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Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Robotic Sensing and Stimuli Provision for Guided Plant Growth
Published on: July 1, 2019
Let there be light: From passive agricultural sensing to active intervention
1Xiaobo Yin is professor of mechanical engineering and professor of physics (by courtesy) at the University of Hong Kong.
Abstract:
In Thailand, the word BaiKhao (ใบข้าว)-meaning "rice leaf"-embodies a quiet agricultural revolution. For generations, farmers gauged crops' nitrogen fertilizer needs by visually assessing leaf greenness, a method vulnerable to variations in lighting conditions and human error. Today, the "BaiKhaoNK" mobile app transforms smartphones into optical sensors. Using built-in cameras, it quantifies chlorophyll levels through spectral analysis and recommends precise fertilizer doses. This innovation epitomizes agriphotonics, a field dedicated to harnessing light-based tools to monitor, analyze, and diagnose crops and their environments.
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