The PPB-NG codebase, including synchronized data acquisition for VIS-NIR and SWIR hyperspectral cameras, thermal camera, RGB camera, GNSS coordinates, stabilzation mount (pitch/yaw) and robot navigation is open-source here.

Overview

PhytoPatholoBot Next Generation (PPB-NG) is a field-deployable robotic sensing platform designed for high-throughput, multimodal phenotyping in specialty crops, with an emphasis on vineyard applications. Built on a compact mobile base, the platform integrates an RGB camera, a thermal camera, and two hyperspectral cameras covering the visible–near-infrared (VNIR, approximately 400–1000 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, approximately 1000–2500 nm) regions. These complementary sensing modalities capture canopy appearance, thermal patterns, and spectral variation during field traversal.

PPB-NG combines image acquisition with GNSS positioning, heading, attitude, and acquisition-timing metadata to support spatial referencing and alignment across sensing modalities. The recording workflow preserves raw measurements alongside acquisition settings and data-quality indicators, enabling traceable processing and assessment of synchronization and positioning quality.

Key Features:

• Complementary multimodal sensing: RGB, thermal, VNIR, and SWIR imaging to support canopy characterization and studies of plant phenotypes, stress and disease.
• Mobile field acquisition: Integrated sensing on a compact robotic platform for collecting canopy data under variable outdoor conditions.
• Spatial and temporal context: GNSS, heading, attitude, and timing information to support navigation, data association, and spatial analysis.
• Traceable data processing: Preservation of raw sensor measurements and acquisition metadata for reproducible analysis and quality control.

The entire system is natively integrated within ROS2 and is engineered for rugged outdoor operation in vineyards. By bringing complementary imaging modalities into a common mobile acquisition workflow, PPB-NG supports repeated field surveys and quantitative investigation of spatial and temporal variation in crop condition.

PPBNG 2026 Edition

Collected Sample Data

Modular Design

Power Design

PPBNG 2025 Edition