Designing robots. Engineering biomass.Realizing fuel independence.

The production of bioenergy crops cannot compete with food production that must support growing global populations. To speed up crop improvement and increase bioenergy yields, top-producing plants must be identified through field trials. Today’s technologies enable us to quickly gather genotypic data; however, to date, there is not a technology that can quickly gather growth and physiological (phenotypic) data. TERRA-MEPP will fill this gap. It will collect and interpret phenotypic and genotypic data to improve the yields of energy sorghum and minimize the land needed for biofuel production while increasing profitability per acre.

OUR AGRICULTURAL DEMANDS

ARE INCREASING

OUR FUEL SOURCES ARE UNSUSTAINABLE

OUR WORK IS PART OF THE SOLUTION

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THE U.S. NEEDS

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Eventually, robots could be developed for other types of bioenergy and food crops.

Bioproducts include lubricants and other value-added biochemicals.

By 2050, the world must

increase food production

by 70%.

A highly productive source

of biomass that grows well on

marginal lands unsuited to most

food crops.

TERRA-MEPP (Mobile Energy-Crop Phenotyping Platform) is a low-cost, autonomous robot that treks between rows in the field, analyzing biofuel crops

throughout the growing season to pinpoint plants with desirable yield and sustainability traits. The robot’s sensors collect an unprecedented amount of

field data, and high-throughput analytical strategies quickly analyze it.

Each year, by burning more fossil fuels, we are increasing

carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere, which has

real consequences for the global climate. While we seem to have an abundance of gasoline, at its lowest price for some time, we as a nation

cannot rely on a finite resource, especially one we only partially

control. With bioenergy, we have an opportunity to create a perpetual

renewable and sustainable source of fuel and bioproducts. Despite low fuel prices, we must begin

developing technologies today to realize this sustainable future.

TERRA-MEPP can help.

In 2014, the U.S. burned over 135 billion gallons of gasoline.

Today’s CO2 levels have skyrocketed to 400 ppm, and may reach 1,500 ppm in a few hundred years.

TERRA-MEPP enables plant breeders to identify the top-yielding plants in the field as they grow.

BIOMASS BREEDERS

NEED TERRA-MEPP

MOBILE ENERGY-CROP PHENOTYPING PLATFORM

TRANSPORTATION ENERGY RESOURCE FROM RENEWABLE

AGRICULTURE

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Higher-end models will support more specialized cameras and sensors.

Packed inside its carrying case, this robot can easily be transported from field to field.Over a growing

season, TERRA-MEPP

will collect upward of

100 million measurements.

Designed based on rovers that sur-vey collapsed buildings and map storm drains, TERRA-MEPP can traverse fields, tread through sog-gy soils, and withstand all weather conditions. This battery-operated rover is more compact, mobile and precise than competing systems, especially large agricultural gan-tries. It’s also much more afford-able; an entry-level unit could cost as little as $5,000.

TERRA-MEPP is able to evaluate each plant’s performance in sec-onds. Twice each day, in more than 2,500 plots, this robot will autono-mously drive between rows of crops measuring the plants on each side simultaneously. These data will be used to link desirable crop traits (phenotype) with genes (genotype) that plant breeders can use to in-crease productivity in the next gen-eration of biofuel crops.

TERRA-MEPP: A HIGH-TECH ROBOT

Modular microclimate sensor payloads provide interchangeable instrumentation

Visual and microclimate data storage

Forward facing LiDAR and stereo cameras measure distance and aid navigation

External weather monitors

Side facing hyperspectral,

HD and thermal cameras

360° visible light camera

Transmission antenna

Front and rear facing hyperspectral, HD and thermal cameras

Self-stabilizing platform supports the rigid telescoping rod (which can extend 20 feet) under a wide range of rough field conditions.

Visual sensors, i.e. cameras, will capture

each plant from above and below, using a fine-

tuned spectrum, parts of which are not visible

to the human eye, to characterize each plant.

Microclimate, i.e. environmental, sensors will evaluate several environmental factors that affect plant growth and biomass yield.

MICROCLIMATE SENSORS

DIGITAL PHENOTYPE Imaging and microclimate sensor data will be used to construct a 3D image of

each plant, which can be used to calculate production throughout the growing season.

VISUAL SENSORS

HEIGHT TEMPERATURE

SOIL MOISTURE

TRANSPIRATION

WATER USE EFFICIENCY

LIGHT PENETRATION

HUMIDITY CO 2 LEVELS

GREENNESS

STEM DIAMETER

LEAF AREA INDEX

BIOMASS GROWTH RATE

BIOMASS QUALITY

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

GPS auto-piloted, ground-based rover with wide tracks can maneuver between rows and minimize soil compaction.

Modular assembly facilitates storage, transportation, setup, and customization.

WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE TERRA-MEPP A REALITY Economic workbook shows costs and value to commercial breeders

First year of field trials

2016

2017

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Robot is assembled and operational and can navigate through sorghum field

Selected sensors are added to robot

Based on controlled environmental experiments, key phenotypes identified for field trials

Second year of field trials

Further optimizing and testing of robot

Advanced sensors are added to robot

ROBOT

Create a high-throughput, mobile robotic platform to measure growth and physiological traits of plants over a wide range of environmental field conditions. Improve robot’s autonomous navigation to operate at high speeds. Refine sensor payload and visual sensing capabilities as field tests progress. Determine appropriate human-robot interface so little to no user training is required.

SOFTWARE

Develop software to make the big data from the robot’s sensors manageable and meaningful. Optimize software to rapidly interpret and summarize high-volume, remotely sensed data, including cloud point analyses to construct 3D images of individual plants. Using a mechanistic model of sorghum growth and production, utilize robotic measurements of physiological parameters to improve predictions of final yields at earlier growth stages.

Prototype robot ready

Validated model available to predict final yield of energy sorghum

Validated algorithms available to estimate height and stem diameter of a single sorghum plant

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Sorghum lines identified that will be planted in the field

Process one week of data in 48 hours

Top 40% of seedlings identified

Entry-level commercial TERRA-MEPP robot and software ready

Algorithms available to closely estimate height, stem diameter, leaf angles for over 100 plants

More than 100 alleles and genetic markers identified that are linked to increased biomass yields and other key phenotypes

GENOMICS

Sequence the genomes of 500 varieties of sorghum analyzed by TERRA-MEPP. Link phenotypic data with genetic information through a genome-wide association study. Develop quantitative trait loci (QTL) models to predict plant growth throughout the growing season. Use genomic selection (GS) models to identify genes underlying performance and predict optimal parents/progeny for genetic improvement. Understand how the environment impacts plant phenotypes, known as gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions.

MARKET

Generate a cost-benefit analysis for TERRA-MEPP to predict the cost of each model and identify opportunities to cut production costs or offer different features at different price points. Through interactions with potential users, ensure the robot’s sensor package meets the needs of users and is economically viable, and adjust accordingly. Continue discussions with potential investors and manufacturers. Protect intellectual property by maintaining trade secrets and continued filing for patents.

A PROJECT FUNDED BY ARPA-E, LED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funds concepts, including TERRA-MEPP, that industry alone cannot support, but whose success would dramatically benefit the nation. Its high-risk, high-reward programs aim to substantially reduce foreign energy imports, cut energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and improve efficiency across the energy spectrum.

Interested in collaborating in the development of TERRA-MEPP?

Interested in investing in this technology?

Interested in applying it to your own work?

Ank Michielsen, Project Manager michiels@illinois.edu 217-244-7473CONTACT