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The idea of introducing robotics to farming is very attractive. It doesn't seem like this is a scalable solution for farming, but a sufficient one for gardening

The idea of introducing robotics to farming is very attractive. It doesn't seem like this is a scalable solution for farming, but a sufficient one for gardening. They started this project a decade ago. But robotics has advanced quite a bit in that time. Surely, today it is much more viable to have four wheeled robots watering, weeding etc at the same precision this product can. Then why build a gantry.

defrost 2y ago
Your points are largely valid and there are many examples of mobile robust at scale autonomous robot vehicles for "big farms" today, it's still a growing market domain with much innovation. > Then why build a gantry. Part of at scale agriculture is growing seedlings (fruit trees, etc), conducting ANOVA trials (small plots to test many seed varieties). There's a good chunk of "big agriculture" taking place in warehouse sized greenhouses with roller topped tables, big sliding trays, tightly packed young plants, overhead gantries for cameras | sprays | lifting hooks, etc. This is a lightweight garden bed gantry .. but there is a place for big gantries in agriculture.
taneq 2y ago
So that you’re not rolling around on the soil and compacting it, or squashing seedlings?
- wokwokwok 2y ago
  Come on, there are obvious solutions to this like having lanes, same as farm use for machinery right now. :p Having a roomba like (yes, obviously different to the standard look of a robot vacuum cleaner; but a small autonomous robot; eg a watering can on tank treads, or a bb8 rolling ball) bot with a docking station out of the weather seems enormously more sustainable and scalable.
__MatrixMan__ 2y ago
Gantries can go places that tractors can't, like up and down the side of a building.
maxglute 2y ago
>robotics has advanced quite a bit in that time. Yeah I remember seeing this years ago, and feeling like it was the future. Now it barely feels like a robot.
James_K 2y ago
The cheapest option is to buy $40 worth of hosing, then lay hose around the plants with small holes in it so that water drips out onto the ground at a constant rate.

defrost 2y ago

Your points are largely valid and there are many examples of mobile robust at scale autonomous robot vehicles for "big farms" today, it's still a growing market domain with much innovation. > Then why build a gantry. Part of at scale agriculture is growing seedlings (fruit trees, etc), conducting ANOVA trials (small plots to test many seed varieties). There's a good chunk of "big agriculture" taking place in warehouse sized greenhouses with roller topped tables, big sliding trays, tightly packed young plants, overhead gantries for cameras | sprays | lifting hooks, etc. This is a lightweight garden bed gantry .. but there is a place for big gantries in agriculture.

taneq 2y ago

So that you’re not rolling around on the soil and compacting it, or squashing seedlings?

wokwokwok 2y ago
Come on, there are obvious solutions to this like having lanes, same as farm use for machinery right now. :p Having a roomba like (yes, obviously different to the standard look of a robot vacuum cleaner; but a small autonomous robot; eg a watering can on tank treads, or a bb8 rolling ball) bot with a docking station out of the weather seems enormously more sustainable and scalable.

__MatrixMan__ 2y ago

Gantries can go places that tractors can't, like up and down the side of a building.

maxglute 2y ago

>robotics has advanced quite a bit in that time. Yeah I remember seeing this years ago, and feeling like it was the future. Now it barely feels like a robot.

James_K 2y ago

The cheapest option is to buy $40 worth of hosing, then lay hose around the plants with small holes in it so that water drips out onto the ground at a constant rate.