![Page 1: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
How Would Google Farm?
Alex ThomassonProfessor
Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning, and Mechanization
![Page 2: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
"Waymo stands for a new way forward in mobility."
"Waymo began as the Google self-driving car project in 2009. Today, we're an independent self-driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for everyone to get around—without the need for anyone in the driver’s seat."
![Page 3: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
The Technology
• AI-based Control System– Onboard– Remote
• GNSS (RTK)• IMU• Road Map• LIDAR (Velodyne 64-beam)
![Page 4: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
The AI• "Experience" = Massive Amounts of
Data• Examples
– Maneuvering through construction zones– Moving over for emergency vehicles
• Observed real-world situations are fed into system for training
• "Tensor Processing Units"• Deep learning
![Page 5: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
7/24/18
mapping data.txt EventsNDVI
0.5037 - 0.6297
0.6298 - 0.6674
0.6675 - 0.6902
0.6903 - 0.7066
0.7067 - 0.7201
0.7202 - 0.7316
0.7317 - 0.7410
0.7411 - 0.7566
0 60 12030Meters
Cotton Plant NDVI Map Cotton Plant Height Map
0 60 12030Meters
mapping data.txt EventsPLANT_HEIG
17.3 - 52.2 cm
52.3 - 71.0 cm
71.1 - 81.5 cm
81.6 - 91.4 cm
91.5 - 109.4 cm
Ruixiu Sui, former Postdoc and Research Professor,now Res. Eng. withUSDA-ARS Mississippi
![Page 6: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Deep Learning
• Typically based on artificial neural networks (ANNs)
![Page 7: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Food/Fiber Demand• Rising Population
• Rising Standard of Living
![Page 8: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Food/Fiber Supply
• Farm Profitability• Limited Arable Land• Urbanization• Climate Effects
![Page 9: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Agricultural Trends• Breeding gains in grain and
oilseed yield– 1970 – 1990 2.4% per year– 1990 – 2010 1.6% per year– 2021 (expected) 1.5% per year
• Precision agriculture can help, but technology adoption has been piecemeal
![Page 10: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Commonalities between Driving and Farming
• Sensorso Car
o GPSo IMUo LIDAR
o Farmo GPSo Crop Sensorso Etc.
![Page 11: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Commonalities between Driving and Farming
• Datao Car
o Mapo Surroundings (static and dynamic)
o Farmingo Topographyo Soil Typeo Soil Fertilityo Soil Moistureo Etc.
![Page 12: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Commonalities between Driving and Farming
• Algorithmso Car
o Navigate according to mapo Identify obstacleso Predict what might happeno Prescribe what to doo Implement prescription
o Farmingo Agronomy, Physiology, Soil Science, Economics, etc.o Predict what might happeno Prescribe what to doo Implement prescription
![Page 13: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
We want to increase yield/profit per acre
• Doing this requires considering the fundamental equation,
P = G + E + GxE– P = phenotype such as crop yield,
growth rate, drought tolerance, etc.– G = genotype such as crop type and
variety– E = environment such as weather and
field characteristics
We can affect G (genotype)• Through breeding
– phenotypes are measured– plant selections are made– genetics may be modified
• High-throughput phenotyping (HTP)– sensors on robots or UAVs (drones)– enable vastly more plant phenotypes and
genetic variation to be analyzed– increase rate at which G can be affected
We can affect E (plant environment)
• By improving field characteristics through farm operations
– Advances in GPS, sensors, and automation enable precise application of crop inputs (seed, water, fertilizer, etc.)
– Further improvements in precision agriculture (PA) depend on
• development of prescriptive analytics
• to account for spatial and temporal variation in field characteristics
![Page 14: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
In the early days of precision agriculture, we noted :
“For precision agriculture to be successful, three things are required:1. accurate site–specific data about field conditions2. an understanding of relationships between
the data and economic environmental benefits3. the ability to vary inputs by location
Thomasson, J. A., R. Sui, M. S. Cox, and A. Al-Rajehy. 2001. Soil reflectance sensing for determining soil properties in precision agriculture. Trans. ASAE 44(6):1445-1453.
