Manoj Karkee

Dr. Manoj Karkee is the Norman R. and Sharon R. Scott Professor of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University's Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering. He leads the #AgRobotics Lab, focusing on AI, machine vision, and robotics for smart farming. Previously, he directed the Washington State University Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems. His expertise spans sensing systems, autonomous robotics, and agricultural automation. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Human Computer Interaction from Iowa State University.

Education: PhD (2009, Iowa State), MSc (2005, Asian Institute of Technology), B.Sc. (2002, Tribhuvan University). Research interests include precision agriculture, robotic harvesting, and AI-driven crop management. He has published widely in journals like Computers and Electronics in Agriculture and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that journal. Awards include the 2020 Rainbird Engineering Concept Award and recognition as a 2019 AI Pioneer.

Lab work focuses on multi-purpose orchard robots, soft robotics for fruit harvesting, and AI-enhanced crop monitoring. Collaborations span global institutions and industry partners to develop scalable farming solutions. His research aims to enhance resource efficiency, crop yields, and sustainability in agriculture.