New mobile app to analyse the distribution of grass species
Aims
To streamline an analysis service for a Cumbria based enterprise, Agronomy Research, by developing a prototype mobile application which could facilitate remote recording and analysis of the distribution of grass species.
Overview
Technical Consultancy manager, James Livesey explains:
“I am part of a cross-institutional team working on the £5.7m Cumbria Innovations Platform (CUSP) II project, part funded by the European Development Fund, and run by Lancaster University and the University of Cumbria. CUSP II creates a ‘research and innovation gateway’, enabling Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to access a unique and diverse range of expertise available from the two Universities, and facilitate innovation and business growth.
“Our software development team from Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications examines opportunities to grow businesses digitally, such as investigating ideas for new digital products and services, developing digital prototypes to assess concept and feasibility, and utilising business data to explore new digital product concepts and monetise underused company assets and knowledge.
“We worked with one Cumbrian business, Agronomy Research, to develop a prototype bespoke digital application that would enable a remote version of a service that could only be delivered on site and in person.
“Their existing service involved the owner attending golf courses in person by request to inspect and evaluate greens. Following this inspection, they would potentially take samples to be analysed off site and then generate a report.
“To streamline this process the SME was interested in developing a mobile application that could feed images back to help analyse the distribution of grass species, effectively a remote although somewhat less exact version of the in-person service which could act as a triage.
“Using a combination of mobile application technologies to enable the remote recording and data submission, and a MATLAB application to analyse images for different grass species characteristics, a Lancaster University graduate built a prototype application with excellent results."
Results and Outcomes
Tab Content: For Partners and Engagement
Technical Consultancy manager, James Livesey explains:
“For businesses wanting to test or develop ideas for a new product or service, CUSPII provides access to a range of cutting-edge science and technology equipment worth more than £45 million, and bespoke consultancy to help each business progress their ideas.
“This project resulted in a prototype mobile and ‘back-end’ application that the business could adopt and begin using for beta testing purposes. The system allowed the manager of the grassland to upload images of the area in question which would then be uploaded and analysed by the MATLAB application. This application would then compare the visual characteristics of grass areas to differentiate between the dominant competing species of grass and provide a ratio to the agronomist (agronomists are experts in soil management and crop production). This would then offer a starting point in terms of advice in managing the grass areas and best next steps.
“The difference made to the business was the ability to interact with their clients remotely and offer advice before having to attend in person. This offered the SME the ability to expand the service to include online assistance, thus expanding the revenue opportunity and customer base/reach. This digital remote version of the service also offered the SME a unique service selling point.”
“The programme was ideal for us as it enabled a product concept to be turned into reality. Without this support our company had the concept but not the expertise to develop the idea into a usable system to facilitate the growth and expansion of our business.
“I cannot speak highly enough about the enthusiasm and technical know-how Lancaster University provided and would thoroughly recommend them to any local SME’s looking to expand their business through innovative product development.”
Neil Baldwin, Director, Agronomy Research.
Tab Content: For Academics
Technical Consultancy manager, James Livesey adds:
“This project provided excellent experience for a School of Computing and Communications Graduate to and develop a partnership with a business, share knowledge put theory into practice and help solve a business challenge by building the prototype.
“This knowledge exchange project is one of many facilitated by The Cumbria Innovations Platform project, which enables academics and students to connect to a unique group of Cumbrian businesses, develop partnerships, identify challenges for impactful research, and share knowledge that can support regional economic growth.”
Back to listing