Germany
July 14, 2020
LemnaTec and Computomics signed a cooperation agreement for an exclusive world-wide distribution of CropScore, a scalable decentralized camera system for continuous imaging.
This partnership combines LemnaTec’s expertise in plant phenotyping and Computomics’ power of machine learning–based bioinformatics to address phenotyping demand in research and industry, with applications from labs over greenhouses to vertical farms.
CropScore is a ready-to-use, large-scale plant phenotyping platform without moving parts — neither plants move to sensors, nor sensors move to plants. Instead, an array of sensors is distributed across the planting area. This has two key advantages: we avoid mechanically moving parts, and we keep all plants under constant, simultaneous surveillance at any time. Avoiding moving mechanical parts minimizes construction effort and saves cost for mechanical automation. Classical plant-to-sensor or sensor-to-plant phenotyping systems have motor-driven transporting mechanics, imaging cabinets, or other automated components. All these parts are omitted in the CropScore system, where an array of cameras is mounted in a way that plants are in the field of view of at least one camera. Therefore, measurements can be taken simultaneously and in a predefined frequency at any time point. This makes it possible to have much more detailed time series, in particular when diurnal processes or highly dynamic responses are investigated. CropScore is a fast, highly reliable, affordable phenotyping platform that complements LemnaTec’s plant-to-sensor and sensor-to-plant phenotyping systems.
In this cooperation, LemnaTec will be responsible for the distribution of the CropScore camera system, whereas the image storage and control platform, named the CropScore Web Interface, will be licensed by Computomics. Modular image analysis technologies can be deployed on this open platform.
The agreement has been signed by Juergen Kreis (CEO LemnaTec GmbH) and Dr. Sebastian Schultheiss (Managing Director Computomics GmbH) and is effective since June 1, 2020.
About Computomics GmbH
Computomics was founded in 2012 so customers can reap the benefits of their proprietary machine learning technology. By applying AI to genetics, phenotype, microbiome, and environmental datasets, Computomics analysts unlock the diversity of biological life. Computomics is a team of world-leading experts in machine learning, plant research and bioinformatics.
In over 150 projects, they enabled customers to make data-driven decisions and thereby accelerate sustainable agricultural development that can feed the world. Computomics advanced machine learning methods enable rapid understanding of genomic data for plant breeding, agricultural, biotech, and microbiome researchers. Computomics is headquartered in Tübingen, Germany.
About LemnaTec GmbH
LemnaTec GmbH, headquartered in Aachen, Germany, is a leading supplier of plant phenotyping solutions, solutions for the seed testing industry, for plant-related disease screening, and customised research platforms for research, development, and quality control.
LemnaTec's solutions for measurement and evaluation of plant phenotypes and their varieties enable customised solutions for industrial corporations as well as for international research institutions and universities. In addition to plant analysis, LemnaTec also provides analytical methods for detection of plant diseases as well as infestation by insects and other animals, which often occur as pathogens of plants. Solutions for digital seed testing developed by LemnaTec provide valuable services in the seed industry and for gene banks in determining germination rate, germination quality and seed quality.
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