At the forefront of plant imaging technology, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is home to the revolutionary Spatially and Mechanically Accurate Robotic Table (SMART) Platforms. These state-of-the-art systems combine robotics, coding, and automation to capture crystal-clear, high-resolution images every 15 minutes. By tracking plant growth and health throughout their entire life cycle, SMART Platforms are transforming how researchers monitor and analyze plant development like never before.

Interested companies can contract with IALR to run custom research experiments on the SMART Platforms, gaining access to data tailored to their specific needs.  

Contract a Research Experiment on the SMART Platform 

Camera equipment and plants

How the SMART Platforms Work

  • Each platform holds trays of up to 84 individual plants, framed by a lightweight aluminum structure.
  • A webcam on a robotic gantry captures images of each plant at consistent 15-minute intervals. All of this is controlled by Python code.
  • The collected images allow researchers to track details like canopy size, leaf shape, plant movement and stress responses.

A single experiment can monitor 84 plants. This will result in as many as 2,000 images per plant, resulting in approximately 168,000 total images. The SMART Platform is unique because it turns each plant into its own experimental unit that can be tested for a variety of variables.

These photos become powerful data points driving discovery. IALR’s SMART Platforms go beyond traditional imaging, delivering continuous, non-invasive tracking of plant growth, stress response, and movement. By analyzing these real-time insights, researchers can explore how environmental conditions shape plant development, unlocking a deeper understanding of plant health and resilience.

Companies can leverage this advanced system to test plant responses under controlled conditions, gather precise data and develop valuable insights for their products or growing techniques.

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Advanced Robotic Imaging for Plant Growth

Advanced data analysis for detailed insights

A key strength of the SMART Platforms is their ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data quickly. The thousands of captured images undergo computer analysis, converting them into meaningful data points. By identifying the number of green pixels in each image, researchers can track the plants’ growth and evaluate their health over time. 

  • Green Pixel Count: Measures plant canopy expansion and overall size. 
  • Timelapse Imaging: Visualizes changes throughout the plant’s life cycle.

This level of analysis is opening up new possibilities for understanding plant biology and stress responses in real-time, offering companies an opportunity to gather highly detailed plant data for their own research needs.  

Commission a Study on the SMART Platform

a Growing Focus on Industry and Education

The SMART Platforms project continues to garner interest from both industry and academia, thanks to its potential for innovation in plant science. As the technology evolves, IALR researchers and interns are constantly refining the system’s capabilities, improving automation, and expanding its applications.  

Companies looking to explore these cutting-edge tools can easily contract experiments and gain access to IALR’s resources and expertise.  

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A SMART Platform has also been installed at Hargrave Military Academy, where students are using the technology to learn about plant science, robotics and computer programming. This hands-on experience has introduced them to new career pathways in agriculture and technology, with more educational installations planned. 

For more information on how the SMART Platform connects to IALR’s work in the controlled environment agriculture industry, or to explore our research on the impact of beneficial bacterial endophytes throughout a plant’s life cycle, visit our Applied Research division. 

Featured Video

Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research, explains how IALR is a leader in plant science research thanks to the SMART Platform precision imaging systems. This system allows our research team to monitor up to 80 plants with detailed imaging and data analysis on factors like growth curves and stress.