Iron Ox launches Grover, an autonomous mobile robot for crop monitoring
Innovative agricultural company Iron Ox, with deep expertise in plant science, robotics and artificial intelligence, is launching Grover, a first-of-its-kind mobile assistant robot.
Grover is no ordinary farmhand. It can lift tens of kilograms and help with monitoring, watering and harvesting a wide range of crops, from leafy greens to strawberries. Grover is a key component of the company's broader agricultural ecosystem, a closed-loop system that optimizes crop yields, shortens growth cycles and maximizes harvest quality.
The result is tasty, nutritious locally grown fruits and vegetables that currently cost about the same as produce from traditional farms, but with a significantly smaller environmental footprint.
This technology emerges at a time of growing interest in home-grown farming, as startups seek potentially more sustainable ways of farming to support a rapidly growing population. Vertical farming is perhaps the trendiest form in this category, but Iron Ox's solution is a more traditional greenhouse, though fully automated from the ground up.
“We apply technology to minimize the amount of land, water and energy needed to feed a growing population. Our short-term goal is to mitigate the impact of climate change on the agricultural system. And we will not stop until we achieve our long-term mission of reducing carbon emissions in the production sector”
Grover is the result of work by a team of roboticists, plant scientists and engineers at Iron Ox that is shaping the industry. The California startup uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision and robotics to grow produce at lower cost, which reduces food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Grover allows Iron Ox to change crops at any time to meet the needs of nearby grocery stores that, for example, experience spikes in demand for certain seasonal or even off-season produce. The robot makes it possible to create the company's enormous capacity.
Hygienic, durable and elegant, Grover uses a differential drive system, several LiDAR systems, and cameras pointing up and forward. The device is additionally equipped with a lifting system to autonomously move heavy plant modules measuring 1.8 by 1.8 m throughout the hydroponic greenhouse. The robot regularly delivers modules to a scanning and inspection chamber, after which they are taken for additional water, nutrients or harvesting, depending on the results.
“Designing and building Grover was a complex, multi-year project that solved many challenges in hardware, software, autonomy and mobility. To achieve this, we assembled a world-class team. Our goal is to make Iron Ox a center of excellence in agriculture with core competencies in artificial intelligence and machine learning”
Today Iron Ox operates farms in Northern California, and earlier in 2021 the company opened an indoor farm of 50,000 square meters in Lockhart, Texas. The company's products can be found across California at Whole Foods Markets and in Bay Area markets such as Bianchini and Mollie Stone. Sales outside California are expected to begin by the holidays, when the first harvest is collected at the new Texas facility.
"Every Iron Ox facility uses robotics and artificial intelligence to ensure that each individual plant receives the optimal level of sunlight, water and nutrients. This precision in managing our resources also leads to a significant reduction in losses at every stage of the process. The data we continuously collect from our facilities is used for ongoing improvement in plant quality and yield," the company said.
In autumn 2021 the company announced new funding of $53 million, led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an investment group backed by many leading global business figures and aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Iron Ox is using the new funding to expand its intellectual property portfolio in robotics and artificial intelligence. The company is stepping up efforts to hire plant scientists, engineers, greenhouse operators and roboticists to join its dynamic team.
Iron Ox is an agtech startup based in Silicon Valley, California, with deep expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence. The company's mission is to make fresh produce carbon-negative. Iron Ox has reengineered every stage of the agricultural process, from seed to store shelf, achieving a level of precision impossible in conventional farming. The company's products are tasty, nutritious, environmentally safe and local, significantly reducing food waste and lessening agriculture's impact on the environment.
