Farmers today rely heavily on manual crop scouting to detect insect pests early, a process that is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and increasingly difficult due to labor shortages and rising…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $1 million to the Regents of the University of Michigan under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) on March 15, 2026, to develop a small, lightweight climbing robot designed to inspect crop plants for early pest detection.

The robot will use soft, flexible materials to grip plants without damage, paired with compact onboard vision systems and electronics that enable autonomous pest recognition and navigation through plant structures. The research team will conduct laboratory testing and field trials on real farms to validate the robot's reliability, data collection capability, and autonomous operation. The work aims to address the labor shortages and rising production costs associated with manual crop scouting, which currently misses early infestations hidden in stems, branches, and dense foliage where pests first establish. By enabling close-range, plant-level monitoring, the technology is intended to support targeted pest management, reduce excessive pesticide use, and lower labor demands on farms while promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Student training in agricultural robotics and stakeholder engagement with researchers and agricultural communities are integrated into the project scope.

Performance takes place at Ann Arbor, Michigan, with work running through March 14, 2029. The award is a Project Grant, assistance type.

Farmers today rely heavily on manual crop scouting to detect insect pests early, a process that is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and increasingly difficult due to labor shortages and rising production costs. While drones and ground robots can survey fields at a large scale, they often cannot see pests hiding along stems, branches, and dense foliage – precisely where early infestations begin. Missing these early warning signs can lead to increased pesticide use, crop losses, and higher food costs. Developing new tools that can monitor crops more closely and efficiently is important not only for agriculture, but also for environmental sustainability, rural economies, and food security. This project will develop a small, lightweight robotic device that can gently climb plants and inspect them up close, much like an insect moving along a stem. The research team will design soft, flexible materials that allow the robot to grip plants without damaging them, along with compact electronics and simple onboard vision systems that help the robot recognize pests and navigate plant structures on its own. The robot will be tested in laboratory settings and in real farm environments to ensure IT can move reliably, collect useful information, and operate without human control. Throughout the project, students will be trained in agricultural robotics, and results will be shared with researchers and agricultural stakeholders.by enabling close-range, plant-level monitoring, this project aims to improve early pest detection and support more targeted pest management strategies. In the long term, this technology could reduce the need for excessive pesticide use, lower labor demands for farmers, and promote more sustainable farming practices. The knowledge gained from this research will help lay the foundation for future agricultural robots that are affordable, environmentally friendly, and capable of supporting farmers and rural communities.