Determination of the surface topography in rill erosion by imaging techniques

Abstract

Soil erosion, mainly occurring in agricultural areas, is an economic and ecological problem that can happen anywhere. Swelling and transport of soil particles reduce the productivity of agricultural lands. Soil surface analysis and soil-water interaction are essential topics in agricultural research and engineering as they affect the risk of soil erosion. Erosion affects the upper soil layers rich in organic matter. After the transport of this topsoil, the subsoil with a more compact structure emerges. In this case, the cultivation of the soil becomes complex, and agricultural productivity is adversely affected. Different techniques have been used to analyze the effects of erosion. In this study, we focused on rill erosion, one of the types. An electronic imaging system has been designed using the Microsoft Kinect Sensor and Raspberry Pi, which can be found quickly and at a low cost during operation. The software has been developed to extract the surface topography by analyzing the depth images of rill erosion obtained with this system. Measurements were taken using eight types of flow rates on four soil types. As a result of the experimental findings, it has been seen that volume changes of 1.3812 mm3 can be detected as a unit with the Kinect Sensor placed at a distance of 70 cm.