Could AI-Powered Robots Replace Farmers and Make Agriculture More Sustainable
A Silicon Valley company claims that artificial intelligence robots can farm more sustainably than traditional methods. Farm tech startup Iron Ox says its mission is to make the global agriculture sector carbon negative.
Iron Ox is one of many companies seeking to revolutionize 21st-century agriculture amid widespread concern about population growth, climate change, labor shortages and many other emerging challenges. Solutions range from large indoor farms to field robotics designed for a simpler approach.
The startup calls its approach a "closed system." In essence, it is a robotic greenhouse that uses patented harvesting technology. The company has no unusual ambitions regarding yields, saying they are more or less in line with what you would get from a traditional farm. However, Iron Ox is working to achieve this with a significantly smaller environmental impact and a model that depends less on seasonal changes than standard farming.
The company says its system uses about 90% less water than traditional agriculture. Such systems also integrate data into every part of the process, collecting a substantial amount of information about the crops grown in order to boost yields in the future.
The company recently raised $53 million in funding from various investors, including Bill Gates. The startup's total funding now stands at $98 million. CEO Brandon Alexander has experience in food production. Every summer of his childhood, he spent time on his grandparents' farm, picking cotton, potatoes or peanuts under the Texas sun.
Nevertheless, after earning a degree in robotics — "precisely to avoid working on a farm," as Alexander puts it — he could not shake the feeling that he could have a greater impact by working in agriculture. That feeling only grew when he learned that 40% of the food grown worldwide is thrown away before it reaches our shopping baskets.
Alexander left his previous job in 2015 to take a six-month trip across California. He wanted to learn firsthand what challenges American farmers face and find out how automation could help. Along the way, he learned about severe water shortages, difficulties finding labor and many other problems. Armed with this knowledge, Alexander launched an autonomous agriculture startup in 2018.
“To truly eliminate waste, to truly reach a new level of sustainability and impact, we must rethink the entire growing process”
Now, in the company's greenhouse in Gilroy, California, two robots named Grover and Ada grow basil, strawberries and other crops using a hydroponic system. Iron Ox uses artificial intelligence to ensure that each plant receives optimal levels of sunlight, water and nutrients.
Grover is responsible for delivering plants to a dosing station, where he hands the produce over to the robotic arm Ada. The stop is reminiscent of a visit to the doctor. Sensors help check the water for nutrient levels and any other ingredients needed for healthy growth. After analysis, individual doses of nutrients can be automatically delivered to the plants through the hydroponic system.
As a result, the farm produces less waste and uses only the amount of water it actually needs. Crop data is continuously collected, helping the AI learn what plants need, thereby increasing their yields and reducing their environmental impact.
Key advantages of the Iron Ox system:
- Accurate yield forecasting. The company's data models make it possible to better estimate yields, so harvests can be planned more precisely and exactly what was ordered can be delivered. This directly leads to less waste.
- Higher yield per plant. By tracking precise levels of nutrients, water, temperature and humidity, the startup constantly learns how to improve each plant's harvest. This efficiency gain allows small greenhouses to significantly outperform field farms.
- Faster growth cycles. The company's proprietary data has revealed ways to reduce the time plants need to spend in the initial growth phase. This means crops can be grown and harvested faster, boosting overall efficiency.
“World-class investors know that humanity's most important goal is to reverse climate change. To achieve this, we cannot settle for merely more economical crops, and we cannot ask consumers to compromise on taste, convenience or value. We apply technology to minimize the land, water and energy needed to feed a growing population. The Iron Ox team will not stop until we fulfill our long-term mission to reduce carbon emissions in the production sector”
The company said the latest investment will go toward scaling production, expanding operations in the US, growing research and development, and hiring more employees.
