Canon Virginia, Inc. (CVI) has been in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), a local research facility and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Danville, Virginia and Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences since 2022. CVI is using its patent-pending imaging technology to monitor plant anomalies and external factors that can inhibit plant life, such as pests, disease and temperature, inside IALR’s greenhouses and research facilities.
CVI is using its patent-pending imaging technology to monitor plant anomalies and external factors inside this greenhouse on the IALR campus.
“This collaboration reflects how IALR and the CEA Innovation Center support industry members through shared resources and deep research expertise. By providing Canon access to advanced greenhouse facilities and technical expertise, we’re helping accelerate innovation in controlled environment agriculture while generating insights that have the power to benefit the entire industry.” – Scott Lowman, Ph.D., Vice President, Applied Research, IALR
Canon has been working to make the plant anomaly detection process easier and more economical through its proprietary advanced imaging technology and a full-service solution, the Saku AssistTM solution. The Saku AssistTM solution is a visual intelligence platform designed by Canon to provide growers that work in greenhouses with early alerts on plant anomalies, location mapping, daily monitoring and a cloud-based collaboration platform. By maintaining regular observation and fostering a deeper understanding of plant behavior, the solution is designed to empower growers to make informed decisions, which can help with a goal of implementing more sustainable and productive agricultural practices.
Building a pipeline for computer vision in agriculture
Canon’s patent-pending imaging technology uses Pan-tilt-zoom cameras that have been installed in IALR’s greenhouses to capture high-resolution images in real time. The AI-powered anomaly detection scans plants daily. The images are uploaded to a cloud-based platform, where Canon’s models analyze them, detecting anomalies such as powdery mildew, pests, nutrient imbalance and other stressors. The Saku AssistTM solution’s user-friendly interface is designed to help greenhouse growers so that they can identify issues early on and take the appropriate action, which can help protect yields and reduce waste.
“It was really key for us to tap into this fast-evolving industry as quickly as we could,” said Daniel Haskett, Business Development Specialist, Canon Virginia, Inc. “We believe that combining Canon’s imaging technology with an AI-driven platform can provide a great benefit to the agriculture monitoring industry.”
Canon also serves as a service provider for organizations that may need help collecting images and/or training models. Scaling computer vision can be expensive. Canon is leveraging its imaging, AI, and cloud capabilities to offer an affordable solution within agriculture technology.
Why IALR?
IALR’s Applied Research division specializes in industry-driven services, offering advanced facilities like CEA greenhouses, SMART Platforms for automated plant imaging, and an Analytical Chemistry Lab for precise testing. The combination of these capabilities allows collaborators like Canon to validate technologies under realistic conditions while accessing expert guidance.
To train the Saku AssistTM solution models effectively, Canon needed a research collaborator with a greenhouse infrastructure and expertise in the Controlled Environment Architecture (CEA) industry. IALR provided that space and support, enabling Canon to purposefully stress plants with powdery mildew — a common pathogen in CEA — and capture thousands of images for its pipeline.
“We needed a third-party space to expand our research and have the greenhouse infrastructure. IALR not only provided the space we needed but also became a center for collaboration and innovation,” Haskett said.
Canon was given the opportunity to showcase the Saku AssistTM solution during the 2025 CEA Summit East Conference in Danville, VA, highlighting how the collaboration between CVI and IALR is driving innovation for growers and technology developers alike.
Rachel Willinger, Product Development Consultant (center), and Daniel Haskett, Business Development Specialist, Canon Virginia, Inc, present the Saku Assist to attendees of the 2025 CEA Summit East.
A collaborative approach to industry growth
Canon’s philosophy, Kyosei — “living and working together for the common good” — drives their approach to collaborations. Canon looks to complement existing technologies and help startup companies scale their solutions.
“There are incredible startups in this space,” Haskett said. “We want to position ourselves in a way that addresses and bridges any gaps. If a company needs help scaling computer vision, we offer services and solutions that can help.”
Canon is one of 20 organizations with a presence across the IALR campus, which serves as a hub for shared success and economic transformation. These connections exemplify how industry-driven research and collaboration can accelerate innovation and create new opportunities for growth.
“Our role is to convene collaborators and provide the space and expertise needed to help solve complex challenges,” Lowman said. “Collaborations like this support business growth while reinforcing IALR’s commitment to long-term economic advancement.”
