Abstract
Long-term deployment of electrochemical sensors in agricultural environments is often limited by dehydration of the sensing interface, accumulation of contaminants, and gradual degradation of sensor performance. These challenges can reduce measurement reliability and require frequent manual maintenance, making large-scale and remote deployments difficult. To address these limitations, this research presents the design, development, and validation of an automated fluidic maintenance platform capable of maintaining sensor hydration and recovering sensor functionality during extended field operation. The proposed system integrates an Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 controller, peristaltic pumps, solenoid valves, fluid reservoirs, and a programmable control algorithm to perform automated maintenance procedures. The maintenance strategy consists of a daily DI-water washing sequence and weekly regeneration routines designed to restore degraded sensor responses. The developed three-sensor automated maintenance platform was deployed across 14 systems in Canal Point, Florida, and 8 systems in Houma, Louisiana, where its performance was evaluated under real agricultural field conditions. Experimental results demonstrated that automated washing successfully restored the characteristic impedance response associated with proper sensor hydration, while automated regeneration recovered sensor functionality following long-term degradation. Consistent recovery was observed across all three sensing channels, validating the effectiveness of the fluidic maintenance architecture and control strategy. The platform operated autonomously and reduced the need for manual intervention during deployment. The results demonstrate that the proposed maintenance platform provides an effective 5 solution for preserving electrochemical sensor performance during long-term operation. The developed system contributes to the advancement of autonomous agricultural sensing technologies by improving sensor reliability, extending operational lifetime, and supporting scalable multi-sensor deployments.
Date of publication
7-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5120
Committee members
Dr. Shawana Tabassum, Dr. Premananda Indic and Dr. Md Masud Rana
Degree
MS in Electrical Engineering
Recommended Citation
Tawalbeh, Mousa, "AUTOMATED FLUIDIC PUMPING AND SENSOR REGENERATION SYSTEM" (2026). Electrical Engineering Theses. Paper 74.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5120