Farmgazer • Crop Health Detection App
Microsoft sponsored project - AI monitor camera system for crop growing for larger scale farm
Role
Product Designer and Developer
Team
1 PM, 3 Developer
Timeline
6 months
Microsoft Research collaborated with multiple farms to conduct research on how new technologies can be implemented to help farmers manage their fields and increase yield rates. As the product designer on this team, I led user research, designed interactions, and considered how to integrate both hardware and software systems.
Problem
Large-scale farmers don’t have enough budget to hire the same amount of labor as they did before COVID-19, making it difficult to manage the growth conditions across over 7,500 acres of farmland.
Background
Since COVID-19, labor costs have surged by 50%, putting significant pressure on farm operations. In 2023, net farm income is projected to decline by 25.4% compared to 2022, further straining the agricultural sector. At the same time, farm production expenses are expected to rise by 3.3%, compounding the financial challenges faced by farmers.
Findings after
User Research
My team and I visited 5 farmers, conducted interviews with them, and gained an understanding of their tasks and the challenges they are currently facing.
Finding 1
Workers only check their fields every 3 days, and severe weather has significantly affected the crops.
Finding 2
Employees don't have the knowledge to distinguish different growth stages and issues
Finding 3
Low-lying areas and hill areas have significant differences in temperature and humidity
Digital Signature - Sign when click approved
Users no longer need to print documents or wait for a supervisor’s approval, and they don’t have to wonder how long the process will take.
Finding 4
Younger generation farmers are starting to explore different substitutes to fulfill the labor shortage and boost productivity
Pictures Comparsion
Farmers need pictures to identify the growth status of their crops; however, the photos taken by workers often don't provide enough detail to accurately assess the health of each crop.
Close up and zoom out images
Taking random pictures can't effectively compare each section
Color of mud and crops can tell a lot of things
Each color indicates to farmers what steps to take next and whether action is needed to prevent potential losses.
Design Challenges
Create an affordable and rechargeable monitoring system to view crop health and issues instantly
To better understand the construction industry work environment and user workflows, my team and I conducted 10 user interviews and made 2 site visits to observe users.
Hardware Product Requirement
build hardware with the team to pick affordable sensors and robotic attachment
image
compression
camera
rotation
support
connectivity
Solar
Battery Life
Hardware Prototype
Software Component
Create an app by connecting Open AI API to analyze the images instantly
Backend
Frontend
Check each section
View Images
leave comments
Receive notification
Wireframing and sketches
Over 6 months, I drafted multiple design strategies and crafted various wireframes, and discussed them with quality control department to do rapid test and meet user needs.
Design Exploration
Over 6 months, I drafted multiple design strategies and crafted various wireframes, and discussed them with quality control department to do rapid test and meet user needs.
Iteration
Designing and structuring the calendar in a way that allows farmers to easily compare information across different dates or stages.
Final Design
Over 6 months, I drafted multiple design strategies and crafted various wireframes, and discussed them with quality control department to do rapid test and meet user needs.
Step 1
Calendar view to view daily grow status
Step 2 - Switch Date
Categorize the different stages to understand the overall work quality
Step 3 - Daily Photos
Fill out forms and check the status of each item
View different area
Switch to different dates
Check images and AI summary
leave comments to workers
check long term growing process