Robot Migrant Workers for Farmers

Agriculture Robots

Newly developed imaging technology from the National Physical Laboratory will be able to be used by farmers to harvest crops in the near future, with estimated annual cost savings of around $165,000.

Migrant workers have been declining in recent years, and up 60 percent spoilage in the UK has been the consequence of those diminishing numbers.

Either crops are harvested too early or too late, which results in the over fifty percent spoilage.

The breakthrough came specifically with cauliflower and similar crops like lettuces.

TCMNet Reported it this way:

"NPL claims it first measured many cauliflower sizes using modified microwave measurement systems, and concluded on an average statistical range deemed appropriate for plucking. Its researchers then allowed for parameter uncertainties and developed an algorithm to instantly asses the size of the cauliflower, and were able to give a successful demo at the Fanuc Robotics site in Coventry using actual cauliflowers, lettuces and other similar crops.

"The resulting real time success has led to further commercial support from G's, one of the largest lettuces grower in the UK, to take the project forward and develop the complete product, which could be available as early as next year, said NPL officials."

According to the NPL, their scientists are now working on expanding intelligent harvesting robot technology to other crops and vegetable sizes, where they'll be able to indentify the unique characteristics of each vegetable and figure out how to harvest it accordingly.

The four major components of the electromagnetic spectrum they're using to develop the technology are radio frequencies, microwaves, terahertz and the far-infra red.

Agriculture Robots

Agriculture Robots Created to Care for Cherry Tomato Plants

There's no doubt that agriculture continues to be an extraordinary challenge when it comes to robots and robotics, as what can be done in more predictable environments, completely fails in the unpredictable environment of agriculture.

Even so, students s the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were tasked with the challenge of creating a robot that would take care of cherry tomato plants.

From watering, to pollinating to harvesting, each student was given the responsiblity of finding an answer to how to meet each individual need of the plant.

Some were obviously harder than others, as sensors in the soil send data to the robot concerning watering and fertilizer needs, while more difficult tasks like creating a robotic arm that could pick the fruit was far more difficult, even though there was a rudimentary software program defining the cycle of the plant and when to pick it, along with a camera to view it.

Even though this is a start, it will be a long time, if ever, the type of robot envisioned could replace human beings in this simple task.

The environment in agriculture would have to be almost completely controlled for a robot to be able to successfully fulfill its duties.

Robot trends will continue to fascinate people, but we're a long way of in areas like these before any meaningful results will occur.