Automated Plant Specimen Imaging for Growth Parameter Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for evaluating growth parameters of plant specimens are labor-intensive and impractical for large-scale evaluation, especially when multiple specialty crops need to be periodically assessed for desirable traits under various stress conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising transparent receptacles with gel and cover layers, a seed singulation system, climate control, imaging, and robotic subsystems for automated preparation, tracking, and analysis of plant specimens, capturing images to measure growth parameters like shoot height, root depth, and germination potential, and entering data into a database for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual methods are used to evaluate plant specimens, then measurement precision can be maintained for individual specimens, but productivity becomes impractical for large-scale evaluation of multiple specialty crops
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the evaluation process into distinct automated modules: seed planting in individual receptacles, automated imaging at multiple time points, and computational analysis of growth parameters. This segmentation enables parallel processing of multiple plant specimens simultaneously, dramatically increasing throughput while keeping each module's complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (hand planting, hand measurement, physical tracking) with automated systems including robotic or automated seed placement mechanisms, optical imaging systems for non-contact measurement, and digital database management. This substitution eliminates labor-intensive tasks while maintaining measurement accuracy and enabling large-scale evaluation.
2Measurement precision
If manual evaluation of growth parameters is performed, then ease of operation is maintained, but measurement precision increases with optical analysis while reducing human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system substitutes manual visual inspection and measurement with automated optical imaging and computational analysis. The imaging system captures precise dimensional data (shoot height, root depth, biomass) through digital processing, eliminating human error in measurement while the automated workflow maintains operational simplicity through standardized protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies of plant specimens through imaging at multiple time points, replacing the need for repeated manual measurements. These digital records preserve precise growth data without the variability introduced by manual observation, while the system automatically tracks and compares measurements across the growth cycle.
3Productivity
If large quantities of plant specimens are prepared and evaluated, then productivity increases, but loss of time is required for tracking and data collection
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous automated imaging at multiple time points during the growth cycle, eliminating interruptions for manual measurement. The computational system continuously processes images and updates growth parameters automatically, providing continuous data collection without the time loss associated with periodic manual interventions. This enables evaluation of large numbers of specimens through parallel processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates automated feedback loops where growth data from imaging is immediately processed and fed back into the system for real-time analysis and comparison. This automated feedback eliminates the time-consuming manual tracking process, as the system automatically correlates growth parameters with stress conditions and updates conclusions continuously throughout the evaluation process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enables efficient, automated, and accurate measurement of plant growth parameters, reducing human error and increasing throughput, allowing for the evaluation of multiple plant specimens under controlled conditions and correlation of growth data with applied stresses.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging device captures an image of the plant specimen
Data Source
AI summary
A system prepares plant specimens, tracks the plant specimens, captures images of the plant specimens, and evaluates growth parameters of the plant specimens in the captured images. The system prepares receptacles by placing a predetermined quantity of gel, if required by a particular test, into a receptacle and a layer of material, if required by a particular test, on top of the gel. The system separates a quantity of seeds into individual seeds and places an individual seed in each receptacle between the gel layer and the cover layer. The receptacles are then arrayed into decks and carts and subjected to controlled stress conditions and conditions conducive to germination and growth. An image capture device captures backlit images of the receptacles, and a processor analyzes the captured images for growth parameters of the plant specimens and enters those parameters into a database together with a unique identifier of the plant specimen.