Rik van der Tol

Rik van der Tol is a Lecturer in Agricultural Biosystems Engineering at Wageningen University & Research. His research focuses on precision agriculture, livestock behavior, and animal welfare, with a particular emphasis on the effects of lighting conditions and data management systems in agricultural settings.

Key research interests include optimizing pig welfare through lighting studies, developing FAIR-compliant data systems for precision farming, and applying computer vision for livestock monitoring. He collaborates internationally and has supervised PhD candidates in areas such as data-sharing infrastructures, AI applications in animal welfare, and sensor technology for improving young animal survival rates.

Recent articles highlight interdisciplinary work combining engineering and biology, such as analyzing pig posture via object detection models and evaluating light spectrum impacts on pig health. Projects emphasize practical applications of technology to enhance sustainable agricultural practices.

• Co-promotor of 5 active PhD projects, including Smart Indonesian Agriculture and gait analysis of cattle.
• Focus on ethical and technical challenges in precision farming and livestock management.