Title: Exploring the Application of Soft Robots in Crop Contact Detection Field
Speaker: Associate professor. Dong Zhou (Nanjing Agricultural University)
Time: April 30, 2025 10:00 AM CST (UTC time: April 30, 2025 at 2:00 AM UTC). See the conversion to other time zones using this time zone announcement.
Replay link: https://youtu.be/iKrmK01BarQ
Zoom Meeting ID: 851 9924 8551 Password: 246280
Abstract: Soft robot is a highly flexible robotic system with overall deformation, which has natural advantages in the field of contact with crops. Wearable sensors are a kind of close contact devices which can accurately detect crop physiological parameters. To further leverage the advantages of the combination of soft robots and wearable sensors, this study explores and proposes a new crop physiological parameter measurement method based on a soft variable stiffness robotic arm. In this method, a three-chamber soft gripper manipulator is designed. By controlling the pressure of the three chambers, it can achieve close contact between the lamellar crop leaves and spherical fruits. By replacing different sensors on the manipulator, it can achieve accurate acquisition of different crop physiological parameters. We hope to leverage the advantages of soft robots in the field of agricultural monitoring and promote the development of precision automatic detection technology in agriculture based on this foundation.
Bio: Dong Zhou, associate professor in Nanjing Agricultural University, deputy director of the National Digital Planting Industry (Wheat) Innovation Center, vice president of Science and Technology of Jiangsu Province. He received his Ph.D. degree from the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems at Harbin Institute of Technology in December 2022. His primary research focuses on smart agriculture, soft robotics, and flexible sensors. He has published over 20 SCI papers, and currently serving as a Plant Phenomics editorial board member.