Farm Table says:
This fact sheet focusing on robot technology in agriculture is one of eight fact sheets in a series that look at various form of up and coming transformative technology.
The key points of this fact sheet:
- “The introduction of robots has the potential to further improve productivity through supplementing or enhancing human activities.
- Robots can be programmed to collect and process data, operate autonomously (to a degree), sense and respond to their surroundings and move themselves or their parts around their environment.”
- The various types of robots include: 1) stationary robots 2) wheeled robots 3) aerial robots 4) legged robots
- “Robots have the potential to increase farm productivity by increasing the efficiency of labour and inputs, therefore reducing costs of production.
- Robots may change farming techniques and the skills required for a career in agriculture. Food production may become automated, from the paddock to the plate.
- Most novel robotic applications in agriculture are at proof of concept stage, and costs and performance have not been predicted at a commercial scale of adoption.
- Operating standards and regulations are not currently in place to support commercial application of some types of robots.”
