AI farm assistant and plant proteins on show at field days

Thursday 15 March 2018

Massey University is showcasing a prototype of a virtual farm assistant this year at Central Districts Field Days, and they want the public to put it through its paces

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Massey student Hayden Wilson standing in front of the virtual farm assistant.

Last updated: Tuesday 23 August 2022

Massey University is showcasing a prototype of a virtual farm assistant this year at Central Districts Field Days, and they want the public to put it through its paces.

Artificially intelligent systems that can clean the house, manage heating for cheaper power and provide surveillance of the family home are developing every day. So how far away are we from using these systems on the farm?

Massey engineers have been developing a screen-based prototype to help on the farm that could be used from anywhere - the home, the ute, even on an overseas holiday. Still in its early stages of development, the system involves users speaking to a computer-generated avatar, who answers farm-related questions and puts forward data-driven solutions based on the information it has.

The system is designed to tap into sensors on the farm that give real-time information to farm managers about what is happening. It can compare that to what has happened in the past, and recommend options for what to do next, based on the data available. The questions can be wide-ranging - from the levels of milk solids in the cow shed vats, how that compares to the same time last year, what’s the pasture cover and where everyone is currently located on the farm.

Massey master’s student Hayden Wilson is doing the development on the project, with significant input from senior lecturer Dr Khalid Arif, who was instrumental in developing the base algorithms and software. Professor Johan Potgieter will oversee the projects development in his new role in the Massey Agritech Partnership.

The system will be able to absorb historical data from the farm and be capable of linking with on-farm systems to analyse data to help farmers make better informed decisions, as well as helping with the day-to-day running of the farm.

The tool is not just designed to optimise productivity, but every aspect of farm life, for example in the identification of animal illness. These may include spore count data on certain paddocks to let farmers know which paddocks might be contributing to facial eczema. The system would automatically flag these paddocks and let the farmer know so they can efficiently manage the farm based on the information the system provides.

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Soy based meat.

Crickets and soy meat and coconut yoghurt?

Field Days crowds will also get the chance to try some plant-based proteins that Massey is developing, with some meat patties that look and taste like meat, but are made from soy. There is also yoghurt made from coconut milk and bread made from nut and cricket flour.

The Massey stand will be located in the Agriculture Pavilion. Field days is open from 9am to 5.30pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

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Bread made from nut and cricket flour.