Team Members & Role: 

Jesus Tejeda: Team Lead

Jason Pettinato: Analysis Lead

Caleb Smith: Design Lead 

Benjamin Weedon: Fabrication Lead

William Hanson: Evaluation Lead

Abstract:

This project introduces the Corn Monitoring Robot (CMR), an autonomous phenotyping system designed to enhance the precision and efficiency of data collection on developing corn tassels for the Bartlett Lab. Focused on identifying corn species with early-morning flowering genes, the CMR addresses the critical need for accurate phenotypic data in the context of climate change. This gene is valuable because late-flowering species suffer reduced pollen dispersion in high-temperature regions due to intense sunlight exposure. Early-morning flowering corn that can avoid the heat is essential to meet food supply demands in the face of global warming and the expected steep rise in world population by the mid-century. This type of phenotyping is part of a budding but still niche research field. The current technology used is purpose-built for other private research labs and is not available for purchase. The current methodology employed by the Bartlett Lab relies on labor-intensive manual observations that can produce inaccurate data; graduate students have to frequent the greenhouse and use a cardboard monopod to take images using an iPhone camera. The CMR autonomously captures RGB and depth data, eliminating the need for researchers to visit the greenhouse. The automation streamlines the data collection process, providing more accurate and efficient analysis thereby facilitating the lab’s research efforts in phenotyping and understanding corn flowering dynamics. The novel CMR will facilitate vital research conducted by the Bartlett Lab, advancing agricultural technology, and contributing to a broader understanding of crop resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions and yield demands.