LoRa-Based Termite Online Monitoring System
School: Qingdao Innovation School, Shandong Province
Author: Sun Binhang
Termites are highly destructive social insects that primarily feed on wood fibers, damaging buildings, destroying reservoir embankments, and eroding forest resources. Traditional termite control methods involve burying bait wood in suspected areas and manually excavating for inspection at scheduled intervals. When termite damage is detected, chemicals are sprayed to exterminate them. This method not only consumes a lot of manpower and financial resources but also lacks timely monitoring. Therefore, I designed a LoRa-based termite online monitoring system.
Regarding the termite control issue, I visited the Qingdao Termite Control Office to consult with experts and understand the main methods and measures currently used for termite control. The experts emphasized the necessity and urgency of real-time monitoring of termites.
▲ Consulting experts on current termite control methods
The overall structure of the system is mainly divided into three parts: the first part is the shallow-buried monitoring device underground, which monitors termite intrusion; the second part is the concentrator device deployed at the regional center, which can receive alarm information from all monitoring devices within a 1-kilometer range. The concentrator device is powered by solar energy; the third part consists of a remote server and web interface. As shown in Figure 2.
▲ Overall structure diagram
1. Shallow-Buried Monitoring Device
The shallow-buried monitoring device mainly consists of a graphite intrusion detection device, a LoRa wireless module, a low-power microcontroller, and a lithium battery.
Conductive graphite is embedded in the bait wood of the termite trap, and the graphite is connected to a circuit at both ends, as shown in Figure 3. In normal conditions, the resistance at both ends of the graphite is nearly zero, and the voltage is almost zero. When termites invade and chew the wood, the graphite leaks, increasing the resistance at both ends, which also raises the voltage. When the microcontroller detects the increased voltage, it sends an alarm signal to the concentrator via LoRa wireless communication.
▲Shallow-Buried Monitoring Device
The concentrator device is powered by solar energy and serves as a data aggregation node installed within a specific area. Since LoRa wireless communication cannot send data directly to remote internet servers, it must relay data through the concentrator device. When the concentrator receives alarm information sent from the monitoring device, it then forwards the data to the internet server via GPRS network.
3. Server Connection and Web Monitoring
The network server stores the data received from the concentrator into a database and displays it on a map interface through a web page, allowing staff to promptly identify termite intrusion points for further extermination.
The LoRa-based termite online monitoring system can monitor termite intrusion in real-time, facilitating termite control, and has good application and economic value.
▲ Author’s introduction of the termite online monitoring system arranged around the house
Seeing Sun Binhang’s “LoRa-Based Termite Online Monitoring System” project reminds me of an experience I had.
At that time, I lived in an old wooden house assigned by the school. In April and May, during the day it was fine, but at night, when everything quieted down, I could hear a creepy rustling sound coming from between the wooden boards. It wasn’t until the technicians from the county termite control office dug out a huge ant nest inside that it was resolved. Termites themselves pose no harm to humans, but they can cause severe damage to buildings, furniture, cables, etc.
It is commendable that Sun Binhang could consult with experts at the termite control office during his studies, learn about the main methods and measures currently used for termite control, and find a project-based learning topic. The implementation of this project is very beneficial for his innovative growth.
If students are interested in understanding the maturity of current technologies in this field, they can search online for keywords such as “termite monitoring system”, “smart termite monitoring”, and “instruments related to smart termite monitoring”.
▲ Expert Commentator for this Issue – Tan Diaao
★First Expert Consultant of the Chinese Inventors Association
★President of the Primary and Secondary School Creative Education Branch of the Chinese Inventors Association
★Special Grade Teacher of Science and Technology Innovation Education
★Expert in the National Training Program of the Ministry of Education
