Mineral. Food Systems Re-done
The moonshot project that is changing our world.
To feed the world’s growing population, we must produce more food than the past 50 years combined. With climate change on the rise, our food supply is getting scarce. Our methods of farming today are not sustainable for a better tomorrow. And it’s certainly not sustainable for the estimated 8 million people by 2030.
The current commercial farming method consists of growing large amounts of a specific plant. This opens the door to pests, diseases and rotting food. Using chemicals to combat that ruins our soil, preventing any future crop growth. Our current food system is a loophole.
But what if new technology could radically change how our world eats?
Introducing… Mineral
Allow me to introduce you to Mineral, a project committed to developing new technologies to help build a more sustainable, resilient and productive food system.
Today’s farmers aren’t equipped with the necessary tools and equipment needed to thoroughly understand their crops. With the tools used today, even the high-tech ones, there is still a lack of understanding and clarity amongst farmers.
Mineral quickly identified the gaps and took the opportunity to build new software and hardware that leveraged the growers and breeders to their full potential along with their crop’s full potential.
So How Does it Work?
They started out by gathering basic data such as information about the soil, weather and historical crop data. From there, the team created a plant buggy that goes through the field inspecting crops up close to gather information about how the plants are growing and how they are responding to the environment. The buggy collects high-quality images of each individual plant.
Then, they gather more information on the field and plants using satellite imagery, weather data and soil information to name a few. Using all the gathered information, a machine learning algorithm is able to identify patterns and insights to understand how the plants grow and interact with their surroundings.
The Buggy + Design
Using robotics, sensing and software, the buggy is able to collect data. The buggy has solar panels on top, using the sunlight to power itself. Additionally, the buggy has many different shapes and sizes making it easy to go through numerous different fields. Precise GPS software allows the buggy to accurately identify each plant’s location. Sensors and computer perception allow the buggy to identify any issues with plants and analyze plant traits and patterns.
By using Mineral’s innovative new technology, growers can focus their attention on and treat individual plants instead of entire fields, saving them time and money. By getting insights into their plant growth over time, growers can also make accurate yield projections.
So, with their innovative technology and tools like the buggy, Mineral is sure to build a more sustainable, resilient and productive food system.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or want to chat further, contact me at: mansikatarey@gmail.com or contact me through LinkedIn.
