MIT Demonstrates Robotic Gardening Techniques
Katie Cordrey — April 26, 2009 — Eco
References: freshplaza & thejakartapost
Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created a demonstration agri-robot in the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory on the school's Cambridge campus. The $3,000 robots can provide water, gather the harvest and provide pollination to cherry tomato plants.
Using a base similar to the Roomba vacuum, the small robots are networked to the plants. If the plants signal that they need water, the robots sprinkle them from a water pump. If a tomato ripens, the machines pluck the fruit with mechanical arms.
Implications - The hope behind the project is that robots can give plants the proper nutrients from pesticides to fertilizers and water, when necessary, and avoid some of the major damage that is attributable to agriculture and mass spreading.
Using a base similar to the Roomba vacuum, the small robots are networked to the plants. If the plants signal that they need water, the robots sprinkle them from a water pump. If a tomato ripens, the machines pluck the fruit with mechanical arms.
Implications - The hope behind the project is that robots can give plants the proper nutrients from pesticides to fertilizers and water, when necessary, and avoid some of the major damage that is attributable to agriculture and mass spreading.
Trend Themes
1. Robotic Agriculture - The development of automated horticulture robots provides opportunities for the creation of robotic agriculture.
2. Smart Farming - The use of robotic systems in agriculture opens up the possibility of smart farming with real-time monitoring and data analysis.
3. Precision Agriculture - Robotic gardening techniques can enable precision agriculture through targeted application of nutrients and pest control.
Industry Implications
1. Agriculture - The agricultural industry can benefit from the use of robotic systems for precision farming and improved crop yields.
2. Robotics - The development and integration of agricultural robots into existing systems can expand the robotics industry.
3. Food Production - Automated horticulture robots can increase efficiency and productivity in food production for improved supply chain management.
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