RPI ID: 2019-038-201 / 2019-038-601

Innovation Summary:
Developed by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, this dual-invention platform introduces advanced plant fluorometer systems for real-time, remote monitoring of plant growth and stress. The first system integrates an excitation LED module, detection optics, and a controller to assess plant health through fluorescence signals. The second system enhances this capability by capturing both fluorescence intensity and lifetime data using modulated LED excitation and sensitive detection electronics. Together, these technologies enable scalable, automated, and high-resolution monitoring of plant development and stress responses, supporting precision agriculture and sustainable farming practices.

Challenges / Opportunities:
Monitoring plant health at scale is labor-intensive and often reactive, relying on visual cues that appear after stress has already impacted growth. These inventions address that gap by offering proactive, sensor-based solutions that detect physiological changes before visible symptoms emerge. This opens opportunities for smarter crop management, optimized resource use, and improved yield forecasting in both greenhouse and field environments.

Key Benefits / Advantages:
✔ Automated, real-time monitoring of plant growth and stress
✔ Early detection of physiological changes before visible symptoms
✔ High sensitivity through fluorescence lifetime and intensity analysis
✔ Scalable and remote-ready for large-scale agricultural deployment
✔ Integrates with smart farming and environmental sensing platforms

Applications:
• Smart farming and precision agriculture
• Greenhouse and field crop monitoring
• Crop stress detection and yield optimization
• Agricultural automation and robotics
• Plant physiology and environmental research

Keywords:
#Plantfluorometer #fluorescencelifetime #cropmonitoring #LEDexcitation #smartagriculture #plantstressdetection

Intellectual Property:
US Issued Patent(s) 11,448,630 B2; 11,965,869 B2