Meet FarmDroid, an innovative solar-powered Danish agricultural technology introduced to Oregon farmers in a recent demonstration by Kristie Buckland, an OSU vegetable and specialty seed crop specialist and Pete Berry, an OSU weed science specialist.
The machine — which sells for $70,000 to $90,000 — can seed, weed and spot-spray fields based on a pattern established by its own software. The FarmDroid can also respond autonomously to hazards like rocks and muddy patches — which is important for Western Oregon’s long rainy season.
Buckland is conducting research that compares agriculture fields worked by the FarmDroid with more traditional methods. “The FarmDroid is astoundingly impactful,” said Buckland.
Learn more about Buckland's research on the new technology here: https://beav.es/pFk
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