Lili Yao

Wageningen University & Research, Nanjing Agricultural University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Lili Yao is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of agricultural robotics and plant phenomics, specializing in the development of intelligent monitoring systems for precision agriculture. Her work addresses the critical challenge of high-throughput, automated acquisition of plant eco-phenotypic data—information essential for optimizing crop management, pest control, and water/fertilizer strategies. Yao’s most influential paper, “Recent developments and potential of robotics in plant eco-phenotyping” (2021, 31 citations), provides a comprehensive framework for integrating robotic platforms into field-based phenotyping, establishing her as a thought leader in this emerging field. She further demonstrates practical innovation with her design of a wheeled crop-growth-monitoring robot chassis (2023, 7 citations), which overcomes the limitations of expensive, ill-adapted commercial platforms by creating a cost-effective, field-ready solution. This work directly supports plant breeders and physiologists by enabling real-time, detailed insights into crop health and growth dynamics. Yao’s contributions are vital for advancing sustainable agriculture, bridging the gap between robotics engineering and plant science to deliver actionable data for precision farming.