Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41902175›Full record

ArticleSensors (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Optical Caliper for Contactless Measurement of Plant Stem Diameter.

Naomi van der Kolk, Daan Boesten, Willem van Valenberg, Steven van den Berg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Naomi van der KolkPhotonics Research Group, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdamseweg 137, 2628 AL Delft, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8670-0408
Daan BoestenPhotonics Research Group, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdamseweg 137, 2628 AL Delft, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0001-8915-9071
Willem van ValenbergPhotonics Research Group, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdamseweg 137, 2628 AL Delft, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-8778-1409
Steven van den BergPhotonics Research Group, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdamseweg 137, 2628 AL Delft, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4284-8627

Funding

RAAK.MKB 16.011
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Precision greenhouse agriculture enhances plant health and crop yields by continuously monitoring key plant parameters. Stem diameter is such a parameter and is monitored to support decisions on plant care. However, traditional contact-based methods induce thigmomorphogenic effects that impact plant growth. Here, we introduce the Optical Caliper (OC), a novel contactless device for precise, non-invasive stem diameter measurement. The OC operates by projecting a collimated light beam to cast a shadow of the stem onto a high-resolution image sensor. The shadow size is a measure for the stem diameter. Controlled laboratory tests show the OC offers an accuracy comparable to that of a Digital Caliper (DC). Field trials on irregular tomato and cucumber stems demonstrate a repeatability of 0.1-0.2 mm. The OC's non-invasive design and high repeatability exceed the performance of a DC, making it particularly suited for accurately monitoring soft, variable plant structures. Bringing the advantage of avoiding thigmomophogenic effects and thus optimizing crop yield, the OC is a promising tool for high-throughput plant phenotyping and precision agriculture applications.

Indexed as

Plant StemsAgricultureCucumis sativusSolanum lycopersicumcontactless measurementgreenhouse monitoringhead thicknessimage processingnon-invasive monitoringoptical caliperplant phenotypingprecision agricultureshadow formationstem diameter

Identifiers

PMID41902175
PMCPMC13030289

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.