Comments from students enrolled:
| “The Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture course was very practical and educational! It helped me comprehend how sensors interact with systems in real time by providing a good balance between theory and real-world application. I particularly valued the interesting lab sessions and the concepts’ clarity.” Chaitanya Kumar Reddy Pallerla, BAEG major, Fall 2023 |
| “As someone from a non-engineering background, I initially found the technical aspects of working with sensors quite intimidating. However, Dr. CK’s friendly and approachable teaching style made a difference. The Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture course offers hands-on experience that helped me gain confidence in wiring and working with electrical boards. At a time when AI and precision technology are transforming agriculture, this course equips students with essential, hands-on technical skills that bridge the gap between theory and real-world application. It offers practical technician-level experience that is highly relevant and in demand across fields such as precision agriculture and robotics.” Riasad Mahbub, BAEG major, Fall 2023 |
| “In the Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture class, I was able to improve fundamental skills like wiring, soldering, and coding while learning about innovative technologies being used in precision agriculture. I also got to do a semester project that was relevant to my research area, using an inexpensive multispectral sensor to estimate vegetation indices, and it was interesting to see the variation between projects from different groups. The practical knowledge and hands-on experience I gained in this class have been useful throughout my graduate career.” Sam Carroll, BAEG major, Fall 2023 |
| “The Advanced Precision Agriculture class was a stimulating and intellectually satisfying experience that combined practical discussion and academic study. One of the most beneficial components of the course was the student-led analysis of scientific articles that were closely related to personal research interests. This approach promoted critical thinking and introduced me to a variety of precision agriculture methodologies, including remote sensing, spatial data analysis, and machine learning applications. Through these exchanges, I got a knowledge of the technical approaches while also being acutely aware of current research gaps and limits. These insights were especially useful as many of us aimed to publish our own research articles, with the course acting as a catalyst for improving our study designs, research questions, and academic writing.” Akwasi Tagoe, ASTM major, Fall 2024 |
| “The Advanced Precision Agriculture course was an eye-opening experience that went far beyond traditional classroom learning. Through engaging literature discussions, practical field insights, and real-world grant writing practice, I gained a deep understanding of the latest research and innovations in precision agriculture. The collaborative atmosphere fostered meaningful conversations and helped me build skills directly relevant to my academic and professional goals. Highly recommended for any graduate student passionate about agricultural technology and research.” Md Nurul Azmir, BAEG major, Fall 2025 |
| “The Advance Precision Agriculture class is a wonderful and insightful class. It was nice to learn about other people’s research as well as discuss the progressive nature of my own, while getting insights and ideas from classmates. The course outline was thorough, and the class pushed me to review a lot of articles from different journals.” Samuel Olaoni, FDSC major, Fall 2024 |
| “Dr. Koparan’s Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture class is a great introduction to the sensors and controllers commonly used in agriculture. As someone with a more oriented business background, the class was a great introduction to both the theories and practical uses, but also to have hands on learning experiences with sensor wiring and basic controller programming.” Austin Fruge, ASTM major, Fall 2024 |
| “Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture course is truly eye opening! For this class, I was able to explore circuit design, sensor selection and calibration, and the hands-on implementation of various sensors with the systematic framework. Every topic is reinforced through practical work: from breadboard prototyping and single board microcontroller programming to data acquisition and real-time feedback control. Team projects simulate real-world engineering workflows, teaching us how to coordinate instruments and understand the details that make control systems reliable. Beyond sharpening my ability to integrate hardware and software across disciplines, the course greatly deepened my understanding of how automation can be applied in agriculture. If you want to get the foundation in sensors and controls, you simply can’t miss this class!” Yihong Feng, BAEG major, Fall 2023 |
| “I really enjoyed the Precision Agriculture Science and Technology class—it was practical, interesting, and gave me a better understanding of how technology is changing farming. We learned about GPS, soil analysis, and different ag-related apps, but what I found most exciting was seeing how robotics and remote sensors can actually help farmers work smarter. It made me realize how important tech is for the future of agriculture, and I’m glad I took this course.” Fatameh Taghvaei, BAEG major, Spring 2025 |
| “One of the most enjoyable and fulfilling classes I’ve ever taken was capstone project drone building class Unmanned Vehicles in Precision Agriculture. The way the course was presented made things that initially looked difficult, like creating and customizing drones, unexpectedly simple and fun. I really enjoyed developing a subsystem to measure plant height using RP Lidar because it meaningfully connected everything. To be honest, this course is well worth the investment if you enjoy interactive learning and cutting-edge technology!” Chaitanya Kumar Reddy Pallerla, BAEG major, Spring 2025 |
| “Capstone Unmanned Vehicles in Precision Agriculture class takes you from a single screw to a fully functional drone capable of autonomous missions. We choose the airframe, balance power and batteries, configure the flight control firmware, integrate sensors such as GPS and IMU, plan missions, and set up ground station communications with developing sound engineering judgment and hands-on skill at every step. The course also covers airspace regulations, safety testing, and real research applications such as agricultural remote sensing and environmental monitoring, showing how UAVs move from the lab to real world science and industry. If you’re eager to fuse creativity with UAV technology and tackle real world problems from the sky, this class is the perfect option for you.” Yihong Feng, BAEG major, Fall 2024 |
| “Dr. Koparan’s Precision Agriculture course gives students a fascinating overview of the real-world applications of GPS, GIS, sensors and other technologies in the agricultural industry. The course looks at how precision ag data is gathered and how to process it into actionable insights by leveraging ArcGIS Pro software. If you have an interest in emerging technologies and how they can make agriculture more efficient, this class is for you!” Natalee Frensley, CSES major, Spring 2025 |
Invited Guest Lecturers:
- Dr. Dongyi Wang, Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture, “Sensors and Basics of Measurements”, November 14, 2023.
- Dr. Jason Davis, Precision Agriculture Science and Technology, “UAV applications in Agriculture”, March 20, 2024.
- Dr. Ramesh Bahadur Bist, Capstone: Unmanned Vehicles in Precision Agriculture, “Object Detection applications in Agriculture and Poultry Science”, April 21, 2024.
- Dr. Ramesh Bahadur Bist, Precision Agriculture Science and Technology, “Object Detection applications in Agriculture and Poultry Science”, April 23, 2024.
- Dr. Jason Davis, Precision Agriculture Science and Technology, “UAV applications in Agriculture”, April 9, 2025.
- Dr. Matt Bertucci, Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture, “Integrated Weed Management: Combining Strategies”, November 5, 2024.
- Dr. Aurelie Poncet, Precision Agriculture Science and Technology, “Spectral Sensors in Precision Agriculture”, April 17, 2025.
- Dr. Beatriz Moreno Garcia, Precision Agriculture Science and Technology, “Sustainable Rice Production in Arkansas: Field Experiments” – April 2, 2025.
- Dr. Matt Bertucci, Sensors and Controls in Precision Agriculture, “Integrated Weed Management: Combining Strategies”, October 5, 2023.
Guest Lecturers Given:
- Instrumentation and Control – BENG 3113 – “Unmanned Vehicles in Agriculture” – April 19, 2023.
- Precision Agriculture for Crops – CSES 3703 – “Unmanned Vehicles in Agriculture” – January 30, 2024.