Using hyperspectral cameras, RoboCare is helping enhance farmer resilience in Tunisia
Tunisia and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are listed among the world’s 20 most water-stressed countries by the World Resources Institute. For the past several years, Tunisia has been grappling with severe water scarcity caused by prolonged droughts, which have delayed autumn rains and led to significant depletion of water reserves in dams. Agriculture, which constitutes 80% of Tunisia’s water use, heavily depends on the rainy season to meet its needs. Continued exploitation of groundwater has compounded many of these issues; it has increased water salinity levels and affected agricultural productivity. As Tunisia’s vulnerability to water scarcity continues to grow, there is a need now more than ever for farmers to adopt efficient and precise methods for managing their resources and agricultural production.
Founded in 2020, Tunisia-based startup RoboCare provides a digital monitoring system that identifies illnesses in plants before they reach advanced stages, curbs the potential spread of these diseases, and helps reduce the overuse of pesticides. Leveraging unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and spectral imaging technology, the startup collects real-time insights that allow farmers to receive targeted interventions, including strategies to prevent crop stress, improve land efficiency, optimize water and pesticide usage, etc. With these technology-driven solutions, RoboCare is supporting farmers in adapting to the increasingly water-scarce environment of Tunisia and helping enhance their agricultural sustainability.
RoboCare’s two key solutions, Crop-Care and Toma-Care, leverage the power of satellites, drones, and IoT sensors to detect plant stressors before pests become visible. The Crop-Care solution utilizes a drone, a spectral camera, and a thermal camera – all integrated into a single product. Its key feature is the hyperspectral camera, which captures signals beyond the near-infrared spectrum, enabling RoboCare to create unique plant signatures that help them differentiate healthy crops from stressed ones. Toma-Care is a digital monitoring system that employs sensors and imaging technology for early-stage disease detection and monitoring of crop health, soil conditions, and other environmental factors. Dr. Imen Hbiri, the founder of RoboCare, highlights that their monitoring system combines artificial intelligence and proximal sensing technology, which captures high-resolution data from a very close range. This approach provides real-time insights into crop health and growth, hydration levels, soil quality, and other ecosystem factors, enabling farmers to better understand crop conditions and make specific interventions.
RoboCare’s technology-driven approach to crop management and agricultural sustainability can significantly enhance the resilience of farmers. The issue of water scarcity is not only limited to Tunisia but also includes many other countries in the MENA region. RoboCare’s drone and spectral imaging technology, therefore, have the potential to shift present agricultural practices, offering a new pathway to sustainable farming as climate change continues to challenge traditional methods.
