California-Based Agritech Startup Launches Solution for Specialty Crop Farmers
On 2nd February 2023, Agtonomy, a California-based agritech startup that has been providing climate-smart farming solutions for specialty crop farmers, launched its new TeleFarmer technology.
Specialty crops are generally fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, and spices, which require more specialized knowledge and care, as well as more intensive labor than commodity crops.
The global market for specialty crops is a rapidly growing industry with a high potential for profitability.
However, it comes with the challenge of finding the necessary labor to perform critical field tasks. TeleFarmer addresses this challenge by providing farmers with a technology platform to supplement and uplift labor, improving their productivity and profitability.
Read the complete article to grasp the significance of this new technology launched by Agtonomy.
The story- What is TeleFarmer?
TeleFarmer is a smart farming technology that enables farmers to execute labor-intensive field tasks remotely, such as weeding, spraying, mowing, and transporting.
Tim Bucher, CEO and co-founder of Agtonomy said, “Our new TeleFarmer solution is a suite of products that delivers farmers a remotely operated fleet to accomplish many of the most labor-intensive tasks on their farm and reduce dependency on the availability of labor.”
Moreover, the TeleFarmer is comprised of three powerful components: TeleFarmer software, TeleFarmer service, and TeleFarmer reference tractor.
1. TeleFarmer Software: It is a tele-guidance software system that turns tractors into remotely operated vehicles.
This software is equipped with proprietary TrunkVision technology, which enables tractors to navigate safely and accurately within the centimeter-level precision of any specialty crop.
This means that farmers can control their tractors from a remote location, allowing them to perform tasks such as planting, spraying, and harvesting without physically being present in the field.
This smart farming solution thus helps farmers to save time and reduce costs associated with manual labor.
2. TeleFarmer Service: It is a cutting-edge app that empowers farmers with unparalleled control over their operations.
With features such as in-row spraying, open-field mowing, and crop transportation, farmers can efficiently plan and execute tasks.
The app also provides monitoring notifications and crucial information that farmers can use to remotely address any issues or dispatch help for more significant problems.
Farmers can track progress, check the health of equipment in the field, and review reports to make changes for maximum efficiency on subsequent tasks.
The TeleFarmer service app also provides valuable data and analytics that farmers can use to optimize their operations and increase efficiency.
3. TeleFarmer Reference Tractor: It is an electric-powered tractor designed for labor-intensive field tasks in challenging terrain or low-light conditions, delivering precise performance.
This tractor is designed to work with the TeleFarmer software and service components to perform tasks such as planting, tilling, and harvesting.
The tractor is equipped with cutting-edge technology, such as GPS and advanced sensors, to ensure precise and accurate performance in the field.
The fully electric design of the TeleFarmer reference tractor helps farmers to reduce their carbon footprint and operating costs while improving overall efficiency.
Furthermore, Mr. Bucher added, “With TeleFarmer, farmers can essentially clone themselves to plan and perform tasks in multiple locations and even troubleshoot those tasks from wherever they are.”
An Essential Update to TeleFarmer
Fixposition joined hands with Agtonomy in March 2023. Fixposition is a Switzerland-based company that provides precise positioning technology enabling autonomous vehicles to navigate accurately in any situation.
As a result of this partnership, Agtonomy has integrated Fixposition’s Vision-RTK 2 technology into its TeleFarmer solution as one of its localization sensors.
Vision-RTK 2 is sensor fusion technology that combines vision, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Inertial Navigation System (IMU), and an optional wheel speed sensor, to provide an initial position fix for the fleet of agricultural vehicles under the control of the TeleFarmer solution.
This technology is critical for ensuring that the vehicles know their precise location before beginning a task, such as spraying or weeding, especially when tending to specialty crops such as grapevines and walnut trees.
Furthermore, Vision-RTK 2 has vision-based dead reckoning, which eliminates positioning errors that compound over time and is crucial for autonomous tractors that may operate for extended periods under tree canopies in a field.
The technology is also less sensitive to light conditions than pure visual sensing systems, making it useful for night operations.
The solution uses a global optimization-based approach, which is more robust than traditional Kalman filter-based approaches.
Moreover, Fixposition is also leveraging machine learning to improve algorithm tuning in their Vision-RTK 2 technology continuously.
With smart farming solutions, such as those developed by Fixposition and Agtonomy, global problems such as food insecurity and labor shortages can be solved effectively.
Moreover, with the increasing adoption of high-tech hardware, software, artificial intelligence, and digitalization of farms, the smart farming market is set to grow drastically.
According to data insights from BIS Research, the global smart farming market was valued at $15.06 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $33.0 billion in 2027, following a CAGR of 16.99% during 2022–2027.
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Conclusion
The TeleFarmer solution from Agtonomy, with the integration of Vision-RTK 2 technology from Fixposition, is a prime example of how smart farming can increase efficiency and address labor shortages in the agricultural industry.
The integration of autonomous equipment in agricultural operations can help to solve the skilled labor shortage, reduce costs, and save time.
Moreover, the integration of multiple sensors can provide accurate and real-time data on crop health, soil moisture, and many other factors, enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions about crop management.
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