iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 04/07/2026

Thanks! I now have Leafy working pretty well with a local Qwen 3.6, asr, and tts stack on a dgx spark. I think it works about as well as the cloud version included with the conversation app.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 29/06/2026

Meet Leafy 🌿 The newest member of the #GenesisMission. Built on Reachy Mini from Pollen Robotics and Hugging Face, Leafy is another step toward an experiment you can talk to. A physical avatar for a complete agentic stack for autonomous phenotyping. #Robotics

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Reposted by Larry M. York

International Society of Root Research @rootscientists.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

📅 SAVE THE DATE for the ISRR 13th International Symposium 12th - 17th September, 2027 In Beijing, China. Planning is underway and details will be shared when we have them.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 14/06/2026

I love primate science and human evolution though it's not my field - long time fascination. Is the consensus there than humans belong in the Pan genus?

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 14/04/2026

Ok I will test it. I'm planning to scale agentic systems to compare strategies and how they interact using our supercomputers. Including comparing local model brands and scales, dense vs Moe, etc

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 14/04/2026

So you mean... Like a Justice League? Led by the Bat? I'm in.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 14/04/2026

I guess maybe a couple agents form them and store in memory then continuously evaluate. Any tips?

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 13/04/2026

Exploring a “Dark Knight Agent” built to observe ruthlessly, test competing hypotheses, and guide experiments under uncertainty. A superhero-inspired detective for science. And bats. From noisy data → to system insight. lmyork.github.io/MVBOT1-Status/ #GenesisMission #AI #AutonomousLabs

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 27/03/2026

Do you know how to get your data AI-ready? Just upload to Zenodo.org with as good a description as you can muster and call it a day. Simply sharing has always been the most important part of open science. #GenesisMission #OpenScience

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 25/03/2026

Spent the past year preparing for the DOE Genesis Mission—upskilling in robotics and AI. Programmed robots first. Now shifting to teaching them. From controlled automation to adaptable, dynamic lab systems. #GenesisMission #LabAutomation

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 19/03/2026

A year ago I started with a cobot and block code. Now: a fully enclosed, safety-integrated, Python-driven autonomous lab system with imaging, custom hardware, and a full GUI. Next: streaming data, agents, and talking to the lab. The future of autonomous labs is open. #GenesisMission #OpenScience

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 17/03/2026

Good to know I hit on something sensible. My spec files are a collaboration with ChatGPT. I've led some software development but am not that strong a programmer. But thinking about systems, dependencies, and phasing? That I can do. With my team I bet we can build something pretty awesome with this!

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 16/03/2026

Trying something new: moving from AI-assisted coding toward agentic engineering. Before writing code, we defined: • instructions • target architecture • phased development plan The idea: give AI a clear blueprint instead of a blank page. #AIforScience #ScientificComputing #GenesisMission

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 05/03/2026

I would give you the full $1 billion 👍

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 25/02/2026

Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? - The Joker Sometimes it's nice to just watch.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 23/02/2026

Forced a collision in our plate imaging robot to demonstrate something more important than automation: safe failure and deterministic recovery. Autonomy only works if safety is engineered first. Agentic layer coming up. #AutonomousLabs #GenesisMission

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 21/02/2026

LLMs don’t actually use tools. They’re stateless: text in, text out. “Tool use” is orchestration — structured text that systems parse and execute in between. #AutonomousLabs #GenesisMission

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 12/02/2026

looks nice, I think that's a Plate Butler? I plan to release the full open hardware plans and software stack as a stand alone workcell that can be replicated for $15k USD

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 11/02/2026

Excited to share our first fully integrated prototype, safety-compliant robotic plate imaging workcell at ORNL—complete with enclosure, Banner SC10 controller, door interlocks, and protective stop with a uFactory xArm 5. #GenesisMission #AutonomousLabs #Robotics #OpenScience #LabAutomation

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 10/02/2026

One year ago I led an effort to standardize microbial imaging at work, procuring a colony doc it imager. We've demonstrated high reliability measures of microbial responses to minerals and to other species. Now, I've created an open-source robotic workcell to do the same. More soon!

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 09/02/2026

Excited to demo the first safety control system for our robotic workcell. As labs become more automated, it’s easy for safety to lag - getting it right early has been eye-opening. More to share soon as the COBOT Autonomous Lab continues to develop. #MachineSafety #AutonomousLabs #GenesisMission

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 28/09/2025

I've been working on this then it hit me. Is this RhizoVision Tron? With open hardware and software, we can accelerate root, soil, and microbiome research. First, we have to solve the segmentation challenge of roots on soil so everyone can do it. www.rhizovision.com

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 28/09/2025

Great idea! I'm in a different field but do image analysis. Zenodo.org is a good fit. Give every image a unique file name. Make a csv file where each row has the file name and columns for species, collection site, other info, then columns for the measurements. Separate file that defines columns.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 30/08/2025

