Technology has crept into every aspect of modern life, and agriculture is no exception. Temperature and moisture sensors, GPS technology, and yes, even AI-powered farming robots are all becoming the norm rather than a novelty. Today’s farms are becoming increasingly tech-powered, leading to improved results, better sustainability, and lower costs overall. Read on to learn more about the high-tech revolution that is quickly outpacing traditional flat farming in its ability to produce high-quality food year-round.

AI and Robots in Vertical Farming

Yes, the robot revolution is already here, but it’s not quite what sci-fi flicks of the past predicted. Rather than human-looking androids intent on replacing us as the dominant species, today’s ag-tech robots are far more diverse in their appearance and abilities. Here are a dozen of the fascinating ag-tech robots currently at work in farms all over the world:

• AgEagle: High overhead, these drones give traditional farmers an eagle’s eye view of their crops at any given time. They can spot problems like diseases and pest infestations and measure weather impacts and irrigation woes throughout acres of farmland.

• Agrobot E-Series and Bug Vacuum: Agrobot currently has two projects in production. The E-Series is billed as the first pre-commercial robotic harvesters capable of gently harvesting delicate produce such as strawberries. The Bug Vacuum, as the name implies, is a system designed to vacuum bugs and other small pests off of crops, field by field.

• Ecorobotix AVO: This autonomous sprayer system offers the ability to precisely treat problem areas for 95% less weedkiller use in the typical farm.

• Energid Citrus Picking System: This citrus harvesting system provides a quick and thorough way to harvest oranges and other citrus fruits.

• Harvest Automation HV-100: These intelligent and adaptive robots are designed to work alongside farmworkers, rather than replacing them entirely. The HV-100 can harvest and transport produce throughout a facility, leading to improved productivity for an entire farm’s workforce.

• Harvest CROO: This box-shaped robot is a fully automated crop management system capable of handling even the most delicate produce, such as strawberries.

• Naio Technologies: This company has created a series of different weeding robots capable of telling the difference between wanted and unwanted plants and removing those that don’t belong.

• Nexus Robotics La Chevre: This fully autonomous robot can identify and remove weeds accurately without risking damage to crops. It can also gather valuable data regarding soil fertility and disease remediation.

• PrecisionHawk: These agricultural drones are designed to provide mapping and analytics data to help farmers monitor and quantify plant health and maximize yields.

• RoBoPlant: Imagine producing plants in a factory instead of growing them in the ground. That’s kind of what the RoBoPlant system achieves, creating fully uniform beds of seedlings ready for transplant.

• Seed-Planting Drones: Planting can be a time-consuming and tedious process. That’s why several drone producers have now created precision seed-planting drones capable of planting entire fields in record time!

• Vision Robotics: Among their offerings are lettuce thinners, weeders, grapevine pruners, and crop load estimation robots. 

Vertical Farming

While these agricultural robots are fascinating, they’re also primarily designed to work on traditional, flat farms. When you combine this type of innovative technology with the advances made in vertical farming, you get the best of both worlds. This means precision farming, high-tech monitoring, and efficient harvesting in a setting that allows you to produce fresh greens year-round regardless of weather or climate conditions. 

That’s right, AI can be used to monitor vertical farms and automatically adjust light, heat, humidity, and nutrient levels. This means perfect conditions for every crop, year-round, no matter where the greenhouse may be located.

A More Sustainable Approach?

Of course, some may wonder about the energy needed to power this technology and its impact on our environment. Because these high-tech vertical farms can be planted literally anywhere, regardless of climate, weather, or soil conditions, they offer the ability to provide local produce in even the most densely populated urban environment, as well as fresh food in areas that are traditionally too cold or too dry for such endeavors to thrive. 

While local produce is a big deal and certainly not to be underestimated, the eco-friendly benefits don’t end there. Vertical hydroponic farms allow farmers to avoid dangerous pesticides and herbicides that can leach into the groundwater and cause no end of problems for traditional farms. They also routinely use less water than outdoor farming because the system is a closed loop, allowing water to be recycled again and again. 

Lower Cost Farming

While the initial investment for a high-tech farm is likely to be considerably higher than for a traditional farm of the same size, the daily operating costs tend to be lower overall. In our current age of unchecked inflation, that’s good news indeed. Transportation costs, the cost of food recalls, and the costs incurred when crops are spoiled during transit are all examples of money you could be saving by growing your own local produce in a commercial vertical farm.

Want to learn more about our award-winning patented vertical farming systems? Contact our team today to see how our turnkey greenhouses could benefit your business.