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Biological Systems Engineering News: Zhang

WSU to lead national AI research institute for agriculture

Stewart Bohnet

July 29, 2021 | WSU Insider

Photo of workers with droneWSU to lead national AI research institute for agriculture

With a new $20 million federal grant, Washington State University will lead a multi-institutional research institute to develop artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to tackle some of agriculture’s biggest challenges related to labor, water, weather and climate change.

The new institute is one of 11 launched by the National Science Foundation and among two funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture in 2021. It’s called the AgAID Institute, which is short for USDA-NIFA Institute for Agricultural AI for Transforming Workforce and Decision Support.

WSU Insider

Members of Biological Systems Engineering who are involved in this work include:
Claudio Stockle
Qin Zhang
Lav Khot
Manoj Karkee
R. Troy Peters
Kirti Rajagopalan
Sindhuja Sankaran

Qin Zhang elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences

Stewart Bohnet

July 15, 2020  |   Washington State Academy of Sciences

Photo of Qin ZhangQin Zhang, Professor, Director of Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, has been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences for contributions leading to the adoption of automation technologies to agricultural production, a recognizable contribution to core technology development for intelligent farming machinery and smart agriculture and pioneering the emerging science frontier by the proposed study of agricultural cybernetics.

The Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS) announced 21 new members in recognition of their outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement and willingness to work on behalf of the Academy to bring the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington. New members will be inducted into WSAS following the 13th Annual Members’ Meeting on September 10, 2020. 

Source: Press Release: New Members Elected to WSAS 

Precision pruning can help machines safely, efficiently harvest apples

Stewart Bohnet

July 9, 2019  |  WSU Insider

With more apples to pick than any other state—more than 2.5 million tons every year—Washington apple producers have a growing desire to put labor-saving machines to work at harvest.

Sharing new discoveries on how precise pruning could support a labor-saving mechanical harvesting technique, scientists at Washington State University have won an award for their research from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).

Read the article : Precision pruning can help machines, 2019, WSU Insider.

 

 

 

 

 

Artificial intelligence and precision farming: does efficiency mean sustainability?

Stewart Bohnet

May 28, 2019  |   filling-space.com

  • How does artificial intelligence-powered precision farming affect food sustainability?

This is a question that Filling Space.com asked their panel of experts, including Sindhuja Sankaran, an Agricultural Automation Engineering specialist from Washington State University’s Biological Systems Engineering Department.

Sankaran says, “For us, artificial intelligence serves as a key tool that assists in the application of sensor technology for phenotyping applications. Given the natural variability in plants, the thousands of crop varieties evaluated, and advancements in sensor technology (e.g. hyperspectral imaging system), it is impossible to identify patterns and evaluate plant traits without the application of artificial intelligence techniques… we use these methods to contribute to machine-guided informed selection of varieties, thus contributing to sustainability.”

Read the Article : Artificial intelligence and precision farming: does efficiency mean sustainability?, 2019, Filling-space.com

 

 

 

 

 

2019 ASABE Superior Paper Award – Congratulations!

Stewart Bohnet

May 9, 2019  |  Pullman, WA

The team of Qin Zhang, Xin Zhang, Long He, Yaqoob Majeed, Matthew D. Whiting and Manoj Karkee have been selected to receive a 2019 ASABE Superior Paper Award.
This group will be honored at the General Session Recognition Program during the ASABE Annual International Meeting on July 8th, 2019 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.

  • Qin Zhang – Professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and Director, Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, Washington State University, Prosser, WA.
  • Xin Zhang – Graduate Student in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, Washington State University, Prosser, WA.
  • Long He – Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Fruit Research and Extension Center, Pennsylvania State University, Biglerville, PA.
  • Yaqoob Majeed – Graduate Student in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, Washington State University, Prosser, WA.
  • Matthew D. Whiting – Professor in the Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Prosser, WA.
  • Manoj Karkee – Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, Washington State University, Prosser, WA.

Read the Paper : A Precision Pruning Strategy for Improving Efficiency of Vibratory Mechanical Harvesting of Apples, 2018, Transactions of the ASABE, Vol. 61(5): 1565-1576.

 

 

 

 

 

WSU, Australian scientists partner to form Joint Center for Ag Robotics

Graham Barnett

October 1, 2018  |  Pullman, WA

By Scott Truscott, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resources Sciences

 

Students with DroneTo speed robotic advancements that help farmers grow food with fewer resources, scientists at Washington State University and Australia’s University of Technology Sydney have partnered to form the new Joint Center for Agricultural Robotics.

The first collaboration of its kind for WSU’s Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems (CPAAS), the partnership joins WSU scientists’ expertise in innovative automation solutions for farms and orchards with pre-eminent research in robotics at the University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Centre for Autonomous Systems.

 

[Read more on the WSU Insider: WSU, Australian scientists partner to form Joint Center for Ag Robotics]

 

BSE Faculty and Students Attend ASABE 2018 – Student Wins First Place Award

Graham Barnett

BSE at ASABE 2018 August 1, 2018  |  Detroit, MI

Faculty and Graduate Students from Biological Systems Engineering attended the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) 2018 Annual Meeting. The event took place  July 29, 2018 – August 01, 2018 in Detroit Michigan.

BSE Faculty included Lav Khot, Troy Peters, Juming Tang, Manoj Karkee, Sindhuja Sankaran, and Qin Zhang.

WSU alumnus Dr. Norman Scott was also in attendance.

 

More information about the meeting can be found on the ASABE Annual Meeting 2018 Website

 

 

Kapil Khanal with ASABE Award

In addition, BSE Master’s student Kapil Khanal (advised by BSE faculty member Dr. Manoj Karkee) won the first place Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award for his research titled “Red Raspberry Bundling and Taping Mechanism.”

More information on the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award can be found on the ASABE Webiste