Two projects led by University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering faculty have received annual State Economic Engagement & Development (SEED) funding.
The SEED Research Program funds are designated by the state legislature and administered by the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub. SEED grants allow UW–Madison faculty and academic staff who are co-founders in a Wisconsin company to engage in innovative research, generate additional private and public sector support for their research programs, and promote technology transfer between the University and industry.
Joseph Andrews, the Alfred Fritz Associate Professor in mechanical engineering and electrical and computer engineering, is principal investigator and Jinyi Huang, an associate professor of soil and environmental sciences, is co-principal investigator on a project with their company Saturn Soilsense.
Soil analysis can tell farmers exactly how much nitrate they need for maximum crop yield. But current sensing methods need to be repeated multiple times and are costly; instead, farmers tend to overapply nitrate fertilizer, which leads to nutrient pollution of ground and surface water. Andrews, Huang and their team have developed a patented inkjet-printed sensor technology that can continuously monitor nitrate concentrations. This provides real-time data on nitrate levels, allowing farmers to apply fertilizer more strategically and reduce over-application.
With SEED funding, the team will work to increase the longevity and reliability of the membranes used in this sensing technology.
Mikhail Kats, the Antoine-Bascom Professor and Jack St. Clair Kilby Professor in electrical and computer engineering, is the principal investigator on a SEED project with Dugald C. Jackson Assistant Professor Eric Tervo and Associate Professor Jennifer Choy serving as co-PIs.
Their project is developing an alternative to satellite-based GPS, which is vulnerable to jamming and spoofing. Choy’s lab has worked on an alternative to GPS technology which uses magnetometers based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Diamond’s high refractive index, however, limits the strength of its readout signal.
The SEED project is investigating a new approach based on compound semiconductors to increase the sensitivity of the nitrogen vacancy magnetometers. Madison-based Dirac Labs, which is developing magnetic navigation systems, aims to use these enhanced sensors in the next generation of their navigation system.
“One of UW–Madison’s greatest strengths is the ability to translate ideas and research into impact,” says Lewis Sheats, associate vice chancellor for entrepreneurship at UW–Madison and executive director of the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub. “The SEED grant program allows these researchers to take important next steps toward commercialization by supporting industry partnerships, advancing innovation, and creating opportunities for economic growth across Wisconsin.”
Four other teams across UW-Madison also received funding from the SEED grant program.
A version of this press release was originally published by the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub.
Featured image caption: Inkjet-printed sensor technology from Alfred Fritz Associate Professor Joseph Andrews’ lab that can continuously monitor nitrate concentrations in soil. Photo: Joel Hallberg.