Robot performs precision weeding, crop thinning

A crop of onions.

An India-based robotics company is touting its three-in-one artificial intelligence-powered robot as a partial solution to labour shortages among specialty crop growing operations.

The Niqo RoboThinner, which performs precision weeding, crop thinning and targeted weed control, was a highlight of the Southwest Ag Summit in Yuma, Arizona, in February.

“As growers across Arizona and California navigate persistent shortages of hand crews, AI-driven robotics is increasingly emerging as a dependable operational support system,” read a news release from Niqo, a “deep tech” company headquartered in Bengaluru, India, with a subsidiary in North America.

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Why it Matters: Robotics could help producers of crops requiring on-the-ground hand labour when such workers are unavailable.

“Niqo’s robot is designed to complement field teams, enabling growers to maintain productivity, precision and consistency even amid labour uncertainty.”

The RoboThinner supports a range of specific AI models for crops including onions, broccoli, kale and tomatoes. The company says these models are designed to adapt to varying field conditions and growth stages.

Referring to Yuma as “one of the most important specialty crop regions in the United States,” Jaisimha Rao, Niqo Robotics founder and chief executive officer, said the most consistent message the company hears from specialty crop growers is the need for dependable solutions that work in real field conditions.

“Labour gaps can’t wait, and margins are under pressure,” wrote Rao in a news release.

“Our three-in-one platform is designed to deliver measurable impact in the field by reducing multiple passes and optimizing inputs. We see the future of specialty crop farming as one where robotics works alongside growers to create more predictable, efficient operations.”

Niqo estimates the RoboThinner can cover five acres per hour at a maximum speed of 4.5 m.p.h. (7.2 km-h) and a recommended speed of three m.p.h. (4.8 km-h).

Ag robotics is a slow-burning but developing industry. The RoboThinner’s appearance at the Southwest Ag Summit comes on the heels of the Ecorobotix ARA ultra-high precision smart sprayer’s turn at the the AgRobotics Demo Day tour in Holland Marsh, Ont., last year, as as reported by Glacier FarmMedia last summer.

The unit features a three-phase AI technology that instantly analyzes images to identify individual crops or weeds for targeted spraying by plant and plant size.

Source: producer.com

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