Shaping Tomorrow’s Agri Practices: DOST-ASTI’s ROAMER and GUL.AI Projects

10 February 2025

Elijah Espiritu

Writer

Considered a primarily agricultural country, the Philippines is now at a critical point where the youth’s interest in the agriculture career path is facing a significant decrease. The country continues to press for solutions to revitalize its agricultural sector. To support this effort, the Department of Science and Technology - Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) has been innovating ways of integrating technology with farming to create a new industry of smart farming to hopefully encourage the Filipino youth to pursue agricultural studies and careers.

Double innovations from DOST-ASTI, GUL.AI and ROAMER tackles issues in youth agriculture engagement and crop care automation using AI

DOST-ASTI released two (2) agriculture solutions to tackle the problems with agriculture tech integration and inspire future farmers. Led by Mr. Jeffrey Aborot, a Supervising Science Research Specialist at DOST-ASTI, the team developed two groundbreaking projects, GUL.AI and ROAMER, which demonstrate how artificial intelligence, robotics, and data-driven tools can modernize farming and inspire a new generation to invest in the sector.

GUL.AI: Smart Farming in The Classroom

Showcasing the indoor and transparent model of GUL.AI, appropriate for hands-on learning and real-time observation.

Modernizing agriculture through technology integration is the 21st-century way of sparking youth interest anew inside the classroom. Aside from hardware, the accompanying web and mobile applications provide users valuable insights into plant behavior and responses to external stimuli.

GUL.AI, is a modular "farming in a box" platform designed to reimagine how students and researchers perceive farming. At its core, GUL.AI integrates Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into a stackable plant-growing system. Equipped with sensors and actuators, the platform monitors crop growth and environmental conditions in real-time, offering a hands-on experience for students.

The system is not just a teaching tool; it’s an innovative solution to the agri career jumpstart problem. Aborot shared how he envisions the future of agriculture with ICT integration using GUL.AI.

We envision the future generation of Filipino youth to be aware of the potential of integrating ICT with agriculture to address pressing challenges in food security in the country. We also envision that by introducing the Gul.ai System to students in the secondary level of education, students will be more aware of their options, by introducing the Filipino youth to ICT and its potential applications to agriculture.

Jeffrey Aborot on GUL.AI’s potential for the future

Aborot added that the target audience for GUL.AI extends from high schools and universities to agricultural research centers and grassroots organizations. By making the technology accessible and interactive, DOST-ASTI hopes to nurture a generation of agricultural innovators. The potential impact is producing a well-informed generation equipped with practical knowledge and modern tools.

Offering a tangible way to understand sustainable farming practices, the project provides an agricultural environment that is more relatable and exciting for young Filipinos while simultaneously developing data literacy and tech skills.

ROAMER: Robots against Plant Diseases

ROAMER identifies, maps, and manages crop health using computer vision, advanced sensors, and navigation capabilities. This mobile robot is designed to tackle agricultural diseases using its precision spraying system, increasing efficiency, and effectiveness while minimizing farmers’ exposure to harmful chemicals and reducing chemical waste.

Being one of the world’s largest banana producers, the Philippine banana plantations in Mindanao constantly fend off numerous pests and diseases. ROAMER provides a much-needed technological advantage against diseases like the Panama disease.

Its ability to navigate unstructured terrains and capture detailed scans under dense canopies sets it apart from the traditional drones and ground robots. Currently, the technology is targeted towards banana plantations, making the Philippines a prime candidate as ROAMER’s beneficiary.

Aborot said that ROAMER’s potential is already being explored for other high-value crops like coffee and cacao, particularly those with visually identifiable diseases.

AgriFuture: The Road Ahead for GUL.AI and ROAMER

A glimpse into the future of ROAMER’s AI analysis system

Catering towards global sustainable development goals, GUL.AI and ROAMER is poised to serve as a pattern for smart agriculture practices while maintaining international standards. GUL.AI prioritizes learning institutions up to the tertiary level to enhance ICT adoption and development rates in the country.

Furthering their objectives of securing the future of food security for the Philippines, DOST-ASTI successfully benchmarked both GUL.AI and ROAMER at the CES 2025.

Aborot shared the areas they plan on prioritizing to bolster the growth and development of similar Agritech integrations in the industry. He added that for ICT adoption rates to increase in the country, cultural changes must first happen, which can be fostered by their initiatives.

In my opinion, some of the key factors include culture and education. There must be cultural change in the country. There is a need for the cultivation of a culture of innovation and competitiveness… The culture of innovation and competitiveness can be cultivated among Filipinos through education, starting from the primary level.

Jeffrey Aborot on boosting GUL.AI’s acceptance rates

Aborot expressed gratitude to the agency that fostered both initiatives throughout their development, attributing their success to DOST-ASTI's support. He added that other similar technologies may also enjoy the same benefits as they did, stating that DOST-ASTI has always supported advancing technologies through science and technology.

Aborot concluded by addressing food security challenges and explaining how GUL.AI and ROAMER improve one of every country's most fundamental needs.

We would like to convey the message that there are ways of addressing this problem and one such way is to expose and educate the Filipino youth about ICT interventions that can be employed in learning about and improving the way we produce food in the country in the future.”

Jeffrey Aborot on ICT integration in Agriculture

Invest in the future of agriculture. The DOST-ASTI welcomes collaborations, partnerships, investments, and licensing opportunities to drive agricultural advancements. Contact Project Leader Dr. Franz A. De Leon at info@asti.dost.gov.ph or visit facebook.com/DOSTASTI to learn more.

** This article is part of the "PhilippiNOW: Philippines’ New Opportunities, Worldwide" campaign for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025. For more information and event updates, please visit the DOST-TAPI website at www.tapi.dost.gov.ph. For media inquiries, please get in touch with Ms. Mirielle Vacal at +639567113145 or Mr. Heherson Valdez at +639064477735, or email ccu@tapi.dost.gov.ph **