How a $50,000 Brazil robot is helping farmers scout, spray and protect crops
farming robot in Brazil and in the United States, CEO Britaldo Hernandez said in an interview, in a sign of growing demand for "precision agriculture" tools in two of the world's largest food producers.
Sold at a price of $50,000, the Solix AG Robotics unit can scout crops and monitor the development of individual plants, as well as target spray herbicide to save costs.
Elevate Your Tech Process with High-Value Skill Courses
Offering CollegeCourseWebsiteIndian School of BusinessISB Product ManagementVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Digital Marketing and AnalyticsVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Digital TransformationVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Applied Business AnalyticsVisit Solinftec plans to deliver 40 units to customers this year and 250 next year in the US and Brazil, Hernandez said, up from 20 units delivered in 2022.
Solinftec says it can produce 1,600 units per year at two factories, one in Brazil and the other in the US
The company says it is the first robot developed for large scale farming. Like other precision-agriculture technologies such as drones and satellite imagery, the robot aims to help food producers avoid waste and use analytics to improve yields and engage in more sustainable production practices.
The machine, powered by artificial intelligence, includes a «hunter» feature that eliminates insects using light beams and electrical shocks, Hernandez said.
«If the robot can wander 24 hours, all year round on the property, it can understand and act on the farm's entire ecosystem,» he said. «We wanted a robot that lived on the farm.»
Farmers in the US corn belt who tested the robot's sprayer feature there cut herbicide use by up to 95% on average, Solinftec said.
Hernandez said the robot, which
