SFU engineering students conclude trip to Tanzania with innovative agritech field-tests and impactful collaborations

Eleven SFU School of Mechatronics Systems Engineering students did not expect to be waiting anxiously for the critical components of their crop-analysis drone during the second half of their field expedition to Africa last month.

Especially given that the primary objective of the trip was to field-test their innovative agritech drone.  

The delegation, including nine undergraduates, two graduates, and MSE professor Woo Soo Kim, sent the largest components of the drone prototype to Tanzania by courier, before they departed Vancouver.

It was meant to arrive at their destination, the Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre (ACER), an important ecological site for the purpose of advancing global research in environmental science and sustainable agricultural development, well before they did, ready for field testing.  

They could not have foreseen that the package would be unexpectedly delayed by customs in the economic and commercial hub of Dar Es Salaam, 600 km away, for several days.

Eventually, the delivery made its way to the 3,700-acre ecologically sensitive reserve, a remote but extremely diverse and rich swath of agricultural land in the northwest region of the country, where the students were waiting.  

“Everything was a bit tight, but we made it,” said professor Woo Soo Kim. “We had two days before we were expected to demonstrate the drone to Nelson Mandela [University] students, and it definitely added pressure. It was unexpected; it was a little bit of a hiccup. But [our students] were able to navigate it successfully.”  

This international field study at ACER was just one result of the formal partnership between SFU and Aga Khan University since the two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2022, demonstrating their shared values and a commitment to collaboration in research and global initiatives.

The trip included collaborative research, workshops and knowledge sharing with additional students from nearby Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) on all aspects of climate change and agritech solutions to farming challenges.

The ultimate objective, however, was to field-test MSE students’ prototypes: a crop-analyzing drone and a weed-killing laser robot – with the intention of improving practical farming operations in Tanzania.  

SFU student Khail Alibhai said the field study experience opened his eyes to new cultures, new perspectives and new ways of thinking.  

“It enhanced my understanding of the opportunities for engineering innovation in both Tanzania and Canada,” he said.  

“The drone team” watched their crop-analysis prototype successfully demonstrate its ability to analyze the crop images and collect relevant data. Our team's own algorithm accurately analyzes the volume and height information of Tanzania's avocado trees, benefiting local farmers.  

Once recharged, the drone autonomically returned to the location in the field where it had left off and continued its work.  

“We’re very excited to continue developing our technology, which will be improved by the knowledge and insights gained through field-testing and collaboration with the Arusha community,” said Alibhai. “Immersing ourselves in the local context allowed us to integrate the social and technological aspects of our drone-based crop analysis.”

Facing drought, deforestation and flooding, Tanzania’s challenges are similar to the agricultural landscape in BC in many ways, said professor Kim, yet farmers there are forced to grapple with the complexities of climate change without the resources and technologies in developed countries like Canada.  

Furthermore, while some industry experts argue that agricultural development is not good for the preservation and restoration of the environment, Kim insists that the opposite is true, at least some of the time.  

“We need to apply sustainable agriculture and more resource-smart management in agriculture, which can sometimes be the solution for the preservation of the environment,” said professor Kim.  

“That kind of organic relationship between agricultural efforts and the restoration of the environment is absolutely connected. [Drought and flooding] are connected phenomena, so we need to make our efforts collective.”

Another valuable prototype brought for field testing was the “Weed Warrior”, a weed-identifying and -killing robot, sent into Arusha’s particularly unique crop fields of flowers, avocados and chilis. Roving over the terrain with a stair-like platform and an arm on top, the battery-powered Weed Warrior travels row by row between crops, identifying weeds and taking decisive action, killing them with its laser happily surprised to find out that its autonomous power function operated more consistently than expected.  

The Weed Warrior successfully discerned the differ ence between crops and weeds as it was intended to do, using AI and laser technology to kill weeds with 90 per cent accuracy.

The extremely rough terrain across the Arusha climate reserve, however, will require bigger, stronger and more rugged tires on the next iteration of the prototype, said Kim, not unlike those on a remote-controlled monster truck toy.

Rounding out the trip with a visit to the renowned Mount Kilimanjaro and a requisite wildlife safari, the entire expedition, including the practical application of both prototypes, was extremely successful, according to professor Kim.  

The trip was particularly enriching because the people at AKU-ACER were exceptionally hospitable and welcoming, said student Devin Armstrong, and they spent time sharing their culture and educating SFU students about their agricultural research.  

“Our collaboration with them gave us a deeper understanding of their needs and challenges,” he said. “The trip will help us define a more practical technology to support their efforts, and it was inspiring to see such a dedicated group working to improve their community.”

The success of this first field study at AKU-ACER could possibly lead to plans for a second trip next year, said professor Kim. But for now, this experience exceeded expectations and will inform much of the work that MSE students pursue in the coming months and help them facilitate still more effective research in the future.