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Chandigarh University researchers use Artificial Intelligence to develop Model for predicting Accurate Crop Yield; Innovation to benefit Indian Farmers

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Researchers have leveraged Climate Data and Satellite Technology for developing the predictive model

CHANDIGARH, India, June 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In a significant advancement for smart agriculture and precision farming, researchers at Chandigarh University have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Transformer Model that is capable of accurately predicting crop yields using satellite imagery, climate data and historical agricultural records.

The innovation would be instrumental in empowering farmers, policymakers and agricultural agencies to make informed decisions while strengthening food security and advancing resilient farm management.

The research, led by Kusum Lata, Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Engineering, Chandigarh University, Dr Navneet Kaur Professor Department of CSE and Dr Simrandeep Singh Professor from University Centre of Research and Development at Chandigarh University that focuses on improving crop yield forecasting in Punjab’s agricultural heartland. The study, recently presented at the 2026 International Conference on Signal Processing and Electronics Design (ICSPED) at Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology, Chandigarh that introduces a lightweight transformer-based system that leverages multi-source data to estimate crop production before harvest with greater accuracy and lower computational costs.

Notably, the accurate crop yield prediction has become increasingly important as farmers face growing challenges from climate variability, changing weather patterns and rising food demand. Traditional field surveys are often time-consuming, labour-intensive and limited in scale. The Chandigarh University researchers sought to overcome these limitations by integrating advanced AI techniques with real-time Earth observation data.

Kusum Lata, Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Engineering at CU said, “The transformer model utilizes data from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites which are advanced Earth observation satellites operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) to continuously monitor agricultural fields and provide information on crop growth, vegetation health, soil moisture and field conditions. The satellite observations are combined with climatic variables such as rainfall, temperature and soil moisture, along with historical crop production records, creating a comprehensive picture of crop performance throughout the growing season.”

Kusum added, “Unlike conventional machine learning models, the newly developed lightweight transformer can identify critical crop growth stages and learn complex temporal patterns that influence final yields. We have designed the model to deliver high predictive performance that require fewer computational resources, making it suitable for practical deployment in large-scale agricultural monitoring systems.”

“The model was evaluated on four major crops cultivated in Ludhiana district, namely paddy, maize, moong and sugarcane, using data collected between 2019 and 2023. Experimental results demonstrated that the transformer model outperformed widely used approaches such as Random Forest and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, indicating stronger agreement between predicted and actual yields. The framework also recorded lower prediction errors and improved computational efficiency.

Kusum has worked as a Junior Research Fellow in the Agriculture and Crop Monitoring Division at Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), PAU Ludhiana, contributed to geospatial research projects, including crop residue burning analysis using remote sensing and geospatial mapping techniques.

The study further revealed that the lightweight architecture requires nearly 40 percent fewer parameters than conventional transformer models while delivering faster and accurate predictions. This level of efficiency makes this automatic framework suitable for near real-time agricultural applications, including regional crop monitoring, production forecasting and early warning systems.

According to the researchers, the ability to accurately forecast crop yields before harvest can have significant implications for farmers and governments alike. Reliable forecasts can support agricultural planning, optimize resource allocation, strengthen crop insurance mechanisms and improve market management strategies. In a state like Punjab, where agriculture plays a central role in the economy, such technologies can contribute to more resilient and sustainable farming systems.

The researchers also shared that one of the key strengths of the model lies in its ability to combine multiple sources of information into a single predictive model. By integrating satellite-derived observations with climatic and historical datasets, the system captures the complex interactions that influence crop productivity and provides a more robust understanding of agricultural outcomes.

The future developments will also focus on enabling near real-time forecasting through cloud-based platforms, paving the way for broader adoption of AI-driven decision support systems in agriculture, added the Chandigarh University researchers.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/3001456/Chandigarh_University_AI_Crop_Yield.jpg

 

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TECNO Wins Two IFA Global Product Technology Innovation Awards for Modular Phone and Tonino Lamborghini TECNO TAURUS

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September 5, 2026

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BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TECNO, a global AI-driven innovative technology brand, achieved two IFA Global Product Technology Innovation Awards at IFA 2026:

Tonino Lamborghini TECNO TAURUS took the Miniaturized Gaming PC Technology Innovation Gold Award, standing out with its Italian aesthetics and exceptional performance in the compact body. The TECNO Modular Phone was honored with the Ultra-Slim Magnetic Modular Technology Innovation Gold Award, praised for its ultra-slim craftsmanship and unique modular magnetic technology.

