Where are the robots?

August 20, 2024

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We know growers face significant challenges with cost and availability of skilled labor. We’ve seen amazing technological advancements in computer vision, AI and robotics coupled with ever-increasing capabilities and continuously decreasing component costs. And the AgTech ecosystem is adding new members offering all kinds of new technologies at an impressive rate.

But what we don’t yet see are robots everywhere on farms, in orchards and in greenhouses. Mechanization has established a secure position in agriculture, and industrial-style automation has a good presence in the pre-planting and post-harvesting space.

So, where are the robots? There are technological challenges when it comes to replacing or augmenting human labor. And a few companies have solutions that seem suitable for performing many tasks.

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre tests automation for use in greenhouse and vertical farm production.
Photos courtesy of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

So, where are the robots? In 2023, the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre interviewed 26 stakeholders in the horticultural automation industry to better understand their perspective on challenges and opportunities (see next page for more information). And we learned that the two main reasons for growers not adopting automation are ROI and trust.

ROI drives virtually all decision-making when it comes to technology adoption (with quality, convenience, environmental impact and other minor concerns sprinkled in). ROI is a balance between cost and performance — your technology needs to do the job well at a reasonable price.

We also hear that growers overwhelmingly see AgTech equipment as a capital expenditure. Ongoing monthly subscription payments are a hard sell (although not necessarily impossible). Technology has to be user-friendly, not subject to unending updates and easily serviceable.

Trust is another major factor: trust that the technology does what it’s supposed to, trust that it won’t cause catastrophic harm to the crop, trust that it’s not just another empty promise. Don’t depend on a plethora of added-value features. Make your technology do one job really well, with its ROI clearly defined accordingly. If it has added value, then it should be exactly that: a bonus. Also, growers are pragmatic; they care about function and not form.

So, where are the robots? Apart from some promising pilot projects, they’re in the same place they’ve been for quite a while: just around the corner. If you’re developing new technology, then reach out to see how we can help boost your performance and validate your product. If you’re a grower or distributor looking to filter out the noise, then reach out to see how we can help foster adoption to get the technology in your hands. Vineland is ready and able to help launch more technology into the market and ensure there’s a solid impact for the industry.

Brian Lynch, Ph.D., is director of Horticultural Technology Solutions at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario, Canada. Brian.lynch@vinelandresearch.com

Read the rest of the 2024 State of the Industry Report:

2024 State of the Industry

Pacing for profitability: Tom Stenzel and Tracy Nazzaro

Innovations, local demand fuel growth: Vonnie Estes

A new market for Eden Green

States court CEA business, education for economic development: University of Wyoming

Solving automation roadblocks

In 2023, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre conducted interviews with 22 horticultural automation companies, three consultants or government representatives and one individual from academia, representing Canada, the Netherlands, the U.S., Japan, Singapore and Israel. From these interviews, Vineland identified six challenges facing horticultural automation development.

1. Highly variable and harsh environments are a unique challenge within horticulture.

Crop variability, production practices and infrastructure require more sophisticated equipment. Defining an average operation can be difficult, leading to the constant need to customize.

2. Balancing the high cost of development with ROI.

High variability means large data sets and extensive data collection times. Horticulture is a niche industry, with each crop and/or growing operation design having unique requirements. There's an underestimated development time due to variability and need for customization. Extensive development time adds to cost. Expensive, robust electronics are needed for harsh environments.

3. Developing connections with growers during the development phase.

Many growers are not willing to participate in trials due to potential liabilities, high financial cost and time commitment. Word of mouth and personal relationships are key to developing horticultural connections, making it difficult for newcomers to build trust. Balancing the timing of going to trials to demonstrate efficacy versus commercial readiness is a challenge.

4. Grower buy-in for commercialization.

Cash flow is limited, so technology needs to demonstrate an ROI. Technology is not seen as necessary or doesn’t fit existing infrastructure. There is a lack of access to technical support if technology should fail.

5. Lack of collaboration.

There is limited horticultural knowledge sharing and a lack of public data sets. Established companies may not be willing to share horticultural connections with new entrants, blocking market access. There is a lack of inter-operability and modular systems, plus grower fatigue due to lack of streamlining trials across different companies.

6. Safety and logistics.

Concerns include biosecurity, employee security and compliance with industry and government regulations.

Respondents said they foresee vision systems and AI being adopted universally in the short term and robotics in the long term to meet the needs of the horticultural farm of the future. Current barriers to universal adoption include cost, technical challenges and lack of collaboration.