by Ravi Shankar
Bengaluru : A Greenwood High International School student named Rahul Prabhu has developed a prototype concept called FarmEye to help increase farm yields and monitor crop health by using smart satellite imagery in order to reduce hunger in India. Rahul is currently working on this idea, trying to convert his research into a prototype and eventually, a fully usable system that can be utilized by farmers.
Rahul explains that farmers are not connected to technology and do not have effective solutions to deal with their problems. Rahul’s solution is satellite imagery, allowing farmers to identify nutrient deficiencies in crops, monitor crop health, manage fertilizer application, identify disease and pest infestations and prevent weeds from spreading. Project FarmEye will also allow farmers to make full use of their land, protect their income and make informed decisions through an app. This app (currently in the prototype stage) features a homepage with a map, allowing farmers to select fields. There is also a soil fertility page, where information about the soil is given and suggestions on how it should be managed.
Rahul also says that pilot programs will be launched in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana and funded through a fundraiser, with Kerala showing interest in the project through a survey. To stay competitive, a board of advisors (both in technical and market base areas) will be hired as satellite imagery is very research focused and algorithms and models to help farmers and deal with large corporations. Project FarmEye will have a freemium business model i.e., farmers will have access to basic data and information, but more features (better feedback, higher resolution imagery, etc.) will require a small fee to be accessed.
Rahul was able to present his research and concept to professors from the University of Berkley, California and at the Adobe Headquarters in San Francisco (both located in America). Rahul is studying at Greenwood High International School in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) and was able to present his work through the 1M1B program (a social innovation and future skills initiative) in partnership with the Purpose Academy (a program run by 1M1B).
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