Japanese Harvesting Robot Set to Become a Gamechanger in Agriculture Robotics

As the world shifts to more sustainable and efficient ways of farming, technology is playing an increasingly important role. Smart harvesting, smart farming, and agriculture robots are just some of the modern tools used to gain greater yields from crops and reduce the amount of manual labor needed.

Agriculture robotics, also known as agribotics, is a field of study that involves the use of robots, drones, and other autonomous systems in agriculture. The goal of agribotics is to increase the efficiency and productivity of farming operations while reducing labor costs. Some examples of agriculture robotics include:

• Autonomous tractors and vehicles: These can be used for tasks such as planting, harvesting, and tilling the soil. They can also be equipped with sensors and cameras to collect data on crop growth and soil conditions.
• Drones and UAVs: These can be used for tasks such as crop spraying, precision planting, and monitoring crop growth. They can also be equipped with cameras and other sensors to gather data on crop health, soil moisture, and other factors.
• Robotic harvesters: These machines can be used to pick fruits and vegetables and can be programmed to pick only ripe produce.
• Weeding robots: These machines can be used to remove weeds from crops, reducing the need for manual labor.
• Livestock monitoring robots: These devices can be used to monitor the health and behavior of livestock, allowing farmers to quickly identify and address any issues.
• Robotics in greenhouses: Autonomous systems can be used to control environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and light intensity, as well as to plant, pollinate, and harvest crops.

In the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023, Japanese firm Agrist revealed its latest robotic harvester known as ‘L’. According to the firm owners, the country is marred with the shortage of farm labor resulting in lower farm yields than what can possibly be. 

‘L’ is a solution to this problem!

“Bell peppers grow in random directions on stems, requiring a lot of skilled labor to harvest them. But that will soon be a story of yesterday’s farming, thanks to our ‘L’ robot,” Agrist CEO Junichi Saito said.

The harvesting robot won the CES 2023 Innovation Award in the robotics category. 

The agritech market is a rapidly evolving industry that combines agriculture and technology to improve crop yields and efficiency. According to a study by BIS Research, the smart harvest market is set to reach $16.85 billion by 2027 growing at  a CAGR of 12.50%.

With advances in technologies such as AI, IoT, and robotics, the agritech market is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

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