An innovative UNSW project supported by the NSW Smart Sensing Network has been awarded a federal grant to develop a rapid and affordable scanning technology for the identification of grass seed infestation.

The project will enhance the quality management and productivity of the Australian sheep industry, which loses $50m annually due to grass seed infestation.

Grass seeds are picked up in the animal’s fleece when sheep are grazing. Credit: AdobeStock

The Rapid and Affordable Imaging for Identification of Grass Seed Infestation in Australian Sheep project was awarded a $457,978 Australian Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite grant.

Associate Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at UNSW Sydney, Shaghik Atakaramians, is leading the project in collaboration with Charles Sturt University researchers.

“Grass seed infestation is a significant issue for the Australian sheep industry,” A/Prof Atakaramians said.

“The seeds are picked up in the animal’s fleece when sheep are grazing and penetrate through the pelt, causing tremendous animal welfare issues as well as significant losses for producers, processors, the agricultural and food industry, and the textile industry. Existing management strategies, such as grazing control and manual inspection, are unsustainable long-term.”

A/Prof Shaghik Atakaramians from the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at UNSW Sydney

A/Prof Atakaramians said her research team has demonstrated that terahertz waves can be used for the early detection of seeds as a precursor tool for the prevention of grass seed infestation.

“The non-invasive terahertz waves can be used for non-contact imaging and does not cause any harm to the sheep,” she said.

“To surpass the detection capabilities of the human eye, we will integrate artificial intelligence in the scanning technology, which has already proven to have superior accuracy in our proof-of-concept study.

A/Prof Atakaramians said thanks to the invaluable support of industry partner, Keysight Technologies, the research team has successfully progressed the project to the proof-of-concept stage.

“Now, with this new funding opportunity, we are excited to move forward and develop the first prototype,” she said.

The outcome of the project will ensure the sheep industry remains competitive and sustainable.

NSSN Environment & Agriculture Theme Lead Dr Tomonori Hu.

The grant application was supported by the NSSN’s Environment & Agriculture Theme Lead Dr Tomonori Hu.

“This is a great example of a smart sensor rooted in great science under Shaghik’s leadership,” Dr Hu said.

“It’s a wonderful collaboration between universities and industry for a unique challenge to the Australian economy. I’m thrilled about this outcome and look forward to supporting it any way.”

The AEA is a federal program supporting academic research commercialisation in nationally significant economic sectors.

The grass seed project was one of 22 funded under the ‘value-add in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries’ sector.

AEA Ignite grants provide up to $500,000 for 12 months to help Australian university researchers advance early-stage research, conduct lab testing, and establish proof-of-concept in industry settings.

Thirteen awarded projects this year focus on sensing and three of these were led by NSSN member universities:

A Breath Ketone Sensor for Non-Invasive Monitoring of Diabetes & Metabolic Health (ANU)
A Solid-State Nanopore Sensor for Rapid, Inexpensive, and Non-Invasive Early-Stage Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (ANU)
Innovative Gas Sensor for Low-Emission Energy Applications (University of Sydney)

UNSW project wins grant to tackle grass seed infestation in sheep