Plant Health Monitoring with Multimode Imaging and Artificial Intelligence

SafetySpect Inc. proposes integrating its innovative MoonLight multimode imaging system with environmental sensors and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor plant health in extraterrestrial environments autonomously. This technology aims to provide real-time, non-invasive detection of plant stress, nutrient deficiencies, and diseases, significantly enhancing the efficiency of food production systems aboard NASA missions, such as the ISS, Lunar Gateway, and Mars habitats. The MoonLight system combines hyperspectral reflectance imaging (HRI), hyperspectral fluorescence imaging (HFI), and LiDAR to identify early-stage stress, nutrient deficiencies, and diseases not visible to standard photographic techniques currently used in space-based plant monitoring systems. By integrating additional environmental sensors for CO₂, humidity, temperature, and light intensity, this project will enrich data collection, allowing AI-driven models to effectively correlate plant health indicators with environmental conditions. Funding from NASA will support the adaptation and integration of these sensors into MoonLight, system validation under simulated space conditions, extensive data collection from selected crops, and the development of AI algorithms capable of autonomously detecting and classifying plant stress. Additionally, funds will support the design adaptations necessary for stable operation in low-gravity environments. The primary market is NASA and international space agencies, which require autonomous plant health monitoring technologies for sustainable food production in extraterrestrial habitats. Secondary markets include private space exploration companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin and terrestrial commercial sectors such as vertical farming, greenhouse operations, and agricultural research institutes that demand efficient, resource-optimized plant monitoring solutions for sustainable food production.