![Page 15: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Monitor Weight versus Scale Weight(n=138)
y = 1.00xR2 = 0.99
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000Scale Weight (lb)
Mon
itor W
eigh
t (lb
)
![Page 16: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Yufeng Ge,Ph.D. Graduate 2007,Asst. Prof.,Uni. Nebraska
![Page 17: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Traditional Sensing in Precision Agriculture
• GPS
• Soil mapping
![Page 18: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Recent Advances in Sensing for Precision
Agriculture
• Plant reflectance• Weed detection• Soil electrical
conductivity• Etc.
![Page 19: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Phenotyping• Platforms
– Remote– Ground-based
• Numerous phenotypes
![Page 20: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
The Internet of Things (IoT)
• Numerous sensors on linked farm equipment
• On-farm wireless sensor networks
![Page 21: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Traditional Farm Analytics
• Management zones
![Page 22: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Spatially Applied Crop Models
![Page 23: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Big Data Methods
• Traditional artificial intelligenceo neural networkso fuzzy logic
• Deep learning
Can we get to single-plant level?
![Page 24: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Autonomy
• Autosteer
![Page 25: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Autonomy
• Autospray
![Page 26: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Autonomy
• Variable-rate planting
• Seed singulation
![Page 27: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Autonomy
• Variable-rate irrigation
• Etc.
![Page 28: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Robotics• Field robots
o Tractorso Sprayerso Pickers
![Page 29: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
What is needed now?
• What do we have?o Plenty of sensors and datao Good analytics conceptso Good input automation
• What do we still need?o Reliable datao Data infrastructureo Asking the right questions
![Page 30: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Data reliability• Yield maps
o Data cleaningo Calibration
• UAV remote sensingo Radiometric
calibrationo Height calibration
![Page 31: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
![Page 32: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Structure Design
![Page 33: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Thermal calibration tiles
10×10𝑝𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑙𝑠 at 50m
50m
![Page 34: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
![Page 35: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
![Page 36: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
https://www.ugcs.com/en/page/pro4pros
Why do we need a mobile GCP
![Page 37: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
Wireless System Network
![Page 38: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Main controller terminal Integrated GCP controllerEmbedded control board on
the UAV
Controllers
![Page 39: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
ResultsUAV Image Calibration
![Page 40: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
ResultsUAV Plant Height Calibration
![Page 41: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
Infrastructure Issues• Volume
– As-applied and prescription data• Spraying – 0.3 Mb/acre• Planting – 5.5 Mb/acre• Yield data – 4.2 Mb/acre• Soil/Fertility data – 0.6 Mb/acre• Prescription files – 0.01 Mb/acre
– UAV images – 33 Mb/acre
Scott Shearer, Ph.D.Professor and ChairFood, Ag., & Bio. Eng.Ohio State University
![Page 42: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
Asking the right questions
• Assume we can applyo Any needed inputo Any time we wanto In any amount we wanto At the single-plant level
• How do we make that decision?o The three main ingredients are thereo But we must structure the extremely
complex data in a way that deep learning can provide answers.
![Page 43: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
Farm Decision-Making
![Page 44: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
Where are we going?
• Rapid genetic gainso Modern breeding and geneticso High-throughput phenotyping
• Transitioning phenotyping methods to broad-acre applicationso Develop repeatable, important, practical
phenotypeso Transition to broad-acre farming
systems• Approach single-plant management
![Page 45: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
What capabilities do we have today?
• Datao Sensorso High-throughput phenotyping techniqueso IoTo Sensor platformso Wireless networkso Cloud-based processing and storage
• Advanced artificial intelligence• Real-time application capabilities
![Page 46: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
What capabilities will we have in 5 years?
• Better data infrastructure• Better technologies for highly precise
application
![Page 47: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
What capabilities will we have later?
• Ability to formulate management problems optimally
• Capability to apply all inputs when, where, and in the amounts that are optimal
![Page 48: How Would Google Farm? - InfoAg Conference › media › abstracts › 5967_Conference... · How Would Google Farm? Alex Thomasson Professor Endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning,](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081406/5f0d7add7e708231d43a90a1/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
Google?
• We will farm like Google would do it.