UC Riverside computer science professor Eamonn Keogh and FarmSense CTO Shailendra Singh won third place and $25,000 in the Nokia Bell Labs Prize for their agricultural insect sensor. The sensor identifies insects down to the level of sex and species and transmits the information to growers to help them control pests.

The sensor uses artificial intelligence to identify insects that enter a trap based on wingbeat frequencies and other physiological measurements. Growers use an app to monitor the sensor remotely and determine where, when, and what kind of interventions are necessary to reduce pests in their crops. 

Keogh, along with Shailendra Singh, a former postdoctoral researcher in his lab, founded FarmSense to commercialize their sensor with the goal of reducing carbon emissions and costs to growers and protecting biodiversity. The company has received numerous investments from seed funds and venture capitalists and the product is being field tested in eight countries by various growers and agricultural firms. 

 

“I am thrilled by this recognition!,” Keogh said. “Shailendra and I have been obsessively working on this project for four years. To have Bell Labs, arguably the birthplace of modern computer science, recognize the value of our efforts is a great honor.”.

 

The Nokia Bell Labs Prize is an annual competition seeking innovative inventions and proposals that could solve the future problems facing humanity. As some of the most pressing issues facing the planet relate to climate change, many entrants have focused on sustainability technologies.