The rhizodynamics robot: Automated imaging system for studying long-term dynamic root growth
Published in PLOS ONE, 2023
We designed and implemented the Generating Rhizodynamic Observations Over Time (GROOT) robot, an automated, high-throughput imaging system that enables time-lapse imaging of 90 containers of plants and their roots growing in a clear gel medium over the duration of weeks to months. The system uses low-cost, widely available materials. As a proof of concept, we employed GROOT to collect images of root growth of Oryza sativa, Hudsonia montana, and multiple species of orchids including Platanthera integrilabia over six months. Beyond imaging plant roots, our system is highly customizable and can be used to collect time- lapse image data of different container sizes and configurations regardless of what is being imaged, making it applicable to many fields that require longitudinal time-lapse recording.
Recommended citation: Rajanala A, Taylor IW, McCaskey E, Pierce C, Ligon J, et al. (2023) The rhizodynamics robot: Automated imaging system for studying long-term dynamic root growth. PLOS ONE 18(12): e0295823. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295823
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