A practical case for automation
Agri-Droid UK Ltd is the importer of a remarkable invention for agriculture, an automatic lightweight field robot that automates sowing and weed removal on farmland. The FarmDroid FD20 offers farmers and growers an innovative way of working under the ever-growing pressures of sustainable farming without the need to sacrifice quality, efficiency and return on investment.
The FarmDroid FD20 is extremely lightweight, at only 900kg it ensures that the soil’s microstructure is not damaged, unlike increasingly bigger machines in agriculture. Minimising this soil damage optimises crop yield, contributing to a higher return on investment, better crop quality and longevity of soil condition.
Four solar panels deliver the charge to two batteries that power the FarmDroid FD20. The solar panels deliver up to 1.6 kWh, equivalent to 20 kWh a day, ensuring that the robot does not need external charging.
With an average sowing speed of 450-550m/hr, the FarmDroid FD20 works alone whilst the owner can carry out other jobs. Any deviations are notified through the app and a built-in camera shows how the robot is operating.
The FarmDroid FD20 turns on a sixpence allowing precise weeding both between and inside the rows. It uses high-precision GPS technology and does not depend on cameras or sensors.
Precision during sowing ensures that the robot knows the exact position of every seed and can start the weeding process at a very early stage – even before the crop emerges.
Autonomous weed control helps eliminate or highly reduce tiring and time-consuming manual weeding. It is especially beneficial for organic farming and has proven payback periods as low as 2 years.