Current Projects

The Problem

Taking repeatable images of test plots in a greenhouse using various cameras or sensors on a regular basis.

Team

Harel Bacher, Graduate Research Assistant
Dr. Harkamal Walia, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture

The Solution

The Automated Greenhouse Sensor Platform uses an overhead gantry to carry sensors to take precise images of plants and/or plant groups in a greenhouse to monitor plant growth. This system is capable of relocating to a position within 1” to provide reliable sensor accuracy.

Client

AgSolaire Smart Seed Thresher
Bill Berzonsky

Team

Herve Mwunguzi
Sowmya Bandari
Manasa Raghavaraju

Lead

Herve Mwunguzi

Problem

To maximize profits, crop producers & researchers require real-time data to predict yield and quality. There are no adequate solutions available to farmers or researchers to rapidly acquire such data in real-time.

Solution

A solar-powered smart seed thresher that integrates a camera, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to generate accurate seed metrics such as quantity, size, shape, and quality in real time. This solution significantly improves efficiency for agricultural researchers and delivers meaningful economic benefits for crop producers.

Client

Davis Behle

Team

Raghavendra Jetti
Amlan Balabantaray
Shaswati Behera
Kulbir Singh

Problem

Current cover crop termination methods rely heavily on chemical herbicides or mechanical tillage, which can negatively impact soil health, increase environmental risks, and limit operational flexibility. Farmers need a sustainable, non-chemical, and non-tillage solution that can reliably terminate cover crops across different growth stages and field conditions.

Solution

The team is developing a compact autonomous robotic platform that integrates mechanical roller crimping with a secondary high-energy termination method such as heat, microwave radiation, electricity, ultraviolet light, or other extreme energy approaches. The system is designed for full-field operation and can terminate cover crops at any growth stage while functioning effectively under a wide range of environmental and weather conditions. The modular architecture allows different energy technologies to be tested and adapted based on crop type, biomass level, and field requirements.