Derek Long

Derek Long is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Agriculture and Environmental Science and a researcher with the Centre for Agricultural Engineering (CAE) at the University of Southern Queensland, specializing in image analysis applications for cotton, grains, and livestock industries.

His educational background:

• Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), University of Southern Queensland
• PhD, University of Southern Queensland

Research interests focus on applied computer vision in agriculture using drones, tractors, and smartphones for automated monitoring. Current work emphasizes smartphone sensing for on-farm crop scouting, augmented reality systems, and neural network applications in irrigation management and animal welfare. Long actively integrates generative AI (GenAI) as an assistive tool for both agricultural data processing and pedagogical innovation.

Scientific recognition:

• UniSQ Excellence Award for University Learning and Teaching (2024) - highest internal L&T award for GenAI integration impact

As a research supervisor, Long mentors students in Agricultural Engineering, Computer Vision, and Machine Learning fields. His funded projects include drone irrigation monitoring, autonomous tractor systems, cotton whitefly parasitism tracking, and chicken welfare assessment tools, often with industry partners like John Deere. He also leads outreach initiatives through school workshops and public demonstrations.

Long is a core member of the Centre for Agricultural Engineering (CAE), where he develops real-world agricultural monitoring systems. His 2024 Ekka demonstration featured Boston Dynamics' Spot Mini robot for farm applications alongside media engagements with ABC and 4BC radio.