From class to cultivation: mechatronic students bring tech to Tanzania and the Netherlands

Fourth-year mechatronic systems engineering students (MSE) are taking their agricultural innovations overseas and embarking on journeys to the Netherlands and Tanzania.

Led by MSE professor and director of SFU’s Global Institute for Agritech Woo Soo Kim, three design teams have put their expertise into practice for their capstone design projects. Spanning two terms from January to August 2025, the students have been working to design prototypes and devices during the spring term while working to refine and improve their designs in the summer term. In particular, the teams have been developing drone-based soil sensing and indoor farming technologies to enhance agricultural practices. The technology aims to create nutrient maps to help local farmers manage resources, especially fertilizers, more effectively.

After completing the initial phase of their projects, the students will be taking their innovative designs abroad to the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Tanzania and the Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural trip, these opportunities are integral to the students’ projects that aim to tackle real-world challenges faced by local farmers.

Two capstone design teams will be visiting the Arusha Centre for Environmental Research at AKU, where they will be participating in collaborative research workshops with graduate students from both MSE and the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania. These workshops foster knowledge exchange, allowing students to present their developments and receive feedback from local farmers and peers. In addition, this networking opportunity will play a crucial role in enhancing their research and ensuring its real-world applicability.

The third capstone design team will be taking part in the WUR’s Rethink Food Challenge, where students are invited to submit innovative business ideas aimed at enhancing the sustainability and resource efficiency of food production. The team has been developing an autonomous nutrient-releasing system using plant sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize nutrient use and enhance fertigation efficiency, supporting sustainable agriculture.

The field trips serve a vital opportunity for MSE students to gain hands-on experiences and further solidify partnerships with notable institutions.

“These trips solidify SFU's leading partnerships with five Tanzanian universities to advance agritech innovations in collaboration with NM-AIST,” explains Kim. "It is a priority that resonates with the goals of the capstone design teams.”

“WUR stands as a global powerhouse in agritech and have shared a partnership with SFU since signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2023 to foster future research collaboration,” adds Kim. “SFU Mechatronic students' participation in WUR’s student challenge is a key aspect of this collaboration, marking the beginning of ongoing engagement in agritech challenges that SFU’s capstone teams plan to pursue in the years to come.”

Two teams will begin their venture to Tanzania this weekend, while the third team will depart for the Netherlands early next month. Additional field trips to Asia, Tanzania and the Netherlands are scheduled for the coming years.