Project Grant 1818982

This $275,000 SBIR Phase I project grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) aims to develop software capabilities to improve automated harvesting of strawberries. The project will implement two key components: A trajectory optimization module for a robot manipulator's camera to maximize information gain and reduce localization uncertainty for strawberries while respecting kinematic and collision...

Summary: AI-Powered Wildlife Deterrent System AI Sense LLC received a $305K Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084) awarded October 1, 2025, with completion targeted for September 30, 2026. The company is developing an artificial intelligence-powered, non-lethal wildlife deterrent system designed to prevent crop and landscape damage through computer vision...

Summary of Federal Project Grant Award L5 Automation Inc. received a $175,000 project grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212), awarded on August 15, 2025, with completion targeted for April 14, 2027. Under this Phase I SBIR award, L5 Automation will research and develop key components of an autonomous robotic system designed to significantly improve yield forecasting...

This $649,999 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program supports Farmsense, Inc., a self-certified small disadvantaged business, in developing novel sensor technologies for precise insect pest monitoring and surveillance in agricultural settings. The project aims to create a system inspired by how bats detect and discriminate between different insects, allowing for tracking of insect pests down to the...

This National Science Foundation Division of Industrial Innovation Project Grant awarded $256,000 to Grain Weevil Corporation of Aurora, Nebraska to develop a remote-controlled grain management and extraction robot. The 11-month project, which runs from March 2022 through December 2022, seeks to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a mobile robot for improving farmer safety and grain storage efficiencies. Key deliverables include classifying grain surface variables that impact robotic...

Tric Robotics Inc. received a $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program project grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop an autonomous vehicle for application of alternative disease and pest control technologies. The SBIR program aims to support scientific innovation and build the national economy by funding small businesses engaged in federal research with commercial potential. Under this award dated July 1,...

Federal Project Grant Award Summary Padma Agrobotics LLC received a $174,534 Phase I award under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212), administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous lettuce harvester incorporating computer vision and advanced AI modeling capabilities. The project, which commenced on August 15, 2025, and is scheduled for completion on April 14, 2026, focuses on...

The National Science Foundation awarded Lateralsystems LLC $275,000 under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships federal grant program (CFDA 47.084) to develop a smart water quality and atmospheric conditions monitoring platform for controlled environment agriculture. The platform will provide indoor farmers with data insights to reduce risks and improve efficient use of resources when growing nutrient dense foods. Key deliverables include an Internet of Things service that integrates...

The National Science Foundation awarded Harvest Moon Automation Inc. a $250,665 Project Grant under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084). The grant funds the development of a precision weeder extraction tool that will remove weeds from agricultural fields without using herbicides or soil tillage. Advances in machine vision have enabled identification of individual crop and weed plants in a field. However, existing automated weeders still rely on herbicides or...

Federal Grant Award Summary Innovative Automation Technologies, LLC received a $174,706 Phase I Project Grant award from the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (USDA NIFA CFDA 10.212) for development of CoopAEye, a low-cost, edge artificial intelligence-enabled camera system designed to provide complete visual coverage and monitoring of commercial poultry houses. The project, which commenced August 15, 2025 and is scheduled...