Download - TERRA_MEPP_Brochure_v2
Designing robots. Engineering biomass.Realizing fuel independence.
The production of bioenergy crops cannot compete with food production that must support growing global populations. To speed up crop improvement and increase bioenergy yields, top-producing plants must be identified through field trials. Today’s technologies enable us to quickly gather genotypic data; however, to date, there is not a technology that can quickly gather growth and physiological (phenotypic) data. TERRA-MEPP will fill this gap. It will collect and interpret phenotypic and genotypic data to improve the yields of energy sorghum and minimize the land needed for biofuel production while increasing profitability per acre.
OUR AGRICULTURAL DEMANDS
ARE INCREASING
OUR FUEL SOURCES ARE UNSUSTAINABLE
OUR WORK IS PART OF THE SOLUTION
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THE U.S. NEEDS
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Eventually, robots could be developed for other types of bioenergy and food crops.
Bioproducts include lubricants and other value-added biochemicals.
By 2050, the world must
increase food production
by 70%.
A highly productive source
of biomass that grows well on
marginal lands unsuited to most
food crops.
TERRA-MEPP (Mobile Energy-Crop Phenotyping Platform) is a low-cost, autonomous robot that treks between rows in the field, analyzing biofuel crops
throughout the growing season to pinpoint plants with desirable yield and sustainability traits. The robot’s sensors collect an unprecedented amount of
field data, and high-throughput analytical strategies quickly analyze it.
Each year, by burning more fossil fuels, we are increasing
carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere, which has
real consequences for the global climate. While we seem to have an abundance of gasoline, at its lowest price for some time, we as a nation
cannot rely on a finite resource, especially one we only partially
control. With bioenergy, we have an opportunity to create a perpetual
renewable and sustainable source of fuel and bioproducts. Despite low fuel prices, we must begin
developing technologies today to realize this sustainable future.
TERRA-MEPP can help.
In 2014, the U.S. burned over 135 billion gallons of gasoline.
Today’s CO2 levels have skyrocketed to 400 ppm, and may reach 1,500 ppm in a few hundred years.
TERRA-MEPP enables plant breeders to identify the top-yielding plants in the field as they grow.
BIOMASS BREEDERS
NEED TERRA-MEPP
MOBILE ENERGY-CROP PHENOTYPING PLATFORM
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY RESOURCE FROM RENEWABLE
AGRICULTURE
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Higher-end models will support more specialized cameras and sensors.
Packed inside its carrying case, this robot can easily be transported from field to field.Over a growing
season, TERRA-MEPP
will collect upward of
100 million measurements.
Designed based on rovers that sur-vey collapsed buildings and map storm drains, TERRA-MEPP can traverse fields, tread through sog-gy soils, and withstand all weather conditions. This battery-operated rover is more compact, mobile and precise than competing systems, especially large agricultural gan-tries. It’s also much more afford-able; an entry-level unit could cost as little as $5,000.
TERRA-MEPP is able to evaluate each plant’s performance in sec-onds. Twice each day, in more than 2,500 plots, this robot will autono-mously drive between rows of crops measuring the plants on each side simultaneously. These data will be used to link desirable crop traits (phenotype) with genes (genotype) that plant breeders can use to in-crease productivity in the next gen-eration of biofuel crops.
TERRA-MEPP: A HIGH-TECH ROBOT
Modular microclimate sensor payloads provide interchangeable instrumentation
Visual and microclimate data storage
Forward facing LiDAR and stereo cameras measure distance and aid navigation
External weather monitors
Side facing hyperspectral,
HD and thermal cameras
360° visible light camera
Transmission antenna
Front and rear facing hyperspectral, HD and thermal cameras
Self-stabilizing platform supports the rigid telescoping rod (which can extend 20 feet) under a wide range of rough field conditions.
Visual sensors, i.e. cameras, will capture
each plant from above and below, using a fine-
tuned spectrum, parts of which are not visible
to the human eye, to characterize each plant.
Microclimate, i.e. environmental, sensors will evaluate several environmental factors that affect plant growth and biomass yield.
MICROCLIMATE SENSORS
DIGITAL PHENOTYPE
Imaging and microclimate sensor data will be used to construct a 3D image of
each plant, which can be used to calculate production throughout the growing season.
VISUAL SENSORS
HEIGHT TEMPERATURE
SOIL MOISTURE
TRANSPIRATION
WATER USE EFFICIENCY
LIGHT PENETRATION
HUMIDITY CO 2 LEVELS
GREENNESS
STEM DIAMETER
LEAF AREA INDEX
BIOMASS GROWTH RATE
BIOMASS QUALITY
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
GPS auto-piloted, ground-based rover with wide tracks can maneuver between rows and minimize soil compaction.
Modular assembly facilitates storage, transportation, setup, and customization.
WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE TERRA-MEPP A REALITY
Economic workbook shows costs and value to commercial breeders
First year of field trials
2016
2017
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Robot is assembled and operational and can navigate through sorghum field
Selected sensors are added to robot
Based on controlled environmental experiments, key phenotypes identified for field trials
Second year of field trials
Further optimizing and testing of robot
Advanced sensors are added to robot
ROBOT
Create a high-throughput, mobile robotic platform to measure growth and physiological traits of plants over a wide range of environmental field conditions. Improve robot’s autonomous navigation to operate at high speeds. Refine sensor payload and visual sensing capabilities as field tests progress. Determine appropriate human-robot interface so little to no user training is required.
SOFTWARE
Develop software to make the big data from the robot’s sensors manageable and meaningful. Optimize software to rapidly interpret and summarize high-volume, remotely sensed data, including cloud point analyses to construct 3D images of individual plants. Using a mechanistic model of sorghum growth and production, utilize robotic measurements of physiological parameters to improve predictions of final yields at earlier growth stages.
Robot prototype in progress
Validated model available to predict final yield of energy sorghum
Validated algorithms available to estimate height and stem diameter of a single sorghum plant
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Sorghum lines identified that will be planted in the field
Process one week of data in 48 hours
Top 40% of seedlings identified
Entry-level commercial TERRA-MEPP robot and software ready
Algorithms available to closely estimate height, stem diameter, leaf angles for over 100 plants
More than 100 alleles and genetic markers identified that are linked to increased biomass yields and other key phenotypes
GENOMICS
Sequence the genomes of 500 varieties of sorghum analyzed by TERRA-MEPP. Link phenotypic data with genetic information through a genome-wide association study. Develop quantitative trait loci (QTL) models to predict plant growth throughout the growing season. Use genomic selection (GS) models to identify genes underlying performance and predict optimal parents/progeny for genetic improvement. Understand how the environment impacts plant phenotypes, known as gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions.
MARKET
Generate a cost-benefit analysis for TERRA-MEPP to predict the cost of each model and identify opportunities to cut production costs or offer different features at different price points. Through interactions with potential users, ensure the robot’s sensor package meets the needs of users and is economically viable, and adjust accordingly. Continue discussions with potential investors and manufacturers. Protect intellectual property by maintaining trade secrets and continued filing for patents.
A PROJECT FUNDED BY ARPA-E, LED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funds concepts, including TERRA-MEPP, that industry alone cannot support, but whose success would dramatically benefit the nation. Its high-risk, high-reward programs aim to substantially reduce foreign energy imports, cut energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and improve efficiency across the energy spectrum.
Interested in collaborating in the development of TERRA-MEPP?
Interested in investing in this technology?
Interested in applying it to your own work?
Ank Michielsen, Project Manager [email protected] 217-244-7473CONTACT
TERRA-MEPP.ILLINOIS.EDU