Inspired by his classroom exploration and drawing on his experience with 3D printing technology, Dr Krish developed a simple device that clips onto a smartphone, transforming the everyday device into a microscope capable of lab-quality imaging. He hopes to eventually sell these simple and easy-to-use devices globally for as little as $1 each. Along with the microscope device, he has developed an app capable of building artificial intelligence (AI) engines to analyse images with incredible precision.
There are numerous agricultural and supply chain applications for Dr Krish's breakthrough technology, as data can be quickly analysed with significantly fewer training images than other AI processes require. Thanks to a clever scope design that mimics the lighting of a professional studio, GoMicro's images are lab quality and can be taken in the field and on the fly.
GoMicro to combat the mammoth issue of food waste
GoMicro gives farmers the ability to identify, measure and manage pests and diseases in the field.
Dr Krish believes that his simple smartphone attachable device, along with his AI app, could help combat global food waste, an issue that affects both producers and consumers and costs the food industry millions of dollars each year. With its superb magnification, GoMicro can detect tiny wrinkles and other minuscule signs of ageing on the skin of fruits and vegetables. GoMicro AI applications will soon allow the user to estimate freshness accurately, ensuring food can be assessed at all points of the supply chain.
The GoMicro team recently partnered with Indian cardamon producers. India's cardamon output accounts for almost a third of international production. However, one of the industry's biggest challenges is quality assessment which, until now, has been mostly visual and subjective. When standards are assessed visually by buyers and sellers, disputes often arise, which can be difficult to resolve.
Creating a QA system that is both objective and indisputable adds potential value to second-grade products...diverting them from landfill and into kitchens.
Using GoMicro's technology, the project will allow producers to assess the quality parameters, defects and size of cardamom seeds. This process will, in turn, feed an online auction database, underpinning a world-first in the AI certification of food standards.
The outcome of standardised testing and quality assurance (QA) means that farmers and buyers can, at last, agree on fair pricing by assessing produce against the national standard. It also allows buyers to trace food back to its source. 'Ultimately, food will be a computable product, the industry will be more transparent, and food can be bought and sold according to its quality,' explains Dr Krish. Creating a QA system that is both objective and indisputable adds potential value to second-grade products too, diverting them from landfill and into kitchens.
GoMicro for farmers
'What cannot be measured, cannot be managed'
One of GoMicro's guiding principles is: 'What cannot be measured, cannot be managed.' Dr Krish believes that his technology can provide farmers with the capability to diagnose pests and diseases like an agronomist, allowing them to manage these challenges better.
Cardamom being assessed.
Most AI engines require thousands of 'training' images before they become functional. Because the images taken with GoMicro's microscope are studio-quality (free of shadows and backgrounds), GoMicro's AI engines can be trained to astounding accuracy with as little as 50 images. This means that just about anybody can create an AI engine with GoMicro. As more sectors of the industry adopt the technology, the system has the potential to become a vast AI assessment platform for farmers and agronomists worldwide.
For example, if a farmer notices unfamiliar larvae on their crop, in most cases, they would require an agronomist to diagnose the issue and recommend a treatment plan. Alternatively, they might spray with strong, non-targeted pesticides that would kill the larvae but also destroy beneficial insect populations and negatively impact the health of the soil and crop. GoMicro is an effective diagnostic tool that can provide immediate information on leaf diseases, pests and more for timely action. This tool enables farmers to detect pests or diseases well before they are apparent to the naked eye. When issues are diagnosed earlier, management plans can be less invasive and more effective.
Dr Krish wants to give farmers the ability to identify, measure, and manage pests and leaf diseases in a targeted and timely way, particularly those who do not have access to agronomists.
GoMicro can provide farmers with agronomist-level assessment capability. UPL, one of India's largest agri-input companies, is now using this technology in Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire for the identification of the fall armyworm, an invasive insect with the potential to decimate entire corn operations. It is an invasive pest that many African farmers have not encountered before. The fall armyworm can only be effectively controlled while the larvae are small. Early detection and proper timing of an insecticide application are critical. GoMicro gives farmers the ability to detect early infestations without relying on agronomists, who are in short supply in Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire. This is the first biosecurity application for GoMicro.
GoMicro goes big
Dr Krish and the GoMicro team have been in talks with the private and government sectors to gain the support and funding to make this tech more widely available. As more farmers and agronomists begin using the technology for pest and disease control, more AI engines will be built to expand the platform's reach and accuracy.
As is often the case for Australian start-ups, the biggest challenge that GoMicro has faced has been attracting interest and funding from investors to distribute the technology widely. Dr Krish believes this technology has the capability to completely democratise visual assessment of agricultural issues and empower farmers worldwide.
Dr Krish believes this technology has the capability to completely democratise visual assessment of agricultural issues and empower farmers worldwide.
This is changing, however, thanks to the support of the NSW Department of Primary Industries' GATE Incubation program and Rocket Seeder. GoMicro has also developed a close relationship with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for assessing the ripeness of bananas, so watch this space.
When it comes to the QA applications of GoMicro, Dr Krish's vision is to build a platform of traceability, transparency and trust, and to ultimately connect farmers with consumers. Even though GoMicro is still in its infancy, the signs that this vision could one day become a worldwide reality are promising, as countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Ghana have begun to adopt GoMicro QA and AI certification.
While potential applications of GoMicro technology are endless, Dr Krish believes that the two applications detailed above could alone revolutionise global agriculture and create a fairer and healthier industry for farmers, consumers and the planet.
