Catalogue of Services

The service offers specialised support in developing and testing IoT solutions for agricultural weather monitoring and forecasting. Aimed at AgriTech companies, it leverages advanced technology to help farmers better understand and respond to climate-related challenges. By enhancing real-time weather insights, the service empowers informed decision-making and promotes greater resilience in agricultural practices.

AI model training

Business modelling

Certification

Conformity assessment

People training services

The AgrifoodTEF consortium comprises a set of testing and experimentation facilities and targeted services aimed at supporting customers in the testing and validation of systems and devices based on advanced technologies. Given the technical complexity of these facilities and services and the associated complexity of many activities making use of them, many customers can benefit from a preliminary training activity. The goal of such training is to make best use of the facilities and services and fully exploit the allotted time when actual testing/experimentation occurs. Customer training – involving both technical and procedural aspects – can either be sought by the customer autonomously leveraging the documentation provided by AgrifoodTEF or directly supported by AgrifoodTEF via this service; a combination of both approaches is also possible. This service does not limit its applicability to customers that already know what they require from AgrifoodTEF. The service also provides an opportunity for customers to discuss their specific needs and requirements with our team and be directed towards the set of services in the catalogue that best suit their needs. Especially where the customer envisages an articulate testing campaign, exploring their idea together with AgrifoodTEF via this service can be very beneficial in planning subsequent activities. This service can, if needed, be integrated with services S00109 (desk assessment activities for physical systems) or S00179 (desk assessment activities for digital systems or data) to anchor its operation and possible further testing activities more closely to the specific features of the system(s) developed by the customer.

People training

Preparation of computational test environment

To successfully conduct a digital testing campaign, preparatory activities are usually required to set up the computational environment used for testing. This service performs activities such as: - setting up the hardware resources needed to run the tests - configuring and initialising the virtual environments used for testing (e.g., Docker images, private “data rooms” for safe data sharing) - installation and configuration of required software packages and dependencies - Setting up authentication layers, user roles and credentials as needed- Migration and/or exchange of required data and ground truth annotations - installation and configuration of a simulator - importing and configuring a previously defined simulated environment - executing dry runs to check that all elements of the test environment operate as required Environment preparation is done according to an environment design provided by the customer. If needed, such design can be done by AgrifoodTEF for the customer via Service S00176. Interested customers can get support from AgrifoodTEF for the entire pipeline involved in digital testing, from the design of its other elements beside the environment (namely, the testing protocol via service S00177 and the evaluation metrics via service S00178) to test execution (service S00182) and data collection (service S00183) and evaluation (S00184). Support in interconnecting the systems under test to the digital testing environment, if needed, is available via service S00181.

Preparation of physical test environment

Testing a system in a physical environment requires an environment that has been prepared and set up to support the specific testing activities to be executed. This service supports the customer in the execution of the tests by taking care of such preparation and setup. The service involves: - agronomic preparation: e.g., providing the required soil conditions, making sure that a given in-field configuration of specific plants at a given growth stage is available at the time of testing, and so on; - Technical preparation: e.g., setting up infrastructure elements such as RTK GPS base stations, environmental sensors, power and networking, as well as the computational environment required to interface with the system under test to acquire and possibly pre-process experimental data. If AgrifoodTEF facilities are involved in the experimental activities, the service also includes configuring the testing facility accordingly. Environment preparation is done according to an environment design provided by the customer. If needed, such a design can be done by AgrifoodTEF for the customer via Service S00106. Interested customers can get support from AgrifoodTEF for the entire pipeline involved in experimental testing, from the design of its other elements beside the environment (namely, the testing protocol via service S00107 and the evaluation metrics via service S00108) to test execution (service S00113), data collection (service S00113), and evaluation (S00114). The output of Service S00110 is the environment ready for the execution of the testing campaign at the time requested by the customer.

