Monday, November 14, 2016
Digital farms : the future of Agriculture.
Farmers, ranchers and growers the world over are transitioning to precision agricultural methods, i.e., subdividing their acreage into many unique sub-plots -- in some cases right down to the individual plant, tree, or animal -- thereby enabling increased productivity, trace-ability and lower overall costs.
Low-cost aerial vehicles, sensors and cameras are integral to the process and are being used to map, observe, sense and spray.
Robotic automation is already widely practiced and can be seen today in milking systems and increasingly in precision techniques that use sensors and drone-mounted cameras to steer tractors and to monitor soil for temperature, moisture, disease, varmints, crop quantity, weather damage, and nutrient content.
This data is then analyzed in order to improve decision-making on planting, weeding, pruning and chemical application.
Digitally-controlled farm implements are already in use in developed countries and most Western farmers and ranchers are high-tech to some extent and more variable-rate dispensing devices are on the horizon.
Self-steering kits can be found in most new tractors and follow RTK/GPS and digital guidance with levels of accuracy down to the centimeter level.
There are partially and fully automatic and robotic devices for most aspects of agricultural functions from grafting to planting, from harvesting to sorting, from packaging to boxing, but because the metrics of their implementation have thus far been too costly, and the safety and liability aspects difficult, so they are not widely deployed.
These challenges are being met with a new group of vendors, lower costs, and new robotic products, often marketed in the form of Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS). Adding to these challenges are ever-increasing costs and lack of available water, labor and tillable land. continue
Friday, May 20, 2016
AIO ROBOTICS EXPANDS CHINESE PRESENCES THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH SHENYANG MACHINE TOOL CO.
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When it comes to simplicity and ease, it’s hard to beat AIO Robotics. Using their Zeus 3D printer is as easy as plugging it in and pressing a button, which has made it an obvious favorite of schools, libraries, and consumers who want to avail themselves of 3D printing for prototyping or other purposes but don’t necessarily have the time or expertise for high-maintenance precision machines.
The Los Angeles-based AIO Robotics launched their flagship printer a couple years ago after a successful Kickstarter campaign, and has since spread across the globe with resellers all over the US and in Canada, Asia, Australia and Europe.
One market the company hasn’t significantly tapped thus far has been China, but that should soon be changing thanks to a partnership with Shenyang Machine Tool Co, Ltd (SMTCL). The Chinese company is the largest machine and tool manufacturer in the world, but they haven’t ventured into 3D printing until now, though they are a champion of technologically advanced manufacturing.
In 2014, SMTCL introduced the i5, an intelligent CNC control and “Smart Factory” platform, which has accounted for a significant portion of the company’s business.
In addition to being an easy-to-use 3D printer, the Zeus is also a 3D scanner, copier and fax machine, and recently AIO Robotics further enhanced the machine’s capabilities by integrating it directly with the MyMiniFactory printing platform.
Users can now access the site’s expansive 3D model library and download and print files directly from their printers with the push of a button, making the Zeus even more ideal for educational settings.
The classroom-friendly attributes of the printer are certainly a big selling point for the community-focused SMTCL, which shares many of AIO’s future-thinking values.
SMTCL is the fourth Asian reseller to pick up the Zeus, joining Taiwan’s Smartec Scientific Corp, Japan’s Santec, and the also-China-based Trustworthy Technology Co.
Read more at 3Dprint.com
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