ECE Seminar: Advanced Sensing and AI Technologies for Food Safety and Precision Agriculture

Presenter: Hamid Jafarbiglu, Agricultural Technology Evaluator, Big Idea Ventures

Description: California agriculture is increasingly adopting organic and regenerative production systems, creating a growing need for technologies capable of monitoring complex agricultural environments, assessing food safety risks, and supporting data-driven management decisions. Emerging tools such as drones, hyperspectral scanning, environmental sensors, and artificial intelligence provide new opportunities for continues field-scale monitoring, risk detection, and precision management while supporting sustainable agricultural practices. This talk highlights several applied research projects focused on the use of drone-based sensing, spatio-spectral responses, soil and environmental sensors, and machine learning approaches to address real- world challenges in specialty crop production. These projects demonstrate how sensing technologies and advanced analytics can improve field-scale monitoring, continuous risk assessment, early detection, and suitability in food production. Building on these experiences, future research directions will focus on the intersection of food safety, organic and regenerative agriculture, and precision agricultural technologies.

Bio: Hamid Jafarbiglu is a researcher specializing in remote sensing, spectral analysis, and machine learning for agricultural systems. His work focuses on enhancing food safety, crop monitoring, and precision decision-making in high-value specialty crops.

Dr. Jafarbiglu earned his Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of California, Davis, following six years of intensive field research. His expertise integrates drone-based remote sensing, hyperspectral imaging, and AI to identify crop stress, pest/disease outbreaks, and nutrient deficiencies at their earliest stages.

During his tenure at the UC Davis Digital Agriculture Lab, Dr. Jafarbiglu’s doctoral and postdoctoral research resolved critical limitations in aerial spectral measurements. This work led to superior accuracy in drone-based sensing under variable field conditions and the development of scalable image-processing pipelines and digital orchard models for deep learning applications.
Beyond research, Dr. Jafarbiglu is an experienced extension professional. He has delivered hands-on training in drone operations and geospatial analysis to growers, researchers, and industry stakeholders, bridging the gap between data-driven innovation and real-world adoption.

His background also extends to the commercial sector; as an Agricultural Technology Evaluator with Big Idea Ventures, he conducted technical and market assessments for agri-food innovations, including early-stage bio-based products. Today, Dr. Jafarbiglu’s work continues to advance the integration of AI and remote sensing to foster sustainable, regenerative farming and robust food systems across California and beyond.

Hosted by: Professor Marco Rolandi, ECE Department

Zoom Link: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/96727838511?pwd=1Qzl9HTV3G2BxaSEG8GeKOPZVu2NWj.1