Cotton seed size variation is related to energy for growth and, in turn, seedling vigor after germination. We do not know how to measure seed-to-seed size and mass accurately.
The goal of this project from students in the NC State Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Design Program is to develop an automated approach to: 1) optically measure seed size, 2) estimate mass, 3) aggregate measurements into a database, 4) singulate measured seeds for additional growth experiments, and 5) optically measure seedling growth (leaf area & seedling height) under controlled greenhouse conditions.
The team has taken the initial steps to measure the area of seeds from scanned images. This approach is inconsistent due to irregularity in seed shape. This project will leverage imaging technology to speed up the classification process and account for additional sources of variation. A high-throughput system is needed to process thousands of seeds rapidly.
This project was made possible by $4,200.00 in funding from EPICS in IEEE.