Skip to main content Skip to navigation

CPAAS

Our Mission

Our mission is to develop a world preeminent and Washington relevant research and educational program in the areas of agricultural automation and precision farming, providing a venue for:

(1) High impact research outcomes for our stakeholders
(2) True trans-disciplinary collaboration within Washington State University and world-wide stake-holders
(3) High quality educational and research experiences for our students
(4) The incubation and development of new ideas relevant in an entrepreneurial climate

CPAAS at a Glance

THE CENTER FOR PRECISION & AUTOMATED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS (CPAAS) was designed to offer a trans-disciplinary framework for precision/smart agriculture and automation efforts at Washington State University. To create a critical mass of expertise, CPAAS has three core faculty:

  • Dr. Qin Zhang, expertise in the area of mechatronics and automation,
  • Dr. Manoj Karkee, expertise in the areas of machine vision and agricultural robotics,
  • Dr. Lav Khot, expertise in the areas of precision/smart agriculture (ground and aerial crop sensing, data to decision support, and variable rate technology development).

To expand our reach to meet the needs of agriculture in Washington State and beyond, CPAAS has also recruited a diverse group of faculty affiliates from WSU Tri Cities and Pullman campuses including researchers from:

  • Department of Biological Systems Engineering
  • Department of Crop & Soil Sciences
  • Department of Horticulture
  • WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center
  • School of Economic Sciences
  • School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
  • School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
  • School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering
  • WSU Extension

All our affiliated faculty have met for brainstorming and team building events throughout the year to style joint philosophical intents into a few strategically well planned actions, to respond to calls for proposals, and to plan stakeholder events. With longtime external collaborators, CPAAS has succeeded in establishing international joint centers and student/visiting scholar agreements that have extended our research efforts across the globe and has given WSU CPAAS worldwide recognition.