The Root and Shoot Phenotyping System for Laboratories
The PhenoAIxpert product family combines powerful analytical software with a range of hardware options. Thereby it enables reproducible and standardizable results in plant research, breeding, product development, quality assessment, and beyond.
Features
Application examples
Root Phenotyping
Using the PhenoAIxpert Root, traits of soil-grown roots in rhizotrons can be measured. Root properties like root lenght, root density, or root system lenght and width can be assessed.
Software Suite
The PhenoAIxpert Pro Root is delivered with a comprehensive software package. The software enables the users to provide sample information and control cameras and lights. After imaging all data are stored and accessible for image and data processing.
LemnaControl is the interface with which users operate the system. With LemnaControl, users carry out all settings that are required for image recording with the system. In particular, this comprises settings for the camera(s) and lights included in the system. All settings can be combined and scheduled to configure recordings. The available functions are tailored to the corresponding hardware. Each hardware system delivered by LemnaTec comes with its own control software adapted for the functions of that system.
The LemnaGrid software module uses an intuitive graphical programming environment, which allows for easy integration of different image analysis algorithms. LemnaGrid phenotyping software offers high flexibility for user programming. The image processing workflow extracts desired properties/features from the original image and stores results in a dedicated storage system. LemnaGrid can include functions of state-of-the-art machine learning tools, next to standard image analysis to detect and extract features of interest. Guided by the LemnaGrid graphical user interface, users can build their own analytical workflows with pre-defined devices.
Analysis devices include:
All devices – graphically represented by boxes – can be combined on a interface by aligning the boxes to workflows. Along such workflows, each function can provide insights in the progress of the analysis by feeding out an intermediate image. Image processing workflows can include branches and parallel paths that combine to a final result. LemnaExperiment serves to manage experiments and measurements, and to schedule and run analyses. Moreover, it enables viewing, visualizing, and exporting results. It provides capabilities to access and browse through recorded images and to display metadata for samples and measurements. As core function, LemnaExperiment selects recordings for analysis and assigns an image analysis pipeline –written in LemnaGrid or in Lemna3D – to a given set of recordings. After assignment, the analyses are run in the background by the Analysis Executor. Parameters of interest can be selected in LemnaExperiment so that they are displayed in the analysis output.
Imaging and Lighting Options
Standard RGB imaging for shoot and root (PhenoAIxpert Pro Root)
Shoot imaging: Multispectral and fluorescence imaging options (PhenoAIxpert Pro Root Multispectral)
Multispectral and fluorescence imaging is available for shoot imaging using multi-channel LED panels combined with a dedicated camera and filter system. Multispectral imaging can be implemented for top-view, side-view, or both views.
In a typical setup, the LED array consists of UV, blue, green, yellow, red, deep red, far red and near-infrared wavelength LEDs. Thereby, an advanced analysis of the red edge is enabled as different images in the red range are provided and can be used for ratio calculation. The filter wheel enables filtering for reflectance or fluorescence, e.g. in the chlorophyll fluorescence range.
Multi-channel LED illumination combined with filters enables various imaging settings
Multispectral imaging example with intact leaf (left) dead dry leaf (right) and stress-damaged leaf (bottom)
Combined RGB channels
Red, green, and blue channel imaging – color-coded visualization of reflectance
Combining red and infrared image (color-coded visualization of reflectance) to NDVI image (greyscale intensity of NDVI values: light-grey high NDVI, dark-grey low NDVI)
PhenoAIxpert Pro Root Hardware Options
PhenoAIxpert Pro
PhenoAIxpert Pro Root (Standard or Multispectral)
PhenoAIxpert Pro Root Multiview (Standard or Multispectral)
Optional Accessories
Future features
We bought a LemnaTec LabScanalyzer (the predecessor of PhenoAIxpert) in July 2018. The instrument was delivered to us and installed remotely by a Lemnatec technician that instructed us about the use of the instrument. We were happy about the service: very good communication and excellent instrument set-up. The Lemnatec LabScanalyzer works nicely and is even more user-friendly than we expected. Almost no training of new users is needed. We hope to expand the uses of the instrument to obtain additional phenotyping options in the future, by interacting with LemnaTec.
LemnaTec Product Matrix
LemnaTec offers imaging and image processing technologies for several applications that suit for low to high throughput in laboratory, greenhouse or outdoor environments. Technologies are adapted to various sample types and can be combined with automation. All imaging systems are combined with dedicated image processing software, including user-programmable functions and machine learning.
