PlantScreen^TM Robotic XYZ System

PlantScreen^TM Robotic XYZ System is designed for plant cultivation and growth, automated movement, monitoring of environment parameters and programmable randomization of plant phenotyping protocol on single- and multiple plant level. Automated robotic arm is build above growth space for transportation and delivery of imaging sensors and optionally also irrigation unit to the scored plants across a given area. Robotic system is moving laterally (X direction), in height (Y direction) and vertically (Z direction). The XYZ robotic arm is operating in sensor-to-plant concept and carries the sensoric module with various imaging sensors directly to the plants where measurements are made based on user-defined protocols.

PlantScreen^TM Robotic XYZ System is integrated robotic solution for reproductible high-throughput phenotyping of small and mid-size scale plants (Arabidopsis thaliana, strawberries, turfgrass, young soybean, tobacco, corn plants, etc.). The system includes durable construction for growth rooms and greenhouse applications and may be manufactured to cover virtually any area. Plants are usually cultivated on universal growth tables that can include exchangable grid format for various types of trays and pots for soil grown plants, it can include holder formats for screening of plants grown in vitro (e.g. in multi-well plates) or optionally hydroponic tables can be used for plant cultivation.

PlantScreen^TM Robotic XYZ System may be programmed to move the imaging array sequentially between the pre-defined locations and measure a variety of morphological and physiological parametres in defined intervals. The configuration is optimized for the controlled environment and greenhouse applications and can be customized in terms of throughput and range of integrated digital sensors according to the research needs. Example of customized solution is PlantScreen^TM Transect System, which automatically scans plants along two meters long transect. PlantScreen^TM Transect System is integrated robotic XZ solution that can be transported e.g. from one greenhouse compartment to other according to the screening needs.

The platform may incorporate various modules for digital analysis of plant growth dynamics and physiological performance. Combined weighing/watering station maybe implemented for precise irrigation or nutrient delivery schemes. Unique bar-code or RFID identifiers are used for plant identification.

A comprehensive PlantScreen^TM Software package, with remote accessibility, is used to control all aspects of the robotics movement and imaging modules, for designing experimental set-ups as well as for data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration. Robotic XYZ System is modular and designed so that additional features may be added as the user´s screening requirements evolve.

Plant Handling and Cultivation

Key feature for high-throughput and reproducible plant phenotyping is control of suitable growth conditions, maintenance of precise irrigation regime and adaptation of plants prior physiological phenotyping. Equilibration of plants to user-defined environmental conditions prior phenotyping is critically important when imaging leaf temperature and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics, since data are dependent on irradiance conditions.

PlantScreen^TM Robotic XYZ System can be implemented inside of high-capacity growth chambers to allow for program controlled growing conditions, with accurate measurements and regulation of temperature, irradiation cycles,relative humidity and CO2 concentration control. Additional LED lightning solutions can be implemented to improve lighting regime of the plants grown in greenhouse environment.

Pot positioning table with exchangeable grids for multiple pot sizes is designed for cultivation of plant in different volume types of pots (small, middle and large size) and for user friendly operation.The table is divided into multiple sectors, each sector with positioned grid which can be either manually removed (e.g. for cleaning purposes) or can be exchanged with grids of different pot size layout. Multiple pot layouts can be combined in the same time.

Furthermore ccomprehensive suite of environmental sensors (humidity, temperature, light intensity, light quality) is available for the PlantScreenTM Phenotyping Systems. The physiological parameters deduced from the measurements acquired by imaging units can be correlated with the environmental parameters acquired from a number of environmental sensors implemented within the phenotyping unit.

Software control

Comprehensive software package has been developed for system control, data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration. User friendly graphical interface is designed to control all hardware system components actions, to control and monitor environmental conditions and to design experiments with an extremely high level of flexibility. High-end industrial PC with touch screen is used for system control. Scheduling assistant with calendar function allows running multiple experiments simultaneously, provides different modes for experiment randomization, for treatment per plant or group of plants with different experimental protocols and plant handling regimes including dark/light adaptation or watering or nutrient delivery schemes.

