Tag: farmers
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Rising costs, climate change and lack of automation putting pressure on farmers’ profits
Dramatic increases in labor costs and other input, along with climate change, have put significant pressure on farmers’ profits, according to analysis from McKinsey & Company. Farmers have reported that the cost of fertilizer and crop protection has risen by 80 to 250 percent over the past few years. Meanwhile, a warmer climate is resulting in…
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Carnegie Mellon builds killer robot to save economy
A team from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute has developed an autonomous robot to find and kill dangerously spotted lanternflies before they’re even born. Spotted lanternflies are invasive insects known to destroy economically important crops. (See video below.) TartanPest uses an all-electric tractor, a robotic arm and computer vision to traverse fields and forests while…
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Carbon Robotics adds LaserThinning capability to its LaserWeeder
Carbon Robotics, an AI and robotics company specializing in agriculture, has introduced what it says is “the industry’s first LaserThinning capability”, continuing the “rapid innovation” of its LaserWeeder system. LaserThinning targets areas where vegetable crops are purposefully overseeded and then thinned for optimal crop spacing, growth and yield. This is particularly valuable for farmers growing…
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FarmWise raises $45 million to expand AI-powered farm equipment
Farm automation startup FarmWise Labs has completed an oversubscribed $45 million Series B funding round, led by leading ag-tech venture firms Fall Line Capital and Middleland Capital, with participation from GV and Taylor Farms, a grower and processor of leafy greens and fresh vegetables. Existing investors Calibrate Ventures, Playground Global, SVG Ventures and the venture…
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Yamaha Motor Ventures leads $7.5 million funding round for Verge Ag
Yamaha Motor Ventures, the strategic business development and investment arm of Yamaha Motor, has led a $7.5 million Series A funding round for Verge Ag, a precision agriculture company. Verge claims to be the developer of the world’s first AI-powered interactive software that enables farmers to plan, simulate, and validate the movement of equipment in…
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Abundant Robots launches to help farmers streamline harvesting process
Abundant Robots, a startup automating the apple harvesting process to deliver high-quality produce to consumers, has launched to raise up to $20 million in seed capital via equity crowdfunding site WAX. The launch comes just weeks after the corporate innovation venture studio and startup incubator Wavemaker Labs Asia (agtech-focused division of Wavemaker Labs’ overall brand)…
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Verdant Robotics launches multi-action agricultural robot for ‘superhuman farming’
Verdant Robotics has launched what it says is “the first multi-action autonomous farm robot for specialty crops” which will enable “superhuman farming”. To meet farmers’ demands for more sustainable and profitable growing practices, Verdant Robotics has expanded its robot-as-a-service (RaaS) model to ensure access for more specialty crop farmers. Founded in late 2018 by a…
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Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser
Carbon Robotics, an agricultural robotics company, today unveiled its 2022 LaserWeeder implement, an autonomous, laserweeding pull-behind robot that seamlessly attaches to the back of tractors. The new LaserWeeder is a precise, organic, and cost-effective weed control solution for large-scale specialty row crops. In addition to an updated build, the 2022 LaserWeeder features 30 industrial CO2…
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John Deere reveals fully autonomous tractor at CES
John Deere has revealed a fully autonomous tractor at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s largest electronics trade show, currently taking place in Las Vegas, USA. The agriculture technology giant says its driverless tractor is ready for large-scale production. The machine combines Deere’s 8R Tractor, TruSet-enabled chisel plow, GPS guidance system, and new advanced…
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Automated cow-milking company Lely and AI company Connecterra enter strategic partnership
Dutch-based startup Connecterra, which used artificial intelligence to deliver insights to farmers, and Lely, a supplier of robotics and management systems for dairy farming, have agreed a “robust co-development and commercial partnership”. The strategic partnership follows a pilot with Lely’s Digital Farming Group. The pilot program was designed to test an integration between Lely Horizon and Connecterra’s artificial intelligence…