Project Details

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EntoSense: an adaptive, autonomous, closed-loop control system for real-time insect detection and management

Company: PSU Center for Pollinator Research

Major(s):
Primary: CMPEN
Secondary: ME
Optional: CMPSC

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: YES

Insects are the "little things that run the world" - serving fundamental architects of our ecosystems, supporting food security through pollination, but also acting as crop pests and vectors of disease. Current methods for monitoring insects are archaic, time-consuming, and imprecise, harming beneficial species like bees in the process. Moreover, they lack precision to detect invasive species and pests. Our objective is to engineer and construct EntoSense, a comprehensive, autonomous Cyber-Physical System (CPS). This system moves beyond simple monitoring by integrating advanced optics, active manipulation, and edge computing into a single field unit. You will be building the physical platform: a 24-hour trap featuring a dual day/night camera system, a programmable multi-spectrum LED array to lure specific insects, and a mechanical sorting actuator to physically separate pests from beneficial pollinators. This is a high-impact hardware challenge to build a robotic guardian that protects our food and ecosystems by making real-time, physical decisions in the field.