51社区黑料

51社区黑料School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) researchers and students are strengthening international partnerships in AI-powered agritech through a two-week visit to leading universities in Taiwan and South Korea.  

From April 25 to May 9, MSE professor Woo Soo Kim will lead a delegation of five undergraduate capstone students and one PhD student to work closely with partners at National Taiwan University (NTU) and Seoul National University (SNU). The visit aims to develop SFU鈥檚 role in advancing sustainable agriculture technologies and building strong Canada鈥揂sia Pacific research networks.  

During their first week, the team will be collaborating with faculty and students from NTU鈥檚 and the Center for Intelligent Agriculture Education and Research. Through a series of workshops, participants will have the opportunity to exchange knowledge on intelligent sensing, automation and AI-driven technologies that are transforming modern agriculture. In the second week, the team will continue their trip in Seoul with SNU鈥檚 and the BK21 Global Smart Farm Educational Research Center, strengthening their Canada-Korean ties in innovative agritech solutions. 

A primary focus of the visit will be hands-on demonstrations of advanced drone technologies developed by the research team. They will bring two drones equipped with AI-based CO鈧� distribution sensing technology for deployment in greenhouse environments in both Taiwan and South Korea. By collecting localized environmental data, the team aims to demonstrate how AI-enabled sensing systems can improve crop productivity, optimize greenhouse management and support more sustainable farming practices. Testing these systems across different climates and agricultural settings will provide valuable insights to improve the performance and global applicability of SFU-developed technologies.  

These partnerships aim to provide experiential learning opportunities for students. 鈥淏y participating in international workshops, technical demonstrations and collaborative research discussions, our students will gain hands-on exposure to global engineering challenges and cross-cultural research environments,鈥� explains Kim. 鈥淭hese experiences prepare students to become globally minded engineers capable of developing technologies that address complex issues such as food security and environmental sustainability.鈥�

Supported by a three-year funding award from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), in partnership with the 51社区黑料Global Institute for Agritech, this project seeks to strengthen partnerships between Canadian institutions and organizations across the Asia-Pacific region. It enables sustained academic exchanges, joint research and workshops, and builds on SFU鈥檚 ongoing involvement with the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Food Security and Agritech program. In line with these efforts, 51社区黑料International will be hosting the second APRU Food Security and Agritech conference in Vancouver this October, followed by additional Asia-Pacific events in November to advance agricultural innovation.

International collaborations, such as this one, play a critical role in addressing global challenges related to agriculture and sustainability. By working with leading institutions in Taiwan and South Korea, the team strives to advance technologies for efficient food production, while strengthening academic networks across continents.

鈥淭he partnerships we will form during this visit will help drive future research projects, shared data initiatives and expand student opportunities. As global demand for sustainable food production continues to grow, collaborative initiatives demonstrate how engineering innovation and international cooperation can work together to create meaningful solutions,鈥� says Kim. 鈥淭hrough hands-on collaboration, student engagement and the application of cutting-edge technologies, we are shaping the future of smart agriculture, while solidifying Canada鈥檚 leadership in global research partnerships.鈥