University of California, Riverside

Team members: Agenor Mafra-Neto, Eamonn Keogh, Michalis Faloutsos

The team at UC Riverside, in collaboration with ISCA Technologies, developed an important tool for farmers worldwide: tiny, inexpensive sensors that can automatically count and classify the insects in the field. This technology then translates the information and sends the farmer a once-a-day text message with instructions on the type of intervention necessary and a map of the isolated locations where action is needed. This method allows farmers a more targeted approach than mass intervention, reducing costs for labor and pesticides.