Autonomous Robots Monitor Fertilizer Use in Agriculture

Autonomous robots are finding their way on to more and more farms. From spraying to weeding to predicting yields, autonomous robots are helping to fill voids in the struggling agriculture industry. The world’s population is expected to grow by more than a third by 2050, but labor shortages in agriculture have decreased crop production by billions of US dollars.

最近愿景和机器学习技术最近取得了进步，允许自治机器人看到和映射周围环境。即表示的传感器的降低，也使这些技术更加实惠，即使是小农场。

Cost reduction is critical, as almost half of U.S. farm expenditures now go to wages and labor.

改善和减少肥料使用

Fertilizer is one of the largest costs for row crop farmers, so agricultural technology firms are developing autonomous robots that can collect more accurate soil samples to help farmers make better decisions about the use of fertilizers. Autonomous robots are able to correctly measure the depth and location of each core of soil every time.

Agricultural robots navigate the fields using complex algorithms and LiDAR sensors. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sends out laser beams to detect objects and avoid them. The robots are able to collect soil samples in a way that guarantees accuracy, purity, and depth control. The robots can also make use of GPS and navigational algorithms to revisit an exact location every season.

正在使用农业机器人的其他方式

许多农民采用了无人机的使用 - 这些飞行自治机器人节省了时间和劳动力成本。无人机使用可以监测植物生长，作物压力和预测产量的多光谱和光电摄像头。一些无人机递送除草剂，肥料和水。

On the ground, autonomous robots have been trained to detect, pluck, and spray pesticide on weeds. A growing number of weeds have become resistant to pesticides, and the cost of agricultural robots is proving itself cheaper than the tens of billions spent on herbicides each yield. Both farmers and the environment are reaping the benefits.

With the use of GPS, farmers can have equipment run automatically. This helps to offset the labor shortage and driver fatigue while in the cab. Most of these autonomous vehicles can navigate with a tolerance of only a few inches, and they can even adjust to hilly terrain. Farmers also can track the equipment’s progress via smartphone.

To learn more about the use of autonomous robots for precision agricultural, read our educational blog post onAgricultural Robots: Understanding Professional Service Robots in Agriculture.