All acquired imaging, environmental and watering/weighing data are stored in an SQL database, processed and available for inspection and further analysis in range of seconds after recording via user-friendly graphical interface. PlantScreen^TM Analyser provides tools for data browsing, grouping, analysis, user-defined reprocessing and export. Multiple clients can be connected to the database, with different privileges assigned based on a built-in authentication mechanism. An SMS and mail notification servis is integral part of the complete phenotyping system. 24-hour online support service is key component of the PlantScreenTM phenotyping solution.

Software specifications

• Setting of individual coordinates
• Setting of individual coordinates in x,y,z axis
• Randomization of measurements
• Comprehensive software package for system control, data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration
• Species-specific analysis
• Open database structure
• Remote access
• Automatic SMS and email notification servis
• Online environmental monitoring
• 24-hour online support service

Imaging sensors

Over past two decades PSI has pioneered numerous techniques for non-invasive measurements of plant physiological processes, which have been integrated into our unique line of PlantScreenTM phenotyping systems and optimized for the controlled environment and greenhouse applications. Our systems can be equipped with imaging technologies for RGB and morphometric analysis, thermal analysis, hyperspectral analysis and, critically, in-depth analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics. The latter technique, as a rapid tool for monitoring photosynthetic processes, is key to the identification of early onset of stress, and recovery from stress after amelioration.

All data acquired from imaging sensors are in raw format and processed format stored in an SQL database and are in range of seconds after recording available for further analysis. All raw and processed data files are directly accessible and therefore can be easily analysed by user-defined processing scripts.

Range of non-invasive plant imaging technologies was developped for PlantScreen^TM Phenotyping Systems to study different aspects of plant growth and physiological performance:

Sensors available for the PlantScreenTM Robotic XYZ System are:

• RGB digital color imaging
• Kinetic chlorophyll fluorescence Imaging
• Hypespectral Imaging in visible and/or near-infrared region
• Thermal Imaging

Why to use PlantScreen^TM Phenotyping System

In the search for beneficial traits that may allow crops to resist abiotic and biotic stresses, fast and accurate methods are required for efficient and effective plant high-throughput phenotyping. Such methods must involve automated measurements of plant morphology, biochemistry and physiology to determine potential and actual yield under a variety of monitored environmental conditions. With over 20 years’ experience of designing instrumentation for plant imaging PSI is now at the forefront of providing complete solutions PlantScreenTM Phenotyping Systems for automated multidimensional plant phenotyping.

PlantScreen^TM Phenotyping Systems designed for integrative phenotyping on temporal and spatial level are proven in a range of applications across the world:

• High-throughput screening
• Morphology and growth assessment
• Nutrient management
• Photosynthetic performance
• Abiotic stress
• Pathogen interaction
• Trait identification
• Chemical screening
• Nutrient effects

Customised solutions

PlantScreen^TM Robotic XYZ System is modular and designed so that additional features may be added as the user´s screening requirements evolve. Further standard layout in terms of dimensions, pot format and range of image-based sensors can be adapted in order to meet your specific research question.

Discuss your project and test your concept

The nature of the research questions is unique referring to distinct requirements you might have to answer your specific questions.Our goal is to consult with you extensively your project to ensure that our technology is configured to meet your needs precisely. At PSI we have team of plant physiologists, image-processing specialist and technical engineers that can help to shape your phenotyping projects to meet precisely your requirements.

We are proud that in our PSI Research Center we can provide service platform with professional support, where we can demonstrate our equipment and facilitate proof of concept validations of the projects prior realization. PSI Research Center provides service platform to scientific community for plant cultivation and image-based monitoring in controlled environment and in greenhouse. Our vision is to provide biological and technical support to our customers.