D-Tech Studio designs the structures and automation that let vertical farms run with far less manual work. Transplanting, harvesting, inspecting and pruning are still largely done by hand, in racks and trays rarely designed with robots in mind.

This iteration centres on mechanical design and actuation across three ranked areas: robotic end-effectors first, then structures for growing, then sensors and quality control. Sensing, control and plant science support that work, and every design is tested with live plants on a rack section.

Problem statements:

Three design areas, ranked by priority for this iteration:

Tier	Problem statement	Core question
Primary	Robotic end-effectors	How can a robot transplant, harvest, inspect and prune plants as gently and reliably as a skilled worker?
Secondary	Structures for growing	How should racks, trays and growing media be redesigned so plants grow well and robots can work them?
Tertiary	Sensors and quality control	How can a farm measure plant health and produce quality continuously, and act on what it finds?

Why this is a systems problem:

Most of the hard constraints on a farm robot come from outside it: fragile plants, tight tiers, varied trays, humidity and hygiene. The three areas are therefore designed together, and a tray or rack change that makes the robot's job easier counts as part of the solution.

Design focus and scope:

Mechanical design and actuation are the main deliverables in every tier; the supporting aspects are explored as far as they serve them.

Tier	Problem statement	Main deliverables	Supporting aspects
Primary	Robotic end-effectors	Digits, joints, kinematics, actuation and the interface to the arm or gantry, for transplanting, harvesting, inspecting and pruning	Tactile and force sensing, grasp control, plant tissue limits
Secondary	Structures for growing	Racks, trays, channels and growing media designed for plant growth and robot access	Irrigation, lighting and airflow, integration, hygiene
Tertiary	Sensors and quality control	Mounts, enclosures and positioning mechanisms that bring sensors to the plant	Plant health monitoring, produce grading, data and alerts

Deliverables:

Working prototypes, tested on live plants at a rack section, developed in six stages:

1. Task study: document plant, tray and rack constraints at a farm or the lab rack.
2. Requirements: set measurable targets, such as grip force limits, clearance and cycle time.
3. Concepts: generate and compare mechanical and actuation concepts.
4. Prototype: build and iterate.
5. Rack testing: test on live plants against the requirements.
6. Showcase: present the solution, test results and a design package (CAD, code, bill of materials).

Who should join:

Any major is welcome. Students from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Computer Science help the work move fastest. Life Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Industrial Design, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Data Science and Analytics, and Business make the outcome richer.

Project partner:

• Arianetech Pte Ltd

Project supervisors:

• Dr Aleksandar Kostadinov (aleks_id@nus.edu.sg)
• Mr Soh Eng Keng (ek.soh@nus.edu.sg)

Studio timeslot in Semester 2 AY2026/2027:

• Wednesday 9 am to 12 pm