2023年度TAMAGO採択課題

Selective pollination of strawberries by directional ultrafine particle spray using a surface acoustic wave device

Development of technology to support pathological diagnosis using hyperspectral

Bioacoustic Orchestration: Elucidating the link between organisms, space and sound and predicting organism behavior

Selective pollination of strawberries by directional ultrafine particle spray using a surface acoustic wave device

 
Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yuta Kurashina (tenure track)

(Institute of Engineering, Division of Advanced Mechanical Systems Engineering)

 "Ultrafine particle spray strawberry pollination"

Fruits contain a lot of nutrients, and strawberries in particular contain a lot of nutrients such as vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. Japan has a strong culture of eating strawberries raw, and is said to be the number one country in the world in terms of raw consumption, and Japan's culture of eating strawberries raw is attracting attention worldwide. Pollination, which is necessary for strawberry production, is generally carried out using pollinating insects such as honeybees. However, stable pollination is difficult due to the low temperatures, bad weather, and the condition of insects, and there is no established method of artificial pollination suitable for large-scale cultivation as an alternative.

In this study, we focus on surface acoustic waves, which are vibrations that are concentrated and propagate on the surface of an object, and use them to achieve highly directional and efficient pollination of strawberries. By establishing this technology, we hope to create a technology that will contribute to the stable production of strawberries and other fruits.

Members of the "Ultrafine Particle Spray Strawberry Pollination" project

Development of technology to support pathological diagnosis using hyperspectral

 
Principal Investigator: Associate Professor

(Institute of Agriculture, Division of Animal Life Science)

 "Smart Pathology"

In recent years, the shortage of pathologists has become more serious, and AI-based support for pathological diagnosis has attracted attention as a way to make up for this. However, most of the AI diagnosis support systems developed so far have identified lesions through morphological recognition, which has limited the ability to differentiate between tumors with similar morphologies (e.g., lung adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma).

In this research, we will incorporate hyperspectral information into AI pathology diagnosis to attempt to distinguish between tumors with similar morphology based on the subtle differences in color information for each tumor. This research is a research theme that is unique to our university, and is one that can only be achieved through collaboration between veterinary medicine and information engineering experts, and allows us to "see new things (examine, observe, see)."

Correct diagnosis is essential for everyone to receive the right treatment, and the shortage of pathologists is an issue for society as a whole. We hope to contribute to the health of humanity by developing technology to support pathologists.

"Smart Pathology" Members

Bioacoustic Orchestration: Elucidating the link between organisms, space and sound and predicting organism behavior

 
Research Director: Professor Shinji Fukuda

(Institute of Agriculture, Division of Environmental and Agricultural Engineering)

 "Bioacoustic OS"

Our lives are surrounded by a lot of "sound." The soundscape, the environment formed by sound, is made up of sounds caused by non-living things such as the terrain and weather, sounds made by non-human organisms, and sounds made by humans.

In this research, we aim to establish a bioacoustic orchestration system (OS) to clarify the link between organisms, space, and sound in a non-contact and non-destructive manner by measuring the soundscapes created by organisms, from individual organisms to groups, and analyzing acoustic information, and to predict and control the behavior of target organisms. If we can develop basic technology related to this bioacoustic OS, we can expect applications such as stress assessment in livestock breeding environments, quantification of communication between animals, biodiversity assessment in natural environments and agricultural rural areas, and pest and vermin control.

Members of the "Next-generation Silk Cultured Meat Comprehensive Research Team"