Burro
The 2020s is becoming the Age of The Robot for farmers, as new developments in AI and robotics make it viable for even smaller farms to add some mechanized assistants to the payroll.
One of the most promising new robots comes from Burro, and provides a robot that will literally follow a farmer through the field, taking on all types of tasks.
The company says Burros use a machine learning detection and tracking model to reliably follow a designated person, remote-free, through any setting. Burros also have an on board interface that anyone can learn to use in seconds, which means anyone can turn on a Burro and go right to work.
Burros operate online with 12 cameras on board, and numerous mounts for higher resolution, crop-facing cameras. Additionally, Burros feature a powerful on-board CPU and GPUs, coupled with precise GPS sensors. This combination of capabilities enables various crop scouting behaviors.
Burros can also be equipped with various attachments enabling low dexterity functions.
The company says it is currently developing some capabilities for table grapes, including UV lighting for treatment of certain pests and diseases, spraying, and spot spraying.
One of the main differences between a Burro and many other robotic systems is a novel and patent-pending approach called “Pop Up Autonomy.”
With Pop Up Autonomy, Burros work immediately out of the box, everyone becomes an operator, and there is no need for a means of commanding everything centrally or installing additional infrastructure.