Research brings practical gains for everyday farming.

Ben Khemis, a PhD candidate originally from South Sudan and a graduate of Makerere University, is developing technology that could make farming more efficient by improving how they communicate with sensors. Farms often have hundreds of sensors scattered across large areas, but not all signals are strong or reliable. Khemis’s approach helps drones prioritise clear, strong connections, ensuring that the data collected is accurate and complete. This reduces the chances of missing important information due to weak signals.

His research also takes into account real-world challenges such as weather changes, uneven terrain and the placement of sensors. His work will offer farmers practical solutions like faster and more reliable data collection. This means that they can quickly detect problems like dry soil, pests or crop disease. This allows for timely action, whether irrigating, spraying or adjusting fertiliser use, saving both time and money. The technology could also reduce the need for manual field inspections, cutting labour costs and making it easier to manage large farms. Although still in progress, Khemis’s work points to a future where drones become everyday tools in agriculture, helping farmers make smarter decisions and improve yields with less effort.