WED AM News: UW-Stout research project combining robotics and AI for farming applications; UW-Green Bay rolls out new software degree program with AI focus

July 23, 2025

— A UW-Stout research project is combining automated robotics and AI for agricultural applications, in hopes of saving time and effort for farmers.

The effort is supported with a two-year, $175,000 Universities of Wisconsin Innovation Grant, funding work led by UW-Stout engineering Prof. Yuan Xing and applied social science Program Director Tina Lee.

As part of the project, researchers deployed an autonomous robot called the Amiga at Pondview Lavender Farm near Chippewa Falls. The specialty crop farm is owned by UW-Stout operations and management lecturer Bob Sworski.

The Amiga robot, built by California company Farm-ng, is an all-terrain “micro-tractor” that can be used in any weather for various farming purposes, according to the university. That includes pest and disease control, weeding and harvesting, and capturing images and other data. It can also hold up to 1,000 pounds, which Xing notes can save “a significant amount of labor” for farmers.

UW-Stout students Aaron Post and Jake See are playing a role in the project, which aims to create a fully automatic system with specially designed AI “brain” for piloting the robot on the farm. Xing says the configuration process for that application is ongoing, but could lead to researchers “activating the fully automatic self-driving and vision inspection function” at Pondview Lavender Farm.

See, an applied mathematics and computer science major from Singapore, is Xing’s research assistant. In the university’s release, he says he’s hopeful this new AI application will help farmers produce better crops more efficiently.

While sensors that collect soil and weather data can inform farmers’ decisions about planting and harvesting, image analysis can identify diseases in crops and improve livestock monitoring, See said.

“Robotic automation can make the planting or harvesting process easier, allowing farmers to reallocate time and labor to other efforts, such as expanding their farms or other elements of their business,” he said.

Also as part of the research project, Lee is leading a team at a River Falls livestock farm that plans to install livestock sensors and develop an AI monitoring system.

See more in the release.

— UW-Green Bay has rolled out a new bachelor’s degree program in software engineering, emphasizing the need for more expertise in AI and other technologies.

The university’s announcement says students will gain expertise in software design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance, noting a “special emphasis” on integrating AI. It references the role of industry partnerships in the program, including with Green Bay venture capital firm Titletown Tech.

The new degree program comes as software jobs are projected to grow by 25% from 2022 to 2023, the release notes.

UW-Green Bay Associate Professor Golam Mushih Tanimul Ahsan calls the program a “launchpad for students to become creators, innovators and leaders” in the evolving tech field.

“The program immerses students at the forefront of technology, analyzing problems to create solutions that don’t exist yet,” he said in a statement.

See the release.

— The head of WEDC says the agency is putting a new focus on distinguishing between startups and traditional businesses as it seeks to support companies in both categories.

Speaking yesterday during a meeting of the board of directors for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes shared details about evolving strategies for fiscal year 2026. She said the agency will be directing resources toward entrepreneurs that aim to grow their business in the state and create jobs.

“We want to focus on those entrepreneurs in the way they need to be focused on,” she said. “At the same time, we want to focus on our traditional businesses … this year, I think for the first time, we’re making a very clear distinction between those two types of businesses.”

Hughes said this new approach will help the agency improve how it communicates with different companies and provide resources that better fit their circumstances.

“Rather than, in the past it’s kind of been like, well everybody’s an entrepreneur, and everybody’s trying to start a business,” she said. “But the truth is, they have very different needs and so we’re going to focus on that as clearly as we can, and it’s a real priority for us this year.”

Meanwhile, WEDC leadership is keeping a close eye on the national landscape amid economic uncertainty and “tariffs back on the table,” Hughes said, pointing to questions about confidence in the U.S. economy.

“We’re trying to determine, you know, what are the best indicators … what can we look at as far as consumer confidence, as far as how retailers or restaurants are doing, so we can see what’s coming towards us,” she said. “And we can, you know, think about what can we do differently and be prepared for that.”

Watch a video of the meeting at WisconsinEye.

— Gov. Tony Evers is again urging the Trump administration against cuts to U.S. Forest Service programs, warning the combination of reduced funding and staffing will be “devastating” for states like Wisconsin.

Evers in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins noted the U.S. Forest Service warned the state to expect less funding from the Urban and Community Forestry grant program, “presumably to cover the cost of terminating dedicated federal workers.”

“It is untenable to expect Wisconsinites to take on the additional workload caused by cuts to the federal workforce while also gutting the investments necessary to support that effort,” Evers wrote. “Using the very funds that are being eliminated to compensate for the workforce reduction undermines the trust and commitment that this important work requires.”

The Dem guv said the cuts would put the $42 billion and 126,000 jobs the forestry industry contributes to Wisconsin’s economy at risk. The state currently receives more than $2 million annually from the U.S. Forest Service, according to Evers’ letter.

USDA has said eliminating State, Private and Tribal Forestry funds will “ensure fiscal responsibility with American taxpayer dollars” and “better balance the appropriate roles of federal and state governments.”

But Evers argued reducing the aid is “detrimental to Wisconsin’s forests, impacting programs required to maintain healthy forests and protect the forestry industry.”

See more at WisPolitics.

— Attorney General Josh Kaul joined his 26th lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration over new restrictions on health, education and social service programs.

The Trump administration has issued new restrictions on safety net programs like Head Start, Title IX family planning, adult education, mental health care and community health centers. These programs now might have to verify the immigration status of those they serve, with the risk of federal funding cuts.

The state Department of Justice says the new federal restrictions jeopardize more than $43 million in annual substance abuse and community mental health block grants going toward services in all 72 Wisconsin counties, 11 tribal nations and about 50 nonprofits.

“These changes threaten to put out of reach access to health care services and programs that help create opportunities for Wisconsinites,” Kaul said in a release. “The restrictions will damage the effectiveness of important programs and should be enjoined.”

Kaul said this is hurting programs that don’t have the infrastructure to immediately implement a new verification process. He said this is leaving programs at risk of losing key federal funding.

That includes community health centers as well as “critical” mental health and substance use services, the release shows. DOJ notes some providers are concerned they won’t be able to adjust their operations and may have to close.

Kaul joined the lawsuit filed Monday along with 19 other states and the District of Columbia.

See more in the release.

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