Telefónica Chile launches Internet of Things challenge for Chilean agriculture

03/11/2015

This is an open call to designers, developers and manufacturers of technology, both individuals and companies, to submit proposals for the development of connected devices that allow estimating the number of Lobesia botrana moths in flight on an agricultural property, in such a way that they can be capable of remotely counting moths.

The producers of blueberries well know the sufferings that the irruption of the moth has brought us Lobesia botrana in the crops. Since 2008, in which the Livestock Agricultural Service, SAG, categorized it as a pest in Chile, various strategies have been developed for its control or elimination.

La Lobesia botrana, which has produced serious phytosanitary damages in the agricultural sector of the central zone of the country, is incubated mainly in vineyards, to later transfer its domain to the other nearby crops, among which blueberries are found, which constitutes a serious risk for the export of fresh fruit to international markets.

Currently the pest is tried to control by means of a system of capture and face-to-face counting, in traps that attract the species with pheromones to count them manually.

It has been thought then in the creation of a remote device that allows a more exhaustive and effective control of the plague in the field of technology called Internet of Things, known by the acronym IoT.

In this context, and with the objective of promoting technological development in Chile, the International Center of Excellence Telefónica Research and Development Chile, in partnership with the Universidad del Desarrollo, invites us to participate in the Challenge: Remote Count of Lobesia Botrana Moths.

This is an open call to designers, developers and technology manufacturers, both people and companies, to present proposals for the development of connected devices that allow estimating the amount of moths Lobesia botrana in flight in a farm, in such a way to be able to count moths remotely.

Telefónica has allocated US $ 10.000 for each of the three selected projects in the perspective of developing a functional prototype.

"The center materializes through this challenge its effort to boost the ecosystem around the Internet of Things. This is just one of the various paths we are developing to motivate entrepreneurship and innovation with significant impacts on the country's key industries. ", said Boris Martínez, ecosystem development manager at Telefónica I + D Chile.

Those who wish to participate, have until November 15.

For more information go to http://www.tidchile.cl/desafiopolillas

Source: Blueberriesconsulting.com - Martín Carrillo O.