As technology continues to advance, robotics is making its way into various industries. One such industry is agriculture, where the use of robots is revolutionizing the way farming is done. While robots in the media are portrayed as highly advanced and human-like, in the real world, robots have been slower to catch up to the hype. However, robotics in agriculture is rapidly evolving, and the potential for increased efficiency and reduced labor costs is driving the industry forward.
The Advantages of Robotics in Farming
One of the primary advantages of robots in farming is their dependability and reliability. As labor shortages become increasingly common in the agriculture industry, robots offer a supplemental workforce that can help ensure stable production while reducing expenses. With robots, farmers can also increase efficiency, as they are able to automate tasks and perform them more quickly than humans.
Another advantage of farming with robots is the positive impact on public health. Consumers depend on farms for reliable outputs of fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy diet. Robotic farming can ensure a stable supply of fresh produce, which is critical for maintaining public health.
The Challenges Facing Specialty Crop Farms
Despite the many advantages of farming with robots, there are still significant challenges facing specialty crop farms. Labor shortages are one of the biggest challenges, as many growers are unable to hire enough workers to pick all their crops. In fact, a 2019 survey of farmers and ranchers in California found that 56% of respondents were unable to hire enough workers to complete all required tasks on their farms.
This inability to staff a reliable workforce can lead to increased prices and shortages for popular fruits and vegetables. Of the top 10 most popular fruits and vegetables in the United States, almost all are currently harvested by hand. The continued reliance on human labor for these crops is becoming increasingly difficult, and this trend is likely to continue in the future.
In addition, farms that rely on hand labor often have associated limitations. Berries, for example, are typically picked by hand and packed immediately into plastic “clamshell” packages. There is no opportunity for further sorting or quality grading other than in small samples, and workers are incentivized to focus on production rather than reporting issues impacting the field, such as disease or infestation. This information gap precludes the deployment of targeted interventions to resolve production issues.
These challenges make it clear that there is a need for innovative solutions in farming, such as the use of robotics. In the next section, we will discuss the potential of robotic harvesting in agriculture.
The Potential of Robotic Harvesting
Robotic technology has the potential to revolutionize farming, making it more efficient and cost-effective. This could lead to better crop yields and lower prices for consumers, as well as more sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming practices.
One of the key areas where robotic technology can be applied is in harvesting. As previously mentioned, the use of robots in agriculture has been growing, and this has led to the development of new technologies that make it easier for farmers to manage their crops. For example, advancements in computer vision and robotic arms have made it possible to select and gently pick fruits.
Changes in farm layouts are also facilitating robotic harvest. For instance, apple orchards are being redesigned to include “vertical fruiting walls.” This new format increases farmworkers’ efficiency and is conducive to automation – self-driving robots can traverse the rows, and the fruit is accessible to robotic cameras and arms.
The use of farming robots also has the potential to reduce the agriculture industry’s dependence on pesticides and other chemicals to treat crop diseases and infestations. Advanced monitoring systems, combined with robotic delivery technologies, could enable more targeted application of such chemicals, so they are applied only where there is an active pest issue, not blanketed over the entire growing area. This reduction is desirable for many consumers who increasingly demand minimally processed foods.
Beyond chemical targeting, robotic farming also has the ability to optimize fruit production. By mapping areas of increased or decreased growth, inputs such as water and fertilizer could be deployed with precision, which ultimately could ensure that the entire field receives just the nutrients it needs to ensure an adequate harvest. The associated cost reduction could protect farmers’ ability to stay in business without needing to raise produce prices.
The Role of advanced.farm in Modernizing Agriculture
One company at the forefront of the robotic farming revolution is advanced.farm, which is building robots for the future of farming. Their focus is on developing custom technology for harvesting, and their robotic solutions have already seen success in California and Washington.
The company has attracted investment from venture capitalists and large farming companies, and they are training farmworkers to operate and maintain their robotic technology. In doing so, they are elevating their career potential and technical skills.
With their BetterPickTM and BetterPackTM platforms, advanced.farm is setting a new standard for end-to-end autonomy in fresh fruit harvest. Their autonomous harvesters pick fruit into bulk bins, which are transported to a nearby cooler where the fruit is sorted and packed according to customers’ quality criteria before being packed for consumers. With robotic packing and computer vision, each individual berry can be examined prior to packing. This capability will allow producers to better control the quality delivered to consumers, so every berry in a package will be even more enjoyable.
The Limitations of Robotics in Farming
Despite the potential benefits of robotic technology in farming, there are also limitations that need to be considered. Challenges with random environmental elements and hazardous conditions for sensitive robot equipment are some of the main concerns.
Robotic farming technology is not yet advanced enough to handle all the nuances of the environment, such as predicting the weather, soil conditions, or crop disease outbreaks. There is still a long way to go in terms of developing robust, reliable technology that can adapt to these changing conditions.
Another major limitation is the continued reliance on human labor for certain farming tasks. While robots can supplement the human workforce, there are still certain tasks that require the dexterity and judgment of a human worker. For example, certain crops require delicate handling, and human workers may be better suited to managing them.
Conclusion
The potential for robotic farming is enormous, and as technology continues to advance, we can expect to see more and more applications of this technology in agriculture. From robotic harvesters to advanced monitoring systems, these innovations have the potential to usher the new age of agriculture. To that end, advanced.farm is working to train farmworkers to operate and maintain their robotic technology, elevating their career potential and technical skills. As they have done with their previous start-up, Greenbotics, where robots enabled employees tasked with cleaning panels by hand to become technicians responsible for the performance and maintenance of solar cleaning robots, advanced.farm is looking to create new job opportunities in the farming industry.
Despite the promise of robotics in farming, there are limitations to what they can accomplish. Random environmental elements can create challenges for robotic equipment, and hazardous conditions can cause damage or malfunctions. While technological advancements have allowed for increased automation, there is still skepticism about the ability of robots to perform certain tasks as effectively as humans. Additionally, some tasks may still require the finesse and attention to detail that only a human can provide.
In conclusion, the potential for robotics in farming is significant, with the ability to provide a dependable and reliable supplemental workforce, increase efficiency and reduce expenses, and positively impact public health. However, there are also challenges facing the industry, including labor shortages, increased prices, and the need to rely on human labor for certain tasks. The continued development of technology, such as advancements in computer vision and robotic arms, changes in farm layouts, and the use of autonomous vehicles, will likely play a critical role in the future of farming. As the market leader in robotic farming, advanced.farm is well-positioned to continue to innovate and drive progress in the industry.