Twenty Robots for Agriculture and Farms That You Should Familiarize Yourself With
In the face of growing food demand and ongoing labor shortages, agricultural robots are stepping in to automate labor-intensive tasks, extend working hours, and boost efficiency in farming operations. These robots, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), cameras, sensors, and other advanced technologies, are transforming the agricultural landscape.
One such innovation is John Deere's See & Spray robot, which assists farmers in seeding and fertilizing crops by targeting weeds specifically. Meanwhile, the Desert Research Institute, in collaboration with Drone America, is conducting cloud seeding research using unmanned cloud-seeding drones.
Cargill took the lead in 2018 by deploying remote-controlled cattle-driving robots across its beef-processing plants in North America. These robots not only reduce animal stress but also improve worker safety.
Taranis operates drones that monitor crop stress and self-improve identification capabilities, while Fresh Fruit Robotics is developing a robotic fruit harvester for the commercial market, promising to be 10 times faster than human pickers.
Vegebot, developed by the University of Cambridge, is a computer vision-powered lettuce harvester, and Aigen's Element system uses AI-powered cameras to identify and remove weeds without chemical herbicides. Nexus Robotics develops robots for various agricultural tasks, including weed control and field maintenance.
Carbon Robotics' LaserWeeder uses AI and computer vision to handle weed control for specialty crops without causing damage, and Harvest Automation makes robots that handle container crop spacing, optimizing square footage. Tortuga AgTech provides farms with robots that automate tasks like identifying and picking ripe fruit with 98% accuracy.
Agrobot develops autonomous fruit harvesting machines with precision picking capabilities, and Scythe Robotics produces autonomous electric mowers for efficient and sustainable property upkeep.
AppHarvest is an indoor farm company that uses AI and robotics, along with rainwater collection and precision growing, to reduce water consumption and increase crop yields, with the goal to produce sustainable produce. Bowery Farming, located in New York, uses robotics, artificial intelligence, and LEDs to grow leafy greens and herbs in a vertical-farming format, addressing labor scarcity, population booms, and centralized farming issues.
Drones play a significant role in agricultural robotics, gathering aerial images to help farmers quickly assess crop health. UAV Systems International sells drones that spread seed and fertilizer, with tank capacities of up to 15 liters, and also offers crop sprayer drones and surveillance drones that inspect crop health.
Harvest CROO has developed an advanced strawberry-harvesting robot that can pick a plant in eight seconds, and Naïo Technologies' Ted robot is used for weed control in vineyards, decreasing the need for herbicides. Robotic greenhouses are growing vegetables in urban areas to address labor shortages and sustainability issues.
Monarch Tractor develops electric smart tractors, some of which are also fully autonomous. American Robotics' Scout is an aerial imaging drone that fits the "drone in a box" model, self-charges, processes data via edge computing, and is used for crop stress data collection. Nexus Robotics has developed an autonomous weed-yanking robot, R2Weed2, which uses AI to differentiate between weeds and crops, and also collects data for soil analysis and environmental monitoring.
Naio Technologies has developed robots for weed control, vineyard maintenance, and field hoeing. Agricultural robots are used for crop harvesting, including picking apples, gathering strawberries, harvesting lettuce, and stripping away weeds.
While agricultural robots alleviate labor shortages and boost production, concerns remain about potential job displacement. Supportive policies such as labor and immigration reform are necessary to balance technological adoption with workforce stability.
In summary, agricultural robots offer a multifaceted solution by enhancing productivity, reducing labor dependency, improving precision, and supporting sustainability to meet future food demand challenges amid labor shortages.
- Science and technology continue to revolutionize farming operations, with John Deere's See & Spray robot utilizing advanced AI for targeted weed control in crops, and Carbon Robotics' LaserWeeder employing AI and computer vision for efficient and accurate weed control.
- In the realm of sustainable agriculture, Drone America collaborates with the Desert Research Institute for cloud seeding research using unmanned drones, while companies like Bowery Farming and AppHarvest incorporate AI, robotics, and LEDs for indoor farming to conserve water and improve crop yields.