I was asked to give that last minute. Thanks for staying! www.rhizovision.com is still kicking, new version coming out soon.

rhizovision.com

RhizoVision Explorer

Get ready for RhizoVision - see roots like never before

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Reposted by Larry M. York

Plant Phenomics @plantphenomics.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Studying root systems with germination papers offers high resolution but lacks natural conditions. Using FSPMs and RhizoVision, we analyzed Populus trichocarpa roots, finding thermal time correlation and varying 2D/3D accuracy. Details: spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/p…

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 28/08/2025

How did this go? We have a new Linux version of RhizoVision with a command line mode to call from Python scripts. Let me know if you think it'd be useful for your pipeline, hopefully we can share a beta version soon

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Reposted by Larry M. York

Botany One @botany.one · 20/09/2024

Advanced software, RhizoVision Explorer, analysed these images to extract detailed root architecture traits. The team also conducted genetic analysis using DarTSeq technology to identify DNA markers associated with root responses to phosphorus availability.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 05/08/2025

Do you have any information about the new model? I share my protocols as PDFs on zenodo.org which provides a DOI and the ability to track views and downloads. See phenotyper.com/datasets for examples

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 04/08/2025

I upgraded to M365 Copilot which integrated some LLM with all my office apps. Kinda neat, has potential but needs work. On the other hand, when I right click words with red lines highlighting misspelling, there is no correction available! UI: Get the basics right first!

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 08/07/2025

Ha, well my memory is not as good. I've become really fascinated by agentic AI and how to use chatbots effectively. A single LLM is not enough but as we start bolting together many models, something profound is going to happen. I miss the lack of discussion on human consciousness though.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 08/07/2025

Reminds me of the famous saying, "All art is plagiarism." I sympathize but I also wonder what we really know about human creativity and thought. What exactly is different?

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 28/06/2025

Worth sharing. Pay attention and remember drowning can be calm and quiet, watch out for kids. You know when they're quiet there might be trouble!

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 22/05/2025

At the IPG Root Biology Symposium at the University of Missouri. ChatGPT helped summarize the abstract book in graphical form. Great speakers and familiar faces of root biologists. Thanks to the organizers for inviting me and looking forward to telling you all more about RhizoVision Transformer.

Man smiling and doing the peace sign in front of the life science building at University of Missouri

Graphical output from chat GDP generated by asking the model to summarize the abstract book in a graphical form. It talks about advancing root biology, root architecture, multiomics and AI root microbe interactions abiotic stress, cross species and translational insights, genetic and molecular regulationary development and species and parole through imaging and modeling

A beautiful sunset over the skyline of forest from downtown Columbia, Missouri

Recognizing the sponsors. Thank you. Includes many departments within the University of Missouri companies like Bayer and cortava Danforth issr the ippn are gone and others

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 06/05/2025

Who makes these UIs? I just want to copy and paste it.

screenshot of journal page where the 'cite' button brings up save and export options but not the actual citation.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 04/05/2025

Expanded the vegetable garden again this year - on the right side there. We enjoy planting and harvests throughout the year. Tennessee has a great climate for gardens but the clay soil needs work. What about you? Anybody else garden?

Photo of fenced in vegetable garden with exposed soil and some plants in a yard with a wooden fence behind it and some visible houses and trees farther away

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Reposted by Larry M. York

Stephanie Pau @stephpau.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

How does #hyperspectral leaf reflectance vary with functional traits, site, and evolutionary lineage in #grasses? New paper, part of a special issue "Advancing Spectral Biology to Understand Plant Diversity Across Scales", check it out: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 27/04/2025

I remember seeing the terracotta soldiers there!

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 17/04/2025

A boy and his drill press. Drilling is an essential part of biology.

A man with black-framed glasses standing next to a drill press with his hand on the lever.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 22/03/2025

I'm still comprehending that our new 256 core, 1 TB RAM, 2x NVIDIA L40s analytics server is edge compute at a place like ORNL. AI-enabled image analysis is hungry. I'm fortunate to work with people who know what they are doing!

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 18/03/2025

What, isn't it kinda weird you can't delete your last prompt and model output from context when it's not going well in ChatGPT? That seems like an obvious need after using it a few times.

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 02/02/2025

It's awesome! I've been watching your and other xray microscopy work for awhile but I wanted it for high throughout applications. Is it still a long scan time for something like root anatomy?

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 02/02/2025

So for how many years did we miss updates on their incremental work?

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 01/02/2025

Are the streaks of thin lines the hyphae?!

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 01/02/2025

Cool. Think I see the arbuscles in the cortex as sub-cellular grey knits and I guess it's lateral root cross sections that appear to float by?

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Larry M. York @larrymyork.phenotyper.com · 21/01/2025

After a hot day working with switchgrass across the road in August 2023! I thought it was neat, glad it was restored and hope to see it again.

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