Robot detects diseases in cotton and soybeans in just 7 seconds with AI and ultraviolet light

An autonomous robotic system, operating at night, named LumiBot, is capable of generating data that allows for the construction of models to make early diagnosis of nematodes in cotton and soybean plants before the appearance of symptoms. Developed by Embrapa Instrumentation (SP), LumiBot emits ultraviolet-visible light on the plants and analyzes the fluorescence captured in the images of the leaves, with scientific cameras. Cotton and soybeans have enormous economic importance for the country, with a forecast of record harvest in the period 2025/26, with 4.09 million tons of cotton lint and 177.67 million tons of soybean grains, according to the National Supply Company (Conab). However, the two crops face the threat of the microscopic parasite, 0.3 to 3 millimeters in length. LumiBot uses the technique of LED-Induced Fluorescence Imaging (LIFI) to detect plant diseases quickly and non-destructively. The robot excites the leaves with ultraviolet-visible light, causing compounds ...