Provision of datasets

During the development of systems based on AI and/or robotics, tailored data are needed to support the realisation, validation and optimisation of systems and subsystems. This service aims at providing such data. AI models are a noteworthy example of systems that require data to be trained; more generally, any system which processes data produced via artificial perception (such as images, videos, LiDAR, ultrasound, radar...) requires suitable data to be built, tested and fine-tuned. This service allows a customer to define together with AgrifoodTEF the specific features of the data that the customer’s activities require and to receive datasets precisely matching such features. Among the features to be defined are the type, number and specifications of the data streams comprised in the datasets (e.g., when multi-sensor data are required) and the range of variations encompassed by the data (e.g., variety of environmental conditions represented in a sensor stream); lower-level features to be defined concern formatting and packaging of the data.

Provision of datasets

Support in interconnecting systems to AgrifoodTEF’s computational test infrastructure

Digital testing requires interaction among several different components which have to reliably cooperate to enable the testing activities and to ensure that their outcomes reliably reflect the system’s capabilities. When digital testing of customer systems leverages AgrifoodTEF’s computational infrastructure, integration between the infrastructure and the systems to be tested is needed before the tests/experiments can be executed. If the customer does not possess the technical expertise – or does not want to devote resources – to perform the integration, this service can support them in the process. Help is provided by a team of expert engineers. This service concerns the integration of the customers’ system and/or data used for testing with the AgrifoodTEF digital testing infrastructure. In particular, integration is crucial to ensure smooth and uninterrupted communication between the system and the infrastructure that produces, collects and/or processes test data. This service also includes the development of any custom components needed to ensure a two-way integration between the system and the reference infrastructure (e.g., software components to format data or to perform transcoding).

Support in interconnecting systems to physical infrastructure

Testing a system in a physical environment requires an environment that has been prepared and set up to support the specific testing activities to be executed. Such an environment usually involves both agronomy-related elements (machines, fields, greenhouses, cultivations...) and technical infrastructure (sensors, networks, software, logging systems...). In order to execute the testing, the physical system under test (e.g., an agricultural robot) must correctly interface with all these elements; this service takes care of ensuring this. For instance, it is crucial to ensure that the communication between the system under test and the technical infrastructure supporting the testing activities is correct, smooth and uninterrupted. Wherever needed, the service also includes the development of custom components needed to ensure a successful two-way integration between the system and the testing infrastructure (e.g., a software component to format data or perform transcoding). While available separately, this service is often used in association with service S00110 (Preparation of physical test environment).

Test and development of innovative and practical agri-food applications of the metaverse

The service enables agri-food industry stakeholders to harness the power of the metaverse to innovate, collaborate, and solve challenges in new and exciting ways. It creates immersive virtual environments within the metaverse that replicate real-world agri-food settings, such as farms, processing facilities, and marketplaces. These environments serve as digital replicas where stakeholders can interact, collaborate, and experiment. By leveraging immersive virtual environments and cutting-edge technology, it empowers farmers and operators to stay at the forefront of agri-food innovation in the digital age.

Interested in this service? Contact us at angrisan@unina.it

AI model training

Data augmentation

UAV-based remote sensing for supporting precision agriculture

The service specialises in designing test models of irrigation strategies using UAV thermal infrared imagery combined with remote sensing technology. These innovative models ensure accurate, metrologically valid monitoring of various crops and vegetation through image acquisition at different wavelengths. They provide critical insights for optimising irrigation practices by analysing the effects of factors like soil moisture, crop type, and weather conditions on plant health and water requirements.

Certification

Conformity assessment

Wireless communication infrastructure serving the agricultural sector

The service focuses on supporting the development of optimal wireless communication infrastructure for the agricultural sector. By leveraging technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks, and satellite communication, it enables real-time monitoring, data collection, and remote control of agricultural equipment and devices. This infrastructure enhances efficiency, productivity, and sustainability, leading to higher yields, lower costs, and more sustainable farming practices across large agricultural landscapes.

Business modelling