[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":350},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fmerced-2-market-uc-merced-researchers-pitch-ai-elder-care-and-one-tenth-cent-almond-drying":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":338,"dateModified":338,"description":339,"extension":13,"meta":340,"navigation":21,"path":341,"rawbody":342,"seo":343,"sitemap":344,"stem":345,"tags":346,"__hash__":349},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fmerced-2-market-uc-merced-researchers-pitch-ai-elder-care-and-one-tenth-cent-almond-drying.md","Merced 2 Market: UC Merced researchers pitch AI elder care and one-tenth‑cent almond drying",false,"Priya Aryal",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":331},[242,246,250,269,273,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,302,318,321,325],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"merced-2-market-uc-merced-researchers-pitch-ai-elder-care-and-one-tenthcent-almond-drying",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263,266],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"UC Merced’s Merced 2 Market showcased research projects to potential investors on May 27, 2026.",[254,258,259],{},"An almond drying concept pegged costs at about 0.1 cent per pound versus 25 cents using heat.",[254,261,262],{},"An elder‑care monitor called AI Care is deployed in multiple homes and is seeking investment.",[254,264,265],{},"A methane‑leak detection project projected a three‑year break‑even and said it could extend to other gasses.",[254,267,268],{},"A steam system backed by a UC climate action grant reported a prototype and a pending utility patent.",[61,270,272],{"id":271},"what-was-pitched","What was pitched",[66,274,275],{},"Twenty‑five cents per pound is what hot‑air almond drying can cost. The UC Merced team behind \"almondry\" told a room of founders, faculty and local operators it can get that down to about one‑tenth of a cent by pulling ambient air through stockpiles instead of pushing in heat, a claim that will interest any grower staring at thin margins in Merced County. The presentation landed with a simple promise: off‑ground handling, lower dust, and less energy spend.",[66,277,278],{},"Across the aisle, computer science professor Shijia Pan sketched out AI Care, a privacy‑minded in‑home monitor that reads ambient vibrations instead of video or microphones, translates daily activity into flags for caregivers, and has already been installed in multiple houses. The ask was direct, the company is looking for capital to move from deployments to production.",[66,280,281],{},"Graduate presenters filled in the middle. One group walked through a frequency‑based fire‑suppression demo suited for electronics labs that can’t tolerate residue. Another team described a muscle‑recovery wearable for athletes, citing an $11 billion annual injury bill and a plan to validate its dashboard before field pilots. A third shared a methane‑leak platform it says can cut false positives and low‑coverage gaps, with a path to break even in three years and a roadmap to test other gasses.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"why-it-matters-here","Why it matters here",[66,287,288],{},"This event is not a poster session. It is UC Merced’s commercialization day for the Highway 99 corridor, where the Valley’s mix of almond handlers, dairies, clinics and logistics firms can kick the tires on tools built in their backyard. If the almondry math holds up in field trials, handlers around Atwater and Livingston would gain a cost lever at scale. If AI Care’s non‑camera sensor set keeps proving useful, home‑health agencies that cover Merced and Stanislaus counties could slot it into caregiver workflows without adding privacy risk.",[66,290,291],{},"Some of the pitches point straight at regional pain points. The methane‑leak detection system speaks to oil‑field and dairy compliance work that local contractors already bill for, so a more accurate screen means fewer wasted truck rolls and tighter service windows. A clip‑on tree water‑status sensor, shown by mechanical engineering professor Reza Ehsani, targets irrigation timing in drought‑prone orchards where one misread can cost a week of growth. A small start, maybe, but the right scale for seed investors.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"what-investors-heard","What investors heard",[66,297,298],{},"Investors in the room heard three things that matter for runway and risk. First, several projects have external validation or tailwinds: the steam‑generation group reported a prototype under a UC climate action grant and a pending utility patent, which is the paperwork you want to see before capex talks begin. Second, some projects are already in the field, even if lightly, like AI Care’s multi‑home deployments, which shortens the time from check to revenue if pilots convert. Third, the ag‑facing concepts fit existing Valley infrastructure, from stockpile aeration that bolts onto yards to clip‑on sensors that can ride a small robot through tree rows.",[66,300,301],{},"The university framed Merced 2 Market as a practical bridge between research and local firms, with panel time given to company needs and partnership mechanics. Pan and other presenters kept their asks tight, either seed funding to finish engineering or capital to scale testing. Investors took notes. Outside, the parking lot sat under rows of solar canopies.",[66,303,304],{},[305,306,307,308,311,312,317],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,309,310],{},"CVAI Newsdesk"," team and developed by ",[313,314,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":315},[316],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[319,320],"hr",{},[61,322,324],{"id":323},"source","Source",[66,326,327],{},[313,328,329],{"href":329,"rel":330},"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.ucmerced.edu\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002Fprojects-make-world-better-promoted-merced-2-market",[316],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":332},[333,334,335,336,337],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":271,"depth":11,"text":272},{"id":284,"depth":11,"text":285},{"id":294,"depth":11,"text":295},{"id":323,"depth":11,"text":324},"2026-05-28","UC Merced’s Merced 2 Market put faculty and grad projects in front of industry and investors, from privacy‑minded elder care to ultra‑low‑cost almond drying.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fmerced-2-market-uc-merced-researchers-pitch-ai-elder-care-and-one-tenth-cent-almond-drying","---\nauthor: Priya Aryal\ndate: 2026-05-28\ndateModified: '2026-05-28'\ndescription: UC Merced’s Merced 2 Market put faculty and grad projects in front of\n  industry and investors, from privacy‑minded elder care to ultra‑low‑cost almond\n  drying.\ntags:\n- business\n- merced\n- research\ntitle: 'Merced 2 Market: UC Merced researchers pitch AI elder care and one-tenth‑cent\n  almond drying'\n---\n\n# Merced 2 Market: UC Merced researchers pitch AI elder care and one-tenth‑cent almond drying\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. UC Merced’s Merced 2 Market showcased research projects to potential investors on May 27, 2026.\n2. An almond drying concept pegged costs at about 0.1 cent per pound versus 25 cents using heat.\n3. An elder‑care monitor called AI Care is deployed in multiple homes and is seeking investment.\n4. A methane‑leak detection project projected a three‑year break‑even and said it could extend to other gasses.\n5. A steam system backed by a UC climate action grant reported a prototype and a pending utility patent.\n\n## What was pitched\n\nTwenty‑five cents per pound is what hot‑air almond drying can cost. The UC Merced team behind \"almondry\" told a room of founders, faculty and local operators it can get that down to about one‑tenth of a cent by pulling ambient air through stockpiles instead of pushing in heat, a claim that will interest any grower staring at thin margins in Merced County. The presentation landed with a simple promise: off‑ground handling, lower dust, and less energy spend.\n\nAcross the aisle, computer science professor Shijia Pan sketched out AI Care, a privacy‑minded in‑home monitor that reads ambient vibrations instead of video or microphones, translates daily activity into flags for caregivers, and has already been installed in multiple houses. The ask was direct, the company is looking for capital to move from deployments to production.\n\nGraduate presenters filled in the middle. One group walked through a frequency‑based fire‑suppression demo suited for electronics labs that can’t tolerate residue. Another team described a muscle‑recovery wearable for athletes, citing an $11 billion annual injury bill and a plan to validate its dashboard before field pilots. A third shared a methane‑leak platform it says can cut false positives and low‑coverage gaps, with a path to break even in three years and a roadmap to test other gasses.\n\n## Why it matters here\n\nThis event is not a poster session. It is UC Merced’s commercialization day for the Highway 99 corridor, where the Valley’s mix of almond handlers, dairies, clinics and logistics firms can kick the tires on tools built in their backyard. If the almondry math holds up in field trials, handlers around Atwater and Livingston would gain a cost lever at scale. If AI Care’s non‑camera sensor set keeps proving useful, home‑health agencies that cover Merced and Stanislaus counties could slot it into caregiver workflows without adding privacy risk.\n\nSome of the pitches point straight at regional pain points. The methane‑leak detection system speaks to oil‑field and dairy compliance work that local contractors already bill for, so a more accurate screen means fewer wasted truck rolls and tighter service windows. A clip‑on tree water‑status sensor, shown by mechanical engineering professor Reza Ehsani, targets irrigation timing in drought‑prone orchards where one misread can cost a week of growth. A small start, maybe, but the right scale for seed investors.\n\n## What investors heard\n\nInvestors in the room heard three things that matter for runway and risk. First, several projects have external validation or tailwinds: the steam‑generation group reported a prototype under a UC climate action grant and a pending utility patent, which is the paperwork you want to see before capex talks begin. Second, some projects are already in the field, even if lightly, like AI Care’s multi‑home deployments, which shortens the time from check to revenue if pilots convert. Third, the ag‑facing concepts fit existing Valley infrastructure, from stockpile aeration that bolts onto yards to clip‑on sensors that can ride a small robot through tree rows.\n\nThe university framed Merced 2 Market as a practical bridge between research and local firms, with panel time given to company needs and partnership mechanics. Pan and other presenters kept their asks tight, either seed funding to finish engineering or capital to scale testing. Investors took notes. Outside, the parking lot sat under rows of solar canopies.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fnews.ucmerced.edu\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002Fprojects-make-world-better-promoted-merced-2-market\n",{"title":237,"description":339},{"loc":341},"news\u002Fmerced-2-market-uc-merced-researchers-pitch-ai-elder-care-and-one-tenth-cent-almond-drying",[347,152,348],"business","research","OYp3XtL7TLUHbR68FkrwkXW0KKPFBfNg7qAtnEZW4O4",1782158311994]