Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Plant Physiology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #349402
Title: Professor: A motorized field-based phenotyping cart

Author
item Thompson, Alison
item Conrad, Alex
item Conley, Matthew
item Shrock, Henry
item Taft, Bryce
item Miksch, Charles
item Mills, Talon
item Dyer, John

Submitted to: HardwareX
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/19/2018
Publication Date: 5/23/2018
Citation: Thompson, A.L., Conrad, A.V., Conley, M.M., Shrock, H., Taft, B., Miksch, C.L., Mills, T.V., Dyer, J.M. 2018. Professor: A motorized field-based phenotyping cart. HardwareX. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2018.e00025.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2018.e00025

Interpretive Summary: An easy-to-customize, low-cost field-based motorized cart suitable for proximal sensing and imaging in agricultural and environmental applications is described. This cart design uses readily available products for the frame, drive train, and remote-control development to eliminate operator fatigue and keep more consistent data collection speeds that were problematic with previous cart models. This field-based cart will enable high-throughput phenotyping at a reduced cost to improve breeding efficiency and crop management.

Technical Abstract: An easy-to-customize, low-cost, low disturbance, motorized proximal sensing cart for field-based high-throughput phenotyping is described. General dimensions, motor specifications, and a remote operation application are given. The cart, named Professor, supports mounting multiple proximal sensors and cameras for characterizing plant traits grown under field conditions. Professor easily adapts to multiple sensor configurations supporting detection of multiple target traits and has two axes of adjustable clearance by design. Professor is useful as a field-based phenotyping platform and offers a framework for customized development and application.