There's no denying that we live in a technological world. In the last 10 years, robotics has become a key player in food production and agriculture, with farmers around the world adopting robotic technologies at an unprecedented rate. This has led to an increase in efficiency and a decrease in labor costs, while also freeing up human resources for more skilled jobs. To learn more about how robotic technologies are changing the future of food production and agriculture today, read on!
The Future of Farming
Farmers
have been using robotics for quite some time, but the future of farming looks
bright with many innovations in development. Agri-bots, for example, are a type
of robot specifically designed to do farm work. They can plant seeds, weed and
harvest crops, as well as monitor soil conditions and humidity.
Another
type of technology that has emerged is drone technology. Drones are used to
monitor fields and identify any issues before they become major problems. With
these aerial images, farmers can easily see whether or not their crop needs
water or other care. These drones are also able to spot diseased plants or
weeds that might need closer inspection.
Robotic
technologies such as these will allow farmers to spend less time and money on
manual labor jobs so they can focus on more skilled tasks like creating marketing
strategies and expanding their business. Farmers will be able to grow more food
while staying competitive in an increasingly global market.
Why Farmers are Turning to Robotics
Farmers
have been adopting robotic technologies at an unprecedented rate in the last 10
years. This is a result of many different factors, including labor costs and a
lack of labor availability. It’s no longer enough to just have the land and
crops in order to be successful. With robotics, farmers are able to maintain
their level of production while freeing up human resources for more skilled
jobs. Farmers are also able to reduce their labor costs by using this
technology-powered machinery.
A
study made by John Deere found that 90% of farmers surveyed said they would not
want to return to the days before agricultural robotics existed. Furthermore,
there was a 64% increase in overall crop yields for those farmers who had
invested in robotic technology! Plus, robots can work day and night (and even
in extreme weather conditions), which means the produce is available all year
round.
Which Robotic Technologies are Most Popular?
There
are many different robotic technologies currently being used in food production
and agriculture. The most popular include:
Artificial
Intelligence: AI is an integral component of robotic
systems that may carry out operations that require little human involvement,
including weeding, sowing, and harvesting.
Machine
Learning: Machine learning is a subset of artificial
intelligence that allows robots to learn from the environment around them.
Computer Vision: Computer vision is a way for robots to simulate human vision in order to interpret the world around them and make decisions. This technology is already used by leading companies like Amazon and Walmart to track inventory inside their warehouses.
Nanotechnology:
Nanorobotics, or robots scaled down to the nano-scale are also now being
implemented in agriculture for weed control, disease control, and other
precision agricultural techniques.
What’s
Next for Robotics in Agriculture and Food Production?
While the adoption rates of agricultural robotics have risen rapidly over the last decade, it’s not too late for farms to get in on the action. If you’re still on
the fence about adopting robotics into your farm business, here are five ways
that you can use these technologies today:
Robotic
technologies can perform tasks that humans cannot. This includes tasks like
digging through thick layers of dirt or spraying large areas with chemicals.
Robots can also work around the clock and do not need breaks or rest time. As a
result, robots are great for tasks that are monotonous and dangerous for
humans.
Robots
don’t typically require wages or benefits, meaning they reduce labor costs for
farmers by up to 40 percent.
They
help create more sustainable farming practices. By using robotics in
agriculture, farmers can continue to produce food while minimizing their
environmental footprint and water usage.
Automating
certain processes allows farmers to focus more on other aspects of their
business and less on manual labor like harvesting crops or watering plants.
This is especially helpful when it comes to smaller farms that may not have
enough free labor available during harvest season.
Modern
technology has made robotic devices much easier to operate than in years past,
making them more accessible options for small scale farms with limited
resources and time (i.e., family farms).
Conclusion
There’s
no denying that the future of farming is changing, rapidly. It is expected that
by 2022, there will be 30 percent more farmers than what it was in 2012. This
shift is happening for a few different reasons, but many experts point to the
adoption of robotics as one of the biggest drivers.
Adopting robotics offer many benefits for farmers, including increased productivity and
less risk for injury. The downside? They’re expensive, and right now it’s
predicted that only large-scale farms will be able to justify the cost of
robotics. But even if you aren’t ready to make the leap to robotics, there are
some steps you can take now to prepare for the future of agriculture and foodproduction.
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