Using AI & Machine Learning to Improve Local Farming: SELA’s Food & Agritech Project 2020-21

Natasha Anderson & Sam Casadei, SELA Cohort 2019

This year’s integrative project theme is artificial intelligence and machine learning. It provides us with the chance to work alongside industry representatives, and local companies to promote the uptake of digital solutions, whilst also challenging us to apply the leadership skills that we have been developing throughout our time in SELA. Our team hopes by taking the lead in the small-scale farming sector, we can enable new forms of digital food systems data collection and can engage the Sheffield digital industries sector and the Sheffield food & drink sector in a range of innovative data and digital collaboration research activities. 

 

The Food and Agritech Project aims to find a way to collect data in small farms so AI and Machine Learning can be used to increase productivity. Working together with Sheffield-based food cooperative Regather, we are hoping to do this through prototyping and collecting data on basil growth as it’s easy to grow at home. We will collect data using Raspberry Pi technology combined with a range of sensors, capturing data on light, temperature, humidity and soil moisture.

Artificial Intelligence Meets Manufacturing

Henry Saunders, SELA Cohort 2019

 

This year the theme of SELA’s integrative projects is artificial intelligence and machine learning. The projects provide an opportunity for us to work in partnership with industry to practise and refine the leadership skills we develop through the weekly workshops and guest speaker sessions. 

 

I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work on a project exploring the use of AI and machine learning in manufacturing. Our goal was to create a predictive maintenance algorithm for use in the manufacturing industry.

Exciting new partnership launched with Engineers Without Borders

SELA aims to inspire and guide its members into their future careers as engineering leaders, including through talks by successful industry leaders from an array of engineering backgrounds. The talks enable students to gain contextualised knowledge and examples of a variety of career possibilities, whilst making learning enjoyable and interactive.

Skills workshops - what to expect

Crina Maria Pricop, Cohort 2020

SELA skills workshops are highly interactive, designed to involve all the cohort in the learning process through different activities, covering topics from working out which role would suit us, to perfecting our leadership skills and harnessing social media in our job search.

Each workshop introduces a new concept, and spurs us on to investigate further on our own, demonstrating and encouraging real methods. Hands-on skills are taught where we have a chance to try out new approaches and fail in a safe situation.The following is what I have experienced so far, including what is expected from all the SELA skills workshops throughout the year.

Issues in engineering – Natural Disasters

SELA wishes to demonstrate how engineering could have an impact in tackling the myriad of sustainability issues which plague our society before irreparable damage is done.

Over the last 100 years the average number of Natural Disasters per year has increased from 15 in 1910 to 393 in 2010 and because of this, there is more damage caused per year. As the population of the earth is increasing, so is the demand for housing. This means more people are having to build houses in natural disaster prone areas. This means that more damage will be caused per disaster if something is not done. 

The SELA interview experience

Kacper Sikorski, Cohort 2019

One evening in May, I was working on a course-project when some of my mates messaged me, with the question of whether I made it to the second stage. I checked the email and realised I was through to the interview stage, and within the next couple of days, I had to make a favourable impression during an interview.

What can we do to change the fate of our world? - Renewable energy

SELA wishes to demonstrate how engineering could have an impact in tackling the myriad of sustainability issues which plague our society before irreparable damage is done.

Today, we are looking at renewable energy and the issues and potential solutions it offers in the future. We have researched exciting up and coming technologies and brainstormed to find an area that was not only relevant but was also facing challenges. We all know that renewable energy is great, but how do we power our homes when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine?