Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

farms

Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser

by Leave a Comment

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 lasers, more than 3X the lasers in Carbon Robotics’ self-driving Autonomous LaserWeeder, creating an average weeding capacity of two acres per hour. [Read more…] about Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser

Georgia Tech develops robot designed for thinning and pruning peach trees

by Leave a Comment

Peaches, not surprisingly, pack a punch for Georgia’s economy.

Over 130 million pounds of peaches are produced in Georgia per year, and the Southern staple has a total farm gate value of over $71 million, according to recent estimates.

But cultivating peaches is a complex and manually-intensive process that has put a strain on many farms stretched for time and workers. To solve this problem, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has developed an intelligent robot designed to handle the human-based tasks of thinning and pruning peach trees, which could result in significant cost savings for peach farms in Georgia. [Read more…] about Georgia Tech develops robot designed for thinning and pruning peach trees

Agricultural technology startup Carbon Robotics raises $27 million in new funding

by Leave a Comment

Carbon Robotics, an agriculture robotics company, has secured $27 million in Series B financing from Anthos Capital, Ignition Capital, Fuse Venture Partners and Voyager Capital to accelerate the company’s growth.

The funding will be used to scale production of the company’s products, including the Autonomous Weeder, grow its engineering team, establish regional support for customers across the US and invest in the innovation of new products and technology.

This latest round of financing brings the company’s overall funding to $36 million. [Read more…] about Agricultural technology startup Carbon Robotics raises $27 million in new funding

TerraClear raises $25 million to commercialize Robotic Rock Picker

by Leave a Comment

TerraClear, an applied AI and robotics company, announced Series A funding of $25 million led by Madrona Venture Group, bringing the company’s total funding to $38 million. Rocks in fields break machinery, slow precision farming, and take up valuable time that modern farms do not have.

TerraClear’s Rock Picker picks an average of 400 rocks per hour and can pick up rocks of up to 300 pounds each.

In the past year, TerraClear has deployed early versions of their solution that both map and clear fields of rocks. These rocks not only break the backs of those picking them up, but break increasingly expensive precision machinery that is in common use by farmers for planting, irrigating and harvesting. [Read more…] about TerraClear raises $25 million to commercialize Robotic Rock Picker

Upward Farms launches first organic vertical farm in the US Northeast

by Leave a Comment

Upward Farms, an aquaponics vertical farming company, has opened its new headquarters in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York.

The innovative new facility – which is Upward Farms’ first – utilizes the company’s next generation technology in both commercial production and research and development.

The operation, powered by breakthrough end-to-end automation, is USDA Certified Organic, making Upward Farms the first and only Certified Organic vertical farm in the Northeast region. [Read more…] about Upward Farms launches first organic vertical farm in the US Northeast

AI and Robots Are Improving Agriculture in 2021

by 1 Comment

The integration of machine learning, AI, and IoT devices is nothing new to the modern farm.

Different sensors provide agronomists with valuable, reliable, and relevant data to help them increase their farms’ efficiency by ensuring higher yields and cutting production costs.

This is especially of aid at big farms where it’s necessary to monitor and manage dozens of processes at the same time. [Read more…] about AI and Robots Are Improving Agriculture in 2021

Investment in agricultural automation increases as farmers look to offset labor shortages

by Leave a Comment

Total investment in agricultural robot startups has increased significantly as farmers look to offset labor shortages partly caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report on the Financial Times website.

Citing data collated by DealRoom.co, the news website says investment in vertical and indoor farming startups has grown by more than 40 percent this year compared with last year.

Indoor farming is basically the process of growing inside large buildings, some of which are like greenhouses and use natural light coming through transparent roofs, while others use artificial lights if their roofs are opaque. [Read more…] about Investment in agricultural automation increases as farmers look to offset labor shortages

Vertical farming: Professor Changhoo Chun discusses Samsung’s horticulture LEDs

by

A ‘smart farm’ is an intelligent farming system that applies information and communication technologies (ICT) to agriculture.

One example of a smart farming system is vertical farming, wherein food is produced in vertically stacked layers.

Vertical farming has been attracting attention in recent times as a potential future agricultural model thanks to the advantages it offers, including its economical use of space and resources, environmental-friendly form of cultivation, and the reliable harvesting.

[Read more…] about Vertical farming: Professor Changhoo Chun discusses Samsung’s horticulture LEDs

Top 25 vertical farming companies

by

The phrase “vertical farming” probably doesn’t need to be explained even though it’s quite new. But anyway, vertical farming refers to the practice of producing fruits and vegetables vertically, in stacked layers, perhaps on many floors inside a building, using artificial lights instead of the sun, and a whole range of relatively new technologies.

The two main reasons why this type of farming, which is also known as indoor farming, it’s a much-discussed topic now is because:

  1. there are a number of startup companies emerging in the sector and attracting tens of millions of dollars in investment; and
  2. more people live in cities than do in rural areas, a global trend which seems irreversible, and this means that the demand for fresh produce will increase in urban areas, and bringing the production closer to the consumer would make sense.

The third thing we could have added is that there is the range of new technologies available now that make vertical farming in urban areas cost-effective and possibly profitable. But we already mentioned that.

[Read more…] about Top 25 vertical farming companies

ASI autonomous vehicles piloted on California farms

by

Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI) technology will be used in two pilot programs with large scale commercial growers in California.

A partnership agreement has been announced between ASI, New Holland Agriculture, and E. & J. Gallo Winery, the largest family-owned winery in the world, to operate the autonomous vehicles in their vineyard operations.

Similarly, there has also been a partnership announced between ASI, Case IH, and Campbell Soup Company’s Bolthouse Farms, one of North America’s largest vegetable growers.

[Read more…] about ASI autonomous vehicles piloted on California farms