Chippewa Valley Times

Tucked away near Chippewa Falls, Pondview Lavender Farm is enhancing its lavender harvesting process with the help of an agricultural robot. This initiative is part of a research project led by University of Wisconsin-Stout engineering Professor Yuan Xing and applied social science Program Director Tina Lee. The project, titled "A Human-Centered Collaborative Approach to Designing an Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Network," aims to improve Wisconsin's agricultural system.

The farm utilizes the Amiga robot, developed by Farm-ng, which is a battery-operated micro-tractor designed for continuous automation in specialty crop farming. Professor Xing explained that the robot can learn field parameters and hold up to 1,000 pounds, saving labor for workers. It can operate at speeds up to 5 1/2 mph and has adjustable height and width.

The research project received a $175,000 Universities of Wisconsin Innovation Grant. Additional studies are being conducted at River Falls with plans to install cow manager sensors and create an AI livestock monitoring system. Other contributors include engineering professors Cheng Liu and Abhishek Verma from UW-River Falls.

Professor Xing collaborates with students Aaron Post and Jake See to develop an AI brain for the Amiga robot using NVIDIA Jetson Xavier processors. Post and See are working on acquiring new AI/machine learning knowledge for industrial applications.

Jake See expressed his interest in programming since childhood and hopes that automation will improve crop quality while reducing costs. He aims to work as an AI researcher or software engineer focusing on computer vision or machine learning theory.

UW-Stout’s Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering offers various programs in engineering, while the applied social science program resides within the College of Arts and Human Sciences. The university integrates AI training across its degree programs to prepare graduates for evolving workforce needs.