Devlog #2
From an idea to a scientific foundation
After publishing my first devlog, I realized something important.
Before building the rover or writing any AI, I first needed to answer a much bigger question:
Which microorganisms actually improve soil health, and under what conditions do they thrive?
Instead of immediately ordering components or designing hardware, I decided to spend this week building the scientific foundation of MycoRover.
I started creating a microorganism database that will eventually become the knowledge base for the AI recommendation system. Rather than trying to include every beneficial microorganism, I chose to focus on a carefully selected set that are well studied and commonly used in sustainable agriculture.
For each microorganism, I’m documenting:

Its category and primary function

Which nutrient it helps improve (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, or Potassium)

Suitable crops

Preferred soil pH

Moisture requirements

Temperature range

Electrical conductivity (EC) preferences

Whether the rover can realistically create or maintain those conditions

Scientific references supporting the information

So far, I’ve researched and documented the first five microorganisms. While doing this, I also realized that the rover shouldn’t “add nutrients” directly. Instead, its main responsibility should be to create favorable environmental conditions that allow beneficial microorganisms to establish themselves and naturally improve soil health.
This research phase has already changed how I think about the project. Originally, I imagined the AI would simply predict which microorganism to use. Now I’m designing it as a recommendation system built on scientific evidence, making every recommendation explainable and backed by research.
I also spent around 1 hour or so ,researching soil microbiology, reading scientific literature, and organizing the database that will later power the AI.
The next milestone is to complete the microorganism database, validate each entry using reliable scientific sources, and begin designing the recommendation engine that will connect the soil testing machine to the autonomous rover.