J.F. Seelye

Palmerston North Hospital, Plant & Food Research

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

J.F. Seelye is a researcher at the intersection of robotics and plant science, whose work has pioneered automated, non-invasive methods for monitoring plant health. His primary research areas include agricultural robotics, sensor integration, and automated plant phenotyping. Seelye’s major contribution lies in developing low-cost, custom-built robotic systems that use colour sensors to assess plant growth and vitality in real time. His most cited paper, "Low cost colour sensors for monitoring plant growth in a laboratory" (2011), with 35 citations, introduced an automated system that uses a robotic arm with a pan-and-tilt mechanism to measure leaf colour as an indicator of plant health—a breakthrough for micropropagation and controlled-environment agriculture. His follow-up work, including a 2012 book chapter on robotic systems and a 2010 study on camera-in-hand remote monitoring, further refined these techniques, demonstrating how affordable hardware can replace expensive, manual monitoring. Notably, Seelye’s research was conducted in collaboration with the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, highlighting its applied impact. By merging robotics with horticulture, Seelye has laid the groundwork for scalable, data-driven plant care, making his work essential reading for students and researchers in precision agriculture and bio-robotics.