AI chat program for farmers wins Taiwan agricultural hackathon

2018/12/19

An artificial intelligence program to advise farmers on pest control picked up the top prize at AgThon 2018, an annual contest to find the most innovative solutions for agricultural issues, the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture announced Dec. 17.
 
 At the awards ceremony in the central city of Taichung, COA Acting Minister Chen Chi-chung said the ideas and product prototypes submitted by more than 50 groups to this year’s event demonstrated new perspectives in solving enduring issues for Taiwan’s farmers.
 
 First place went to the AI chatbot—a computer program devised to converse like a human—that helps identify pests and offers advice on control measures. The team won a prize of NT$150,000 (US$4,866) for the innovation, which the jury praised for its feasibility and for tackling one of the most fundamental problems faced by farmers.
 
 A piece of software that uses drone images to evaluate the status of different crops won its design team NT$60,000 for second place. Coming in third and earning its creator NT$40,000 was a device that listens to the sounds of bees to assess the health of the hive.
 
 Kuo Kun-feng, deputy director-general of COA’s Department of Science and Technology, said the submissions this year were noteworthy for their practicality, demonstration of agricultural knowledge, and innovative use of information and communication technology.
 
 The council said it will assist the winning teams develop their prototypes by connecting them with public and private sector resources.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=10&post=147291)