CultiWise autonomous crop monitoring system “ScoutAI” recognized as future-farming innovation

By integrating what were previously standalone sensor tools, ScoutAI is automating not only crop surveillance but also key field decisions. Traditional field scouting methods rely on manual observation and take time to reveal emerging issues. Whereas ScoutAI identifies problems earlier, enabling proactive, targeted interventions before they escalate.

Precise, needs-based applications deliver substantial resource efficiencies, yielding measurable benefits, including up to 50 percent reduction in fertilizer, herbicide and water use, and more than 60 percent savings in pesticide volumes. At the same time, automated detection and machine-ready prescriptions reduce scouting time and labor giving farmers virtual eyes across every hectare and the peace of mind that every field is under constant watch and control.

From stand-alone sensors to fully integrated field intelligence

ScoutAI connects tools that were never designed to work together. Unlike most digital tools — such as drone data, sprayer logs, and weather apps which often operate in isolation and therefore lack interoperability, decision-making platforms typically rely on single data sources and are tied to specific brands. Farmers therefore contend with a mix of incompatible tools.

ScoutAI works similar to a smart security system for the farm only instead of guarding buildings, it protects crops. Trained to detect suspicious changes, like bare patches and weed growth, AI models continuously scan daily satellite images of the crop. To verify initial findings, ScoutAI automatically triggers farm drones  stationed in smart docking hubs around the farm to take off and investigate up close.

The drones capture high-resolution images, even zooming in on individual leaves, and use onboard AI to analyze the footage in real time during flight. In turn, cameras mounted on the sprayer boom provide live in-field context, with onboard processors checking crop conditions on the go. Meanwhile, in-crop sensors contribute by monitoring temperature, humidity, and pest outbreaks.

Data collected from the diverse sources is combined by the cloud-based CultiWise platform, which then recommends to the farmer corrective options, including prescription maps for variable and targeted treatments like spot spraying. The overall result is presented within minutes in a single, easy-to-read dashboard.

“Instead of manually piecing together data from multiple sensor systems, the farmer is presented with clear overview and machine-ready prescription maps, which can be transmitted directly to compatible field equipment.

“For the farmer, it’s like having a team of scouts working around the clock, flagging issues before they spread, and pinpointing exactly where and how to treat. This frees up valuable time for farmers to focus on higher-value decisions,” says Kornel Cziria, Chief Technology Officer, Skymaps.

Development and Global Adaptability

With a potential launch in five years, ScoutAI is currently under development by a team of 30 software and hardware engineers. More than 15 different sensor systems from 10 common brands are being tested, including automatic battery changes for drones and smart drone docking stations.

Several large-scale farms are taking part in the pilot phase. “The initial feedback is promising. Farmers clearly value the ability to understand their field conditions from multiple angles and compare them in real time. That process is time-consuming and relies on the farmer’s experience,” adds Cziria.

ScoutAI’s intelligence is built on globally trained AI models that learn from satellite, drone, and sprayer imagery across diverse regions and crop types, making it suitable for farms of all sizes.

As a modular platform, CultiWise ScoutAI can be tailored to any production system worldwide or equipment brand — eliminating vendor lock-in.

“ScoutAI is a textbook example of sensor fusion. The process collects and processes data from multiple sensor systems that observe the same field conditions but from different angles. This fusion of diverse data streams delivers a far more reliable and nuanced understanding of crop health than any single sensor could ever provide,” adds Cziria.

ScoutAI builds on the CultiWise cloud platform, including Zoneye, which was launched in September this year  an AI model that can detect 37 weed species with centimetre-level precision, even in green-on-green conditions.

Zoneye and ScoutAI will be presented at Agritechnica 2025, 9 –15 November, at the CultiWise stand in Hall 9, Stand H35.

About Skymaps

Skymaps was founded in 2016 by a group of visionary university IT students to offer farmers improved crop protection and crop health. The startup company developed its CultiWise cloud-based software that has been designed to offer targeted and variable application of pesticides that enable cost savings and higher yields. The CultiWise software platform today counts more than 1,000 subscribers and offers prescription maps for drone-to-tractor spot spray, AI weed detection, green-on-green spot spray, as well as the new feature added in 2025: drone camera images for the variable application of fungicide, fertilizer and growth regulators. Operating world-wide, local support is available at distributors in 15 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania Slovakia, Sweden, the UK and the US. CultiWise is recommended by several machinery manufacturers, including Amazone.

www.cultiwise.com

Media contact:

Martin Kapšo

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