Since mid-2021, Spectro-AG has been an official partner of two clusters: TValley, the technology platform of East Netherlands and Space53, the drone innovation cluster located at Technology Base. Spectro-AG develops automated software and hardware solutions that use artificial intelligence (AI). Based on images from robots, drones and satellites, they are able to remotely collect detailed information about, for example, plant health or the water condition. Their technologies are based on light reflection, also known as spectral imaging. The images consist of 3 (RGB) up to more than 1000 different layers (multispectral and hyperspectral). Every layer shows us specific information about the imaged object. Spectro-AG delivers complete, customer-based systems which are usable without any knowledge of AI and remote sensing. Their AI algorithms process the image data that are collected from the sky and space.
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FOUNDED IN 2019
Spectro-AG arose from a chance meeting between Hamed Mehdipoor, then still working for the University of Twente, and Roger Borre, co-owner Robor Electronics. Hamed was looking for a location to test whether his algorithms and sensors are able to remotely collect data about plants. Roger offered him a test facility. And so it happened: Spectro-AG was founded in 2019. Since then Hamed has been co-owner and director of this innovative company. Nowadays the team consists of 10 employees and interns. The expertise ranges from software developer to AI engineer and remote sensing expert. Hamed explains: “We have an energetic team, partly because we have a very young team and we like to work with talented students who are eager to learn in practice. When their internship is over, these students often continue to work for us part-time or, once they have graduated, they continue to work for us full-time”.
Photo: Wouter Borre
CUSTOMER ORIENTED APPROACH
Hamed: “We search, not research, and develop automated AI-based solutions, both hardware as software. These solutions use robots, drone and satellite image drone 3 (RGB) to more than 1000 spectral bands, multispectral and hyperspectral. We automate the solution in a way that users, from the industry of academia, who don’t have expertise in AI and remote sensing can take advantage of this technology.” The latter characterizes Spectro-AG’s services and is clearly visible in their vision which includes their goal to solve ‘real problems’ in order to improve the quality of life of humanity, animals and plants. For example, their technology is used to remotely detect diseased palm trees to prevent further spread of the disease or to carry out precision farming to reduce the use of unnecessary pesticides.
COLLABORATION
Why did Spectro-AG choose to become a partner of TValley and Space53? Hamed replied: “Beside the development facilities that TValley and Space53 provide for our young company, they connect us to a strong network consisting of innovative technology companies, knowledge institutions and experts. We believe that this kind of support will help our company to grow and participate in new projects. We are actively looking for new collaborations. Next year we will organize for example a Labelling Party, together with TValley, to show a win-win collaboration between companies and universities.”
Spectro-AG believes that artificial intelligence only really comes into its own when the technology is connected to a field of application. TValley and Space53 are the linking pins in this process. Their network consisting of companies, knowledge institutions and governmental organizations accelerate new valuable collaborations, innovation projects and technology development.
