches out towards an object then returns, and the high output timestamp once the signal returns is recorded. When using the time recorded , we divided it by 2 since we only need 1 time distance of the sensor rather than to and from. Rearranging the speed formula around, we are able to calculate the distance of the grass by multiplying the speed of sound by the time that was recorded divided by 2. The numerical value is rounded to two

8 decimal values for accuracy. With future designs , the program would send out a notification to a shepherd or user based on if the distance was higher than a preset number. The simple part of the prototype is that the sensor is placed on an estimated 25in cell tower, angled down towards the grass, and gives a distance data value. All of this can be seen and done on a monitor screen. At this time, there weren’t any alternatives for our project prototype. In order to use the ultrasonic sensor, we needed a Raspberry Pi and breadboard, and a written program to send out a sensor signal. Design Assessment After repeated run throughs, our prototype is functionally running and can provide pretty accurate data as to how far an object (grass) is. The details of the distance is provided rounded to two decimal places, in centimeters. The design specifications of the prototype were achieved, as

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9 we are able to determine the height using an ultrasonic sensor. For further develop of this prototype, condensing the wires and making a more compact device would be ideal. One improvement on the prototype would be allowing a notification to be delivered to a shepherd or user when the grass is low, but for now, a notification does display on the program below the data value given for the distance if the distance is greater than a specified amount. If there is a sensor strong enough to detect a few inches difference from a 100+ feet away then this idea should be definitely more developed and funded. For this could be an accurate and easy way to stop overgrazing by informing the shepherds on when it’s time to move the cattle. I believe accuracy is the only problem we should really be looking at, how accurate can you make a sonar sensor be is the question, the more sensitive and accurate the better. Another problem would be if cattle were in the way of the waves to give it false data, but that should not be too big of a problem considering the alert only goes off if the grass is at a shorter length and the cattle is bound to move eventually. References Dachis, Adam. “A Beginner's Guide to DIYing with the Raspberry Pi.” Lifehacker , Lifehacker.com, 21 Jan. 2013, lifehacker.com/5976912/a-beginners-guide-to-diying-with-the-raspberry-pi. “Environmental Problems in Australia.” WWF ,

10 wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/australia/ environmental_problems_in_australi/.“HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Range Sensor on the Raspberry Pi.” Cases for Your Raspberry Pi , MODMYPI, 3 July 2014, www.modmypi.com/blog/hc-sr04-ultrasonic-range-sensor-on-the-raspberry-pi . MacDonald, Gaven. “Ultrasonic Sensor with the Raspberry Pi.” YouTube , YouTube, 25 July 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xACy8l3LsXI&feature=youtu.be . “Negative Effects of Overgrazing for Native Species.” Greentumble - Together to Support Awareness & Conservation Activities , greentumble.com/negative-effects-of-overgrazing-for-native-species/. Nield, David. “The Beginner's Guide to the Raspberry Pi.” Field Guide , Fieldguide.gizmodo.com, 25 June 2016, fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-beginners-guide-to-the-raspberry-pi-1782608097. “Over-Grazing.” The Great Eastern Ranges , www.greateasternranges.org.au/about-the-corridor/threats/over-grazing/. “Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Motherboard: Electronics.” Amazon.com: Raspberry Pi 3 Model. www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-RASPBERRYPI3-MODB-1GB-Model-Motherboard/dp /B01CD5VC92/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510778330&sr=1-3&keywor ds=raspberry%2Bpi%2Bmodel%2B3&dpID=51wEoDfvlIL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&d pSrc=srch. Rinkesh. “Causes, Effects and Solutions of Overgrazing.” Conserve Energy Future , 24 Dec. 2016, www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-overgrazing.php. US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “What Is

11 Sonar?” NOAA's National Ocean Service , 1 June 2013, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sonar.html. Written Statement This report has been read and agreed by all for submission. Name:____________________________ X______________________________ Date:______ Name:____________________________ X______________________________ Date:______ Name:____________________________ X______________________________ Date:______ Name:____________________________ X______________________________ Date:______ Name:____________________________ X______________________________ Date:______

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