DAVIS, Calif., Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — LandScan, the worldwide chief in digital twins in agricultural expertise and precision farming options, is proud to announce the grant of its newest patent, (US 12,092,625), titled “Precision Web site Characterization Utilizing Digital Twin”. This groundbreaking patent marks the primary of its sort within the agriculture sector, involving the usage of digital twin expertise to revolutionize web site characterization and precision farming practices.
A New Period in Agriculture
The arrival of digital twin expertise in agriculture represents a major leap ahead in how farmers, agronomists, and researchers perceive and handle cropping programs. Digital twins are digital fashions that precisely replicate bodily objects and/or environments, permitting for in-depth evaluation, simulation, and modeling with out interfering with real-world operations. By making use of this expertise to agriculture, LandScan is empowering resolution assist to optimize precision farm administration, enhance crop yields, and objectively and quantitatively measure the outcomes of regenerative agricultural practices.
“We’re thrilled to have secured this patent, which solidifies our place because the pioneer in agricultural digital twin expertise,” mentioned Dan Rooney, CEO of LandScan. “Our expertise for precision web site characterization and evaluation will present unprecedented insights into agricultural environments, serving to farmers make extra knowledgeable selections, cut back useful resource use, enhance productiveness, and supply goal metrics for soil well being and sustainability baselining and monitoring.”
The Digital Twin Patent
The newly patented expertise leverages a mixture of superior and distinctive soil and distant sensing applied sciences, machine studying and AI, and simulation methods to create a digital and goal illustration of an agricultural web site and farming system.
Key options of the patent embody:
Excessive-Decision Information Evaluation: Using knowledge from a number of sources, together with satellite tv for pc imagery, drones, and floor sensors, the digital twin offers a high-resolution evaluation of the positioning. This permits exact monitoring of dynamic soil circumstances together with fertility and chemistry, moisture ranges, and crop well being.
Predictive Modeling: The digital twin permits for predictive modeling of varied farming eventualities. By simulating totally different planting, irrigation, and fertilization methods, farmers can optimize their practices for optimum yield and useful resource effectivity.
Dynamic Adaptation: As circumstances change over time as a result of climate or different environmental elements, the digital twin adapts to mirror these adjustments, offering up-to-date data and suggestions for web site administration.
Integration with Precision Farming Instruments: The expertise may be built-in with current precision farming instruments, corresponding to GPS-guided tools and variable price expertise (VRT), to execute site-specific administration practices seamlessly.
Sustainability and Useful resource Administration: By enabling extra environment friendly use of water, fertilizers, and different inputs, the digital twin allows regenerative farming practices and helps cut back the environmental impression of agriculture.
Business Adoption and Affect
The introduction of digital twin expertise into agriculture is remodeling the trade by offering a extra detailed, goal, and dynamic understanding of cropping programs. Conventional strategies of web site characterization, corresponding to lab-based soil sampling and subject scouting, are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and restricted in scope, accuracy, and repeatability. The usage of digital twins permits for a extra holistic and steady evaluation of the positioning, main to higher decision-making and useful resource administration.
Olam Meals Elements (OFI), a world-leading nut provider, has been an early adopter of LandScan’s expertise. “LandScan’s digital twin expertise has had a major and sensible impression on our almond manufacturing within the US with quick and measurable ROI, and we’re enthusiastic about its growth into our Australian operations in 2025,” mentioned Zac Ellis, OFI Senior Director of Agronomy.
Equally, Mars has been working carefully with LandScan to combine digital twin expertise into their operations. “Mars is happy to start working with LandScan’s digital twin expertise for the aim of optimizing worldwide cocoa manufacturing and offering vital soil well being sustainability metrics for our provide chain,” mentioned Greg Hocking, VP World R&D New Innovation Territories at Mars Wrigley.
Future Functions and Developments
LandScan’s patented expertise platform creates a variety of prospects for future functions and developments in agriculture. Past its quick use in precision web site characterization, digital twin expertise has the potential to be utilized to different facets of farming, corresponding to provide chain traceability and understanding the connection between crop genetics, the rising atmosphere, and administration practices. By repeatedly refining and increasing the capabilities and mental property portfolio round digital twins, LandScan intends to remain on the forefront of innovation in agricultural expertise.
“We see this patent as just the start,” added Dan Rooney. “Our objective is to additional develop and combine digital twin expertise throughout all facets of farming, creating a totally related and clever agricultural ecosystem.”
