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, robotics, and automation for precision agriculture. His research includes robotic systems for crop monitoring, harvesting, and sustainable farming practices.

Education:

• PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Human-Computer Interaction, Iowa State University (2009)
• ME in Remote Sensing and GIS, Asian Institute of Technology (2005)
• BE in Computer Engineering, Tribhuvan University (2002)
• Associate Degree in Civil Engineering, Tribhuvan University (1997)

Research Interests:

• AI-driven robotic solutions for fruit harvesting and crop management
• Soft robotics for orchard operations
• Autonomous crop monitoring with sensor integration
• Modular robotic systems for small-scale and urban farming

Awards:

• 2020 Rain Bird Engineering Concept of the Year
• 2019 Pioneer in AI and IoT (Connected World)
• CIGR Next Generation Leader (2015)

Advising & Collaboration: Dr. Karkee leads a multidisciplinary lab collaborating with industry partners and global institutions to translate research into scalable technologies. He previously directed the Washington State University Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems.

Labs/Teams: The #AgRobotics Lab at Cornell develops AI and robotics solutions for labor-intensive agricultural tasks, emphasizing precision, sustainability, and economic viability.