Ultrasonic sensors for agricultural technology

Ultrasonic sensors allow precise measurements, which are essential for many agricultural applications. The sensors are robust and can be used in harsh agricultural environments. As ultrasonic sensors are contactless, they do not cause any physical damage to plants or materials.

Typical applications

• Height and distance measurement
• Checking fill levels in loading wagons or silos
• Growth monitoring

Height control when fertilizing

On field sprayers for fertilizing, ultrasonic sensors are used on the spray boom to measure the distance to the ground. Booms with an overall length < 21 m are usually equipped with a mechanical distance control.

Ultrasonic sensors are less sensitive to dirt, dust and moisture than optical sensors, for example. Other sensor principles, such as capacitive sensors, cannot be used here due to the lack of range.

Object detection in the straw baler

A bale of straw is compressed in a straw baler and then deposited. A PiL ultrasonic sensor detects that no bale gets stuck in the machine.

The P43-250-M30 ultrasonic sensor has a suitable radiation characteristic to reliably detect irregular structures such as compressed straw at short distances.

Feeding robots for cattle feeding

Feeding robots represent a significant innovation in cattle feeding, contributing to a more efficient use of resources, improved animal health and increased productivity. With the help of ultrasonic sensors from the P43-160-M18 series, the feeding robot recognizes its environment and automatically doses the animal feed at specific times.