The Polish corn cultivation robot, combining cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence, is a breakthrough solution that will soon hit the market! The machine, designed for comprehensive plantation maintenance, autonomously performs such tasks as sowing, weeding, spraying, as well as precise dosing of fertilizers and crop protection products. In addition, thanks to advanced algorithms, the robot recognizes individual plants, creating yield maps. This innovative device is the work of a consortium consisting of Unia company and two institutes of the Lukasiewicz Research Network – the Poznań Institute of Technology and the Aviation Institute.
The robot is a response to the labor shortage in agriculture and the growing need for organic agricultural production. Farmers will increasingly need efficient tools that simultaneously reduce the input of human labor, lower costs and minimize the negative impact on the environment.
How does the robot work? It has an advanced precision seeder that, thanks to computer-controlled Isobus technology, precisely distributes seeds, minimizing seed loss. As the plants grow, the robot is responsible for tending them. Its main function is weeding, which performed both within and between rows, recognizing weeds using cameras and artificial intelligence. Intelligent algorithms are also able to assess the degree of weed infestation in the field, which enables efficient application of crop protection products and fertilizers. What’s more, the robot creates a map of the soil’s fertilizer needs, allowing it to adjust fertilizer doses to the actual needs of the plants.
Work on this innovative device took more than three years. The Polish robot is designed for both large and smaller farms, including organic ones, as it allows reducing the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
The new Polish agricultural robot is an example of how modern technologies can support agriculture, increasing its productivity, reducing costs, and at the same time taking care of the environment.
Source and photo: Łukasiewicz Research Network – Poznań Institute of Technology
