System Demo
Role: Product Designer
Duration: Oct 2023 - Dec 2023
Team: 1 Mechanical and Electrical Engineer (Joachim Asare), 1 Business Strategist (Dan Kim)
Project Type: Physical System Prototype (School Project)
Duration: Oct 2023 - Dec 2023
Team: 1 Mechanical and Electrical Engineer (Joachim Asare), 1 Business Strategist (Dan Kim)
Project Type: Physical System Prototype (School Project)
What is MSD?
Maize Streak Disease (MSD) occurs across Sub-Saharan Africa, causing one of the most serious viral crop diseases on the continent. It is obligately transmitted by as many as six leafhopper species. [1]
Problem
Quick and Large Spread of Virus: MSV can infect over 80 other species, and it is obligately transmitted by as many as six leafhopper species in the Genus Cicadulina [1].
Serious Economic Impact upon Farmers: MSD remains the most significant viral disease of Africa’s most important food crop, costing between US$120M and US$480M per year [1][3].
Up to 100% Losses: Infected seedlings either die or produce no seed and, in one report, at the V5 stage, especially for hybrids [1].
Pain Point and Opportunity
Bio-engineering solutions are not easy to transform or regenerate and cause technical difficulties, lengthy and costly risk assessment, and public concern [1].
Pesticides including host plant resistance, chemical, and cultural control, are commonly applied indiscriminately and inappropriately, resulting in adverse [5].
Most farmers in Ghana still perform manual checking on MSD by going through large farms by luck.
Therefore, we aim to create a less labor-intensive, eco-friendly, low-cost, scalable solution system with accuracy.
System Overview
User Journey
Macro-Scale User Journey
Micro-Scale User Journey
Design Iteration
Drone-Embedded System
Drone Prototype
Drone Prototype Operation
Camera Pole Network System
Pole Network Prototype
Pole Network Prototype Operation
Remote-Car-Mounted Camera System
Remote Car Prototype
Remote Car Prototype Operation
Hose-Mounted Camera System
Hose-Mounted Prototype
Hose-Mounted Prototype Operation
Hand-Held Camera System
Hand-Held Prototype
Hand-Held Prototype Operation
Prototype Design
Prototype Render
Detail Design | Camera
Adjustable and easy-to-assemble camera case to adapt to different systems, and environments as well as allow for assemblage discrepancy.
The combination of roller, pillar case, case, and metal wire augments the strength of the system against external and internal force interference.
Detail Design | Pole
Detail Design | Motor
Motors with its case fixed on the concrete base offers with rollers flexibility for assembly and disassembly, meanwhile, integrating various parts of the system and anchoring to the ground.
Prototype Live Demo (Produced by Joachim Asare)
Achievement
Offers the scalability to apply to a broader range of specific crop fields, the modularity to accommodate different detection methods, an efficient streamlined process for increased labor productivity, the capability to capture and detect crops at closer proximity, a cumulative machine learning process for improving accuracy and insights over time, a user-friendly digital interface for easy usage and status comprehension, and a community-driven engagement to enhance communication and problem-solving.
Offers the scalability to apply to a broader range of specific crop fields, the modularity to accommodate different detection methods, an efficient streamlined process for increased labor productivity, the capability to capture and detect crops at closer proximity, a cumulative machine learning process for improving accuracy and insights over time, a user-friendly digital interface for easy usage and status comprehension, and a community-driven engagement to enhance communication and problem-solving.
Takeaway
In the future, this project could be applied to other severe crop diseases manifested through symptoms on the leaves, such as Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD). It could also be assembled with different types of cameras, such as near-infrared sensors, to implement alert systems for detecting water stress, and nutrient loss in crops. This system could be used as an initial stage of detecting diseases in developing countries; later, this system and methodology could be adapted to different devices such as hand-held, remote-controlled cars, and drones.
In the future, this project could be applied to other severe crop diseases manifested through symptoms on the leaves, such as Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD). It could also be assembled with different types of cameras, such as near-infrared sensors, to implement alert systems for detecting water stress, and nutrient loss in crops. This system could be used as an initial stage of detecting diseases in developing countries; later, this system and methodology could be adapted to different devices such as hand-held, remote-controlled cars, and drones.