These awards once again demonstrate TECNO’s sustained breakthroughs in product innovation and industry-leading craftsmanship in design excellence. The Global Product Technology Innovation Awards were established in 2014 by IDG, IFA, and DIHK to celebrate excellence across the global consumer electronics industry. The awards honor products that set new industry benchmarks and drive innovation through intelligent technology and user-centric design.

TECNO Modular Phone: The World’s Thinnest Modular Smartphone

At just 4.9mm, the TECNO Modular Phone is powered by proprietary Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology. It combines a precision magnetic array with pogo-pin connectors, offering a flexible ecosystem for different needs. The host retains a 3000–4000mAh battery, while modules draw power directly for a snap-and-go experience. It also resolves the inherent conflict between rising AI computing demands and limited device space.

The technology has earned over 20 accolades from leading media, with CNET and Yanko Design naming it the Best of MWC 2026, and The Verge recognizing it as the Best Mobile Tech at MWC 2026.

Tonino Lamborghini TECNO TAURUS: One of the World’s Smallest Water-Cooling Gaming Mini-PCs

At around 6.36 liters, the panoramic transparent chassis of the Tonino Lamborghini TECNO TAURUS fuses iconic Italian design with raw engineering. Powered by the Intel® Core™ i9-13900HK and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 (614 AI TOPS, 145W TGP, DLSS 4), it achieves the pinnacle of performance, providing a high-fidelity gaming experience and high-efficiency AI workstation. The water-cooling system sustains peak frequencies, while 15 ports and WiFi 6E deliver connectivity. It was recognized with Yanko Design’s Best of MWC award.

In addition, TECNO made waves at IFA with the Next-Gen Bezelless Concept Phone featuring a revolutionary 0mm screen bezel, and the convertible laptop MEGABOOK T15 360 Pro. Relentlessly pushing the boundaries of design, performance, and AI innovation, TECNO is pioneering limitless possibilities for futuristic technology.

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Morpho UV Printer Unveiled at IFA with Hands-On Live Creation

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September 5, 2026

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BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Morpho, a company specializing in UV printing technology, is showcasing its first desktop UV printer at IFA 2026, Hall 17-196. Visitors are observing Morpho’s colorful, textured prints, and some have the opportunity to print on a range of blank materials provided.

Morpho’s desktop UV printer can print on a wide range of materials, including wood, glass, leather, metal, and more, delivering vivid colors and tactile textures for customized results. At IFA 2026, the booth attracted interest from creators, educators, and technology professionals, who gathered to watch live demonstrations.

Among those who have tried Morpho’s printer, three aspects are most frequently highlighted: print quality, the moving gantry design, and overall ease of use.

Visitors are first drawn to the prints, which feature precise color reproduction and finely detailed textile textures. With G7 Master ColorSpace certification, Morpho ensures consistent tones across different pieces. The same level of precision is evident in the raised textures created by the industrial-grade printhead, which builds fine layers of ink for detailed, tactile surfaces. The printhead maintains fast carriage motion speeds of up to 600mm/s while preserving precise detail.

Attendees have also noted the printer’s compact desktop footprint. With its moving gantry architecture—where the entire gantry moves along both axes—the printer offers a large, fully enclosed print chamber that accommodates various objects while remaining desktop-friendly.

First-time users have given positive feedback on Morpho’s usability. The integrated Stereo Vision Smart Alignment™ System quickly captures an object’s height and contours, while Morpho Studio’s guided workflows help users move from idea to print with minimal setup.

Morpho’s team shared that the program has been in development for several years, with the goal of making UV printers a practical tool for everyday creative use. Founder Mingyu “Brett” Wang, formerly Global VP of R&D at DJI, commented, “We communicate directly with our community, listen to feedback, and make fast improvements.”

Ahead of IFA, Morpho’s Kickstarter campaign surpassed $10 million in support from over 2,800 backers worldwide. The company is committed to further developing its proprietary core technology and delivering reliable engineering for creators, makers, and small businesses.

Visit Morpho’s website to learn more.

About Morpho: Morpho develops desktop UV printers that bring industrial-grade printing and coloring to everyday materials, enabling creators to turn almost any physical surface into a canvas for their ideas.

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Society of Robotic Surgery and Puma Venture Capital Announce Winners of SRS Shark Tank 2026

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4 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Drive Medical claimed the top prize at the third annual SRS Shark Tank 2026, held during the Society of Robotic Surgery’s annual conference at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. The event, a collaboration between SRS and Puma Venture Capital, once again showcased cutting-edge innovations in the digital and robotic surgery ecosystem and featured early-stage companies poised to transform minimally invasive care.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Drive Medical claimed the top prize at the third annual SRS Shark Tank 2026, held during the Society of Robotic Surgery’s annual conference at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. The event, a collaboration between SRS and Puma Venture Capital, once again showcased cutting-edge innovations in the digital and robotic surgery ecosystem and featured early-stage companies poised to transform minimally invasive care.

SRS Shark Tank 2026 featured presentations from nine innovative companies. Each had five minutes to pitch their technology and five minutes to engage in a Q&A session with a panel of esteemed judges, including top surgeons, investors, and medical device experts. Companies were evaluated on innovation, impact on healthcare, market potential, business model, and presentation.

Drive Medical earned the top honor for the Pollywog System, the first easy-to-use robotic endoscope integrated with artificial intelligence. The platform is designed to give physicians faster, safer access to the small bowel, allowing diagnosis and treatment to be completed in a single session rather than across multiple procedures.

DeepQure secured second place with HyperQure, the world’s first extravascular renal denervation system for resistant hypertension. Delivered laparoscopically, the device wraps the renal artery from the outside to achieve complete denervation while avoiding the vessel lining.

Microsure came in third with MUSA-3, a microsurgical robot that downscales and stabilizes a surgeon’s hand movements during open super-microsurgical procedures, including free flap, lymphatic, and peripheral nerve surgery. The system received CE mark approval earlier this year.

The strength of the 2026 field extended well beyond the podium: every one of the nine presenting companies was placed in the top three by at least one judge. Reveal Surgical presented optical imaging technology that characterizes tissue for tumor assessment during surgery, and Symphera demonstrated a laparoscopic system that lets surgeons switch instrument tips at the push of a button. Tioga Cardiovascular showed its transcatheter approach to mitral and tricuspid valve replacement.

CardioSentry presented an AI platform for autonomous cardiac ultrasound, and Nina Medical showcased a completely non-invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. LITLab rounded out the slate with mobile, high-fidelity surgical training labs that travel to health systems and medtech companies to train clinical teams onsite. Together the group reflected an unusually broad and competitive slate, spanning robotics, imaging, structural heart, urology, and surgical education.

The 2026 judging panel included Steve Bell, Rob Morgan, Dr. Santiago Horgan, Dr. Erik B. Wilson, Scott Zinober, and Babak Tehranchi, and the event was co-chaired by Amit Hazan and Dr. Vipul Patel.

Participating companies included:

Microsure, Symphera, LITLab, Reveal Surgical, DeepQure, Drive Medical, Nina Medical, CardioSentry, and Tioga Cardiovascular.

About the Society of Robotic Surgery:

Founded in 2012, the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) is guided by the fundamental principles of education and collaboration as a means to tackle the complex issues of robotic surgery. The SRS’ membership includes more than 20,000 physicians of all disciplines from around the world whose mission is to share information related to multi-centric studies, database collection, fellowship training and funding support related to robotic surgery. The SRS is the only multi-specialty robotic surgery society in the world with an annual meeting that includes updates in more than a dozen medical sub-specialties along with state-of-the-art plenary sessions and hot topic courses.

About Puma Venture Capital:

Puma Venture Capital is an investment firm seeking to leverage its surgeon venture partners to invest in all aspects of physical intelligence across every medical procedure — to improve patient outcomes, lift labor productivity, and lower system costs.

Media Contact

Ryan Julison, Society of Robotic Surgery, 1 3213776877, ryanjulison@gmail.com

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SOURCE Society of Robotic Surgery

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