Using AI in controlled environment agriculture

Walk into any growing operation, and you’re likely to hear the hum of fans, the clanking of rolling benches being moved around, the gurgle of the irrigation system and the favorite tunes of the workers responsible for that zone.

As robotics become more prevalent in the greenhouse, what will that daily operation sound like? The high-pitched sound of a harvesting arm? The smooth whir of a tray carrier? The electronic buzz of a tiny scouting drone?

Robots have arrived in CEA — from pruning and harvesting to pest detection and material handling.

In this issue, we’ve partnered with the Resource Innovation Institute to bring you part of its AI & Robotics Primer. This is the first in a multipart series, and this issue’s excerpt explains key applications and uses, how robots navigate throughout the greenhouse environment, the use of computer vision technology and how object manipulation works.

As a Gen Xer who grew up dreaming of a life with robots because it was so prevalent in pop culture, I have a childlike awe when I see advanced robotics performing tasks. I’m still waiting for a “Rosie” like The Jetsons had. (Cue dream sequence music and special effects.)

Because my brain is filled mostly with song lyrics, advanced robotics also reminds me of the 1968 hit “In the Year 2525,” where “in the year 5555, your arms hangin’ limp at your sides, your legs got nothin’ to do, some machine’s doin’ that for you.” It’s just a song — an earworm that I’ll be singing for a few days after filing this copy — and I’m not worried about the rise of the machines. There are some aspects of greenhouse operations that can’t be replaced by robotics. We need the human touch in horticulture Robotic technology is empowering growers to use labor more efficiently and make smarter decisions.

Have you implemented advanced robotics in your operation? Send me a photo and let me know how it’s going. Which robotic chore (real or imagined) really excites you?

Let’s chat about it on a video call or at the next in-person gathering. Should I dig out my Styx “Kilroy Was Here” vinyl?