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farms

Solinftec unveils new sprayer robot for farms

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Solinftec, a global leader in agricultural digitalization, has unveiled a new sprayer robot for applications on farms and in agriculture.

The company says it is expanding its Solix Ag Robotics offerings. In addition to its Solix Scouting robot, the company has unveiled its Solix Sprayer robot designed to detect and spray weeds.

In partnership with the manufacturing, research, and development company, McKinney Corporation, who will produce and manufacture the Solix spray robot, this new cutting-edge technology is slated to become commercially available in 2023 to the entire agricultural market including farmers, cooperatives, and ag-retailers. [Read more…] about Solinftec unveils new sprayer robot for farms

FarmWise raises $45 million to expand AI-powered farm equipment

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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 arm of Wilbur Ellis also participated in the round. To date, FarmWise has raised $65 million in equity.

With this round, Clay Mitchell, co-founder and managing director of Fall Line Capital and a fifth-generation Iowa farmer joins the FarmWise board of directors. [Read more…] about FarmWise raises $45 million to expand AI-powered farm equipment

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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