DOST-ASTI modernizes agriculture with AI
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A team of researchers and engineers from the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) is looking to combine agriculture with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In a press release, the DICT explained that combining ICT into agriculture will help draw more plant growers, especially the youth.
DOST-ASTI Supervising Science Research Specialist and Project lead Jeffrey Aborot added that the initiative will also “develop solutions that will ensure our country’s food security.”
Called the Gul.ai Project, the department’s new initiative aims to allow plant growers to monitor real-time environmental conditions affecting their plants.
Sensors will be installed through the system to enable regular image capture and measure different essential parameters such as the acidity of the water-nutrient mix, internal and external temperature, internal and external humidity, and amount of light.
The system will also enable plant growers to precisely define environmental parameter settings that will affect plant growth such as the color of artificial light, the type and amount of nutrient solution needed, and the frequency of applying water and nutrient solutions.
The DOST-ASTI already deployed a laboratory-scale prototype of the Gul.ai System in the University of Rizal System (URS) Tanay Campus last November 28, 2022.
The system was subjected to a real environment test where URS agricultural engineers and crop scientists and DOST system engineers were on hand to provide feedback.
Meanwhile, the project team targets to open the system in the commercial market in 2023 once it passes all the necessary quality checks and after it is approved by their partner agriculture experts.
