Purdue University Northwest
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Location |
West Lafayette, IN |
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Project Name |
Project TRAVERSE: agTech Robotics, Automation and the Virtually Employed Resiliently Scaling Enterprises |
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Award Amount |
Federal Share |
Local Match |
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$726,389 |
$276,000 |
Project TRAVERSE will involve utilization of advanced manufacturing technology, robotics, and cyber-physical systems (CPS) to develop and pilot test agriculture technology (agTech) solutions, like remote planting and harvesting of an array of crops. This project will provide alternative solutions to current labor practices, alleviate labor shortages, and improve efficiencies thus making the U.S. produce industry more competitive with foreign competitors.
The following are the specific goals of the proposed project:
- Develop and create innovative solutions for remote operation of horticulture/agriculture applications, through the Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT) and a managed, open source CPS;
- Support a CPS and IoRT agTech framework and entrepreneurial ecosystem that spawns and incubates robotic solutions, aids in the protection of ensuing intellectual property and cultivates mentorships and business relationships for nascent ventures;
- Demonstrate proof of concept of the above through in field application, research and testing;
- Train a high-skilled workforce to manufacture, install, maintain, and repair the remote operation technology in U.S. greenhouses;
- Determine economic impact through cost benefit analysis. Project TRAVERSE will allow the United States to recover from decades of trade imbalance for produce, provide resilient harvests of healthy nutrient rich produce to the public during pandemics or other global supply chain disruptions, and offer remote and safe employment to a nimble workforce skilled and remote management of horticulture crops.