The current state and future of robotic technology in agriculture showcase a variety of specialized robots designed to address different aspects of farming. Here are some of the key areas where robotics is making strides:
Weed Control and Crop Harvesting:
Blue River Technology's "See & Spray" robot focuses on weed control, aiming to reduce herbicide usage and resistance by precisely targeting weeds among crops.
Harvest CROO Robotics has developed a strawberry picking machine capable of picking strawberries over eight acres in a 24-hour span, possibly replacing the workload of thirty human farm workers.
Tortuga AgTech provides robots that automate the picking of ripe fruit with 98 percent accuracy, addressing labor shortages and reducing damage caused by human pickers.
Harvest Automation's HV-100 robot works on spacing container crops and plants in greenhouses, designed to keep running in extreme conditions and optimize space usage.
Drones and Aerial Imaging:
Agribotix uses drones for agricultural data capture and analysis to increase crop yields and profits, demonstrating potential for considerable ROI.
American Robotics' Scout is an aerial imaging drone that autonomously gathers crop stress data, living in a weatherproofed box between flights.
Taranis employs drones for high-resolution scans to monitor crop stress and improve identification capabilities, catering to an international clientele.
Advanced Robotics in Specialized Cultivation:
Vision Robotics is developing robots for tasks like lettuce thinning and precision weed removal using algorithms and sensor technology.
Naïo Technologies has developed distinct robots for hoeing fields, weeding vegetable fields, and vineyards, partnering with vineyards for tailored weed control.
Fresh Fruit Robotics is working on a robotic fruit harvester for apples, aiming to be 10 times faster than human pickers using computer vision.
Innovative Solutions in Weed Management and Mowing:
Carbon Robotics' LaserWeeder uses AI and laser technology for precise weed control without harming crops.
Scythe Robotics produces autonomous electric mowers with AI and sensors for efficient and sustainable property upkeep.
Nexus Robotics has created a weed-yanking autonomous robot, R2Weed2, which uses AI to differentiate between crops and weeds.
Robotic Greenhouses and Vertical Farming:
AppHarvest is using AI and robotics along with rainwater collection and precision growing to reduce water consumption and increase crop yields in indoor farm settings.
Iron Ox operates what it describes as “the world’s first autonomous farm,” using two cloud-connected robots to oversee the growth of various vegetables and herbs in hydroponic pods.
Bowery Farming uses robotics, AI, and LEDs to grow leafy greens and herbs in a vertical farming setup, maintaining ultra-precise water, temperature, nutrients, and humidity balance.
The future of agricultural robotics seems to be steering towards addressing labor shortages, enhancing precision and efficiency, and reducing environmental impact. While some technologies are already in use, others are rapidly developing, and continuous advancements are expected in areas like AI integration, autonomous operation, and adaptation to various farming environments. As these technologies advance, they are set to revolutionize the agricultural landscape by increasing productivity, sustainability, and the overall efficiency of farming operations.
Sources:
"Agricultural Robots – Present and Future Applications (Videos Included) | Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research" from Emerj.
"16 Agricultural Robots and Farm Robots You Should Know | Built In" from Built In.
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