We started our day around 9:00 today by heading to Utrecht, which is the city that Sophia is from. Once we arrived at Utrecht, we met with Sophia who brought us to Aurea Imaging. Aurea is a company that specializes in precision agriculture, which involves drone imaging and data processing for farming. I found this company super interesting, since data analytics is something I am interested in studying, and smart farming is very relevant in the field of bioengineering.

When we first arrived at Aurea, we were given a presentation by our guide, which I found very interesting. His presentation talked quite a bit about how their work is integral in making the supply chain more efficient and sustainable. Essentially, Aurea Imaging scans farms from above using drones, and then analyzes the data collected in order to send the results to the farmers. These results can then be used to tend to specific areas of the farm rather than the farm as a whole. For example, if some areas require pesticides but not all, the data collected can be sent to a spraying machine, which will then only spray the specific trees that require the pesticide. This would greatly reduce pesticide waste, therefore making this a sustainable technology. It would also increase crop yield for farmers, which would in turn be beneficial for those later in the supply chain which need those crops.

After the presentation, our guide gave us a tour of the building. I found the work environment of Aurea to be very different than what I am used to seeing in the US. There were a lot of unique designs within the building, such as a desk with swing-type chairs hanging from the ceiling, and a rock wall next to the kitchen. Also, their gym looked nicer than most gyms I have ever been to, which must be really nice (I am very jealous). We ended our time at Aurea by having some very delicious lunch. We then hade a tour of Utrecht, guided by Sophia, before eventually heading back to the Generator for the day.