"RootCam"
At Ben-Gurion University
Developing "RootCam" for repeated, non-destructive imaging of plant roots at Ben-Gurion University
Client: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Primary location: Sde Boker, Israel
Application: Root phenotyping and plant research
System: Automated in-situ root imaging system
Project Summary
Studying roots presents a fundamental research challenge: most of the root system is hidden underground, while many traditional observation methods require disturbing or excavating the plant. Ben-Gurion University needed a way to repeatedly image roots growing in soil and follow their development over time. CrystalVision developed RootCam from the ground up as an automated minirhizotron imaging system, combining precision motion, high-resolution imaging, controlled lighting, electronics and dedicated acquisition software. Since its initial development, RootCam has been used across multiple research programs, primarily at BGU's Sde Boker research facilities. As new research requirements emerged, the system was expanded with additional imaging and motion capabilities.
The Challenge - Repeatable Imaging Below Ground
Minirhizotron research uses a transparent observation tube installed permanently in the root zone. Roots grow alongside the tube, allowing a camera to return to the same underground locations repeatedly without excavating the plant. This makes it possible to follow individual roots and changes in root distribution over time. The challenge is acquiring those images consistently. Underground images are affected by soil texture, moisture, low contrast, scratches and water droplets on the tube. Conventional systems may also require an operator to manually position the camera at each depth, making repeated image acquisition slow and less consistent. CrystalVision's objective was to automate this process and create a system capable of returning the camera to controlled positions while maintaining consistent imaging conditions.
Developing RootCam
CrystalVision developed the complete RootCam system, including the mechanical structure, motion system, electronics, lighting and acquisition software. A transparent observation tube approximately 1 meter long and 60 mm in external diameter is installed vertically in the soil. RootCam is inserted into the tube whenever an imaging session is required. Inside the device, a camera moves automatically along a precision rail. The current system uses a 2592 x 1944 pixel camera, with approximately 0.01 mm spatial resolution / 2500 DPI, and can acquire images at 20 mm intervals along the observation tube. Integrated LED lighting provides controlled illumination during image acquisition. Instead of manually positioning the camera for every image, the motion and acquisition sequence is managed by the RootCam software.
Following the Same Root Zone Over Time
Because the observation tube remains permanently in the soil, the same locations can be scanned repeatedly throughout an experiment. Each imaging session produces an ordered sequence of images corresponding to defined positions along the soil profile. The system can also associate images with information such as depth, rotational position and acquisition time. This allows researchers to compare the same underground areas at different stages of an experiment rather than relying on a single destructive observation. The same RootCam can also be moved between multiple installed observation tubes, making it possible to monitor larger experiments without requiring a camera to remain permanently inside every tube.
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Expanding the Imaging Capabilities
RootCam began as an automated system for moving a camera vertically through the observation tube and acquiring a repeatable image sequence. As the research developed, additional capabilities were added to the instrument. The camera mechanism was expanded to support rotational as well as vertical movement, allowing different areas around the circumference of the observation tube to be recorded. The imaging system also supports controlled overlap between adjacent images and highly precise movements between acquisitions. These capabilities led to the development of Multi-Image RootCam, an extension designed to acquire multiple overlapping views of the same underground root area. Those controlled image shifts can support advanced imaging methods such as multi-image super-resolution. In this way, the instrument has continued to evolve as new experimental imaging requirements have emerged.
Improving Image Acquisition Underground
Image quality is particularly important in root research because the visual environment is difficult: roots may have little contrast against the surrounding soil, while moisture and artifacts on the observation tube can obscure fine structures. A published study comparing an automated RootCam system with a conventional manually operated minirhizotron reported that the automated system provided higher image resolution, a larger observation area and better illumination. The study also found that inconsistent illumination and lower resolution in the manual system made some roots more difficult to distinguish from the surrounding soil. This highlights an important part of the RootCam design: repeatable motion, optics and controlled illumination are all part of the measurement system.
Supporting Advanced Root Research
RootCam has been used as the image-acquisition platform in several areas of published root research. Images collected using the system have supported work on automated root-length estimation, including datasets covering multiple crop species and different environmental stresses. RootCam datasets have also been used for root-hair visualization and counting, where the quality of underground images is particularly important because of the very small structures being analyzed. More recent research uses Multi-Image RootCam to acquire overlapping underground images for multi-image super-resolution and detailed root-trait analysis. Across these applications, RootCam provides the controlled and repeatable image acquisition required for subsequent analysis.
From Prototype to Research Instrument
The collaboration with BGU has extended well beyond the development of a single prototype. Multiple RootCam systems have been supplied over the years and used across several research programs, primarily at Sde Boker. Continued experimental use has also driven the development of new versions and capabilities. The system progressed from automated linear scanning to rotational and multi-image acquisition, enabling researchers to use the same basic platform for increasingly detailed imaging tasks. That progression is an important part of the project: RootCam became a practical research instrument rather than a one-time engineering prototype.
The Result
RootCam gives researchers a practical way to repeatedly observe plant roots in situ, at controlled positions and depths, without excavating the root system. The project combines precision mechanics, motion control, optics and lighting, electronics, embedded computing and custom software in a compact research instrument. Multiple systems are now used in experimental research, while images acquired by RootCam have supported published work in root phenotyping, automated measurement, root-hair analysis and advanced imaging.
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