Domestic researchers are developing new technologies that combine plants, agriculture, electronics, and bioengineering to overcome future food crises.
The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on the 16th that it will hold the 1st Plant-Electronics Convergence Symposium to address future food issues at Seoul National University's Hoam Faculty House on the 17th.
ETRI and Seoul National University presented a new approach that integrates plants and agriculture with bioengineering and electronics through joint research aimed at finding solutions to future food challenges. The technology for integrated electrodes in plants forms essential electrodes that electrically assess the health of plants and promote growth through electrical stimulation.
The research team has also developed plant in-body technology that applies voltage of various frequencies to plants and analyzes the corresponding microcurrents to monitor stress levels in real time and respond accordingly. The plant haptics technology developed by the research team electrically imparts a tactile function to plants, allowing them to respond to external factors such as wind, snow, and pests despite lacking touch.
Experts from various fields, including botany, agriculture, electronics, and bioengineering, are set to participate in this symposium to discuss ways to maximize the potential and impact of related technologies. Professor Jeong Soo of Seoul National University, who is working on projects jointly with ETRI, said, "Through the preparation for this symposium, we confirmed that experts from various fields are interested in sustainable agriculture and future food issues, and more progressive research results are being achieved through interdisciplinary exchange."