Rapidly evolving technologies are changing the face of farming in many ways. Commonly used applications include sensors, satellites, and drones — which are combined with data analytics to extract value from the massive volume of data accumulated.
Another key player in the agri-tech equation? Agricultural robots — which in their various forms help boost efficiency, productivity, and a farmer’s bottom line.
Changing the farming landscape
In a recent post for Modern Farmer, gardening expert Briana Yablonski describes the growing role of robots within the farming industry.
“Although robots aren’t present in every farm field, they’re increasing in presence and implementing new technologies,” she writes.
Yablonski lists five ways agricultural robots could make a big impact both today and in the future:
- More precise nutrient applications. Sensors and cameras can scan fields to detect nutrient deficiencies; sensors help with soil evaluation; and the data gathered informs precise nutrient application.
- Reduced need for human labor. Several companies are developing robots that use lasers for precision weed killing and others are designing robots that can harvest crops with the right touch at the right time.
- Less time in the tractor: Autonomous tractors enabled by GPS-driven technology can help with planting, cultivating, and harvesting without a human behind the wheel.
- Precision pest control: Some agricultural robots can spot pest trouble spots in fields and apply pesticides or “beneficial predators” in the specific location needed.
- Decreased water use: Data from robots that detect soil moisture levels can inform irrigation efforts to ensure the right plants get the right amount of water at