The DLG (German Agricultural Society) has announced the launch of ‘FarmRobotix’ as part of its DLG Feldtage (DLG Field Days) exhibition taking place in Erwitte, Germany from the 11th to 13th June 2024. FarmRobotix will provide farming experts with a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in robotics, Artificial Intelligence, automation and digital solutions in crop production. It will also offer farmers, researchers, industry experts and technology providers the opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices. Live demonstrations FarmRobotix will combine exhibition, technical program and live technology demonstrations. On each of the three exhibition days, farm robots will be performing tasks…
Author: Matt Peskett
Matt Peskett
Matt has worked in digital publishing and media for over two decades across the science, technology, food and agricultural sectors. With a lifelong passion for growing his own food, Matt also produces 300kg giant pumpkins for exhibition and volunteers with the Royal Horticultural Society. He has a sizeable horticultural social media presence and has been a finalist in the Garden Media Guild's blog of the year and social media awards. Matt also dabbles in start-up investment with companies like Small Robot Company, Drone Ag and RootWave.
Today John Deere has entered into an agreement with SpaceX to utilise its Starlink satellite internet constellation as part of the John Deere SATCOM solution. For farmers who operate in areas with challenging topography, satellites can be a reliable option for overcoming internet communication problems. Satellites signals can cover vast areas, providing connectivity even in remote and hilly regions. As of early January, Starlink’s network of satellites consisted of 5,289 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit. Two days ago a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 more Starlink satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, taking the total…
Burro, a Philadelphia-based autonomous mobility company has closed a US$24 million Series B funding round. The technology firm is building the future of work outdoors and has more than 300 robots working as harvest assist robots in nurseries and permanent crops, where they tow trailers autonomously, patrol depot yards, and serve as a platform and physical API for a growing set of technology partners. Burro is rapidly growing in the US within berry and grape farming and nurseries with additional systems working at scale in Australia and New Zealand. The company is on track to tackle the $1.2 trillion US outdoor…
Morse Micro, a leading Wi-Fi HaLow silicon vendor, and Zetifi, an innovator in last-mile connectivity for vehicles, machinery and farms, have announced a partnership to enhance Zetifi’s remote-area connectivity solutions with Wi-Fi HaLow technology. Zetifi’s innovative technology enables farmers and other rural residents to access, extend and optimise coverage from existing radio, cellular or satellite networks, leading to reliable remote area connectivity in areas where phone coverage is otherwise unreliable or unavailable. Zetifi’s long-range Wi-Fi coverage extension products address a major barrier to the digitalisation of agriculture and are recognised as a foundational technology to unlock significant value from on-farm…
Kubota North America Corporation has unveiled its 2030 vision and holistic approach to innovation and technology integration. Founded in 1890 in Osaka, Japan, the tech firm operates in more than 120 countries. Company leaders from around the world came together to provide CES 2024 attendees with an immersive experience into the future for its next generation of equipment that will seamlessly integrate artificial intelligence, automation, and electrification. Kubota unveiled the New Agri Concept – a fully electric, multi-purpose vehicle – and released an immersive video (below) illustrating Kubota’s vision for bringing autonomous technology and AI together to provide solutions for a…
Fieldwork Robotics Ltd has been awarded a £515k grant from the UK Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to accelerate its £1.1m BerryBot Project. The project is focused on increasing the performance and robustness of Fieldwork Robotics’ raspberry harvesting robot, Alpha, which will allow Fieldwork to offer an operational and profitable robotics harvesting service to UK raspberry growers by 2025. Fieldwork will lead the project working alongside Performance Projects Ltd., leaders in agricultural robotics manufacturing and the Hall Hunter Partnership, one of the UK’s largest berry growers. The BerryBot Project will further develop…
Founded in 2007, Brazilian company Solinftec is set to produce its Solix agricultural robots in the US state of Indiana. The global leader in artificial intelligence and robotics for agribusiness has partnered with Still Waters Manufacturing and WHIN – a non-profit organisation devoted to making the 10-county Wabash Heartland region of north-central Indiana the global epicentre of digital agriculture and next-generation manufacturing empowered by smart IoT technology. Solinftec has over 800 employees globally, with 330 dedicated to R&D, and has units in the United States, Colombia, Canada, and China. The new US factory will employ a local manufacturing team and…
With offices in the US, the Netherlands, Israel, and New Zealand, CropX Technologies has announced its acquisition of Green Brain, a prominent digital irrigation management solutions provider based in Australia. The acquisition significantly expands CropX’s reach in Australia and strengthens its position as a global leader in digital precision agriculture. Green Brain has a strong presence in Australia and has built a reputation for its technical expertise, knowledge of the local market, and outstanding customer support over its almost 40-year existence, particularly in the realm of irrigation optimization powered by data from soil sensors, weather stations, and IoT devices. Green…
Trimble and Sabanto have announced the integration of Trimble BX992 Dual Antenna GNSS receivers with Trimble CenterPoint® RTX into Sabanto’s autonomous agricultural machinery solutions. Trimble will act as Sabanto’s key autonomous technology provider, delivering high-accuracy positioning to its fleet. Leveraging Trimble’s BX992 GNSS receiver and satellite-delivered Trimble CenterPoint® RTX corrections service, Sabanto’s autonomy solutions can now receive centimetre-level L-Band corrections nearly anywhere in the world. With precise positioning and autonomous operation, farmers can realise greater productivity, minimise downtime and input costs, and alleviate workforce shortages through the use of autonomous vehicles. “In 2022, Trimble Ventures announced an investment with Sabanto…
Guardian Agriculture, a leading developer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) systems for commercial-scale sustainable farming, today announced that it has become the first eVTOL manufacturer to begin commercial operations. Guardian recently began operating four of its aviation-grade eVTOL aircraft, spraying crops in the Salinas Valley region of California. Guardian’s eVTOLs spray crops more efficiently, sustainably, and safely than traditional crop-dusters or ground-based equipment. Its systems are fully programmable, repeatable, and simple to operate. A single Guardian eVTOL system can cover up to 60 acres per hour, can carry a 200lb payload, and has a combined tank fill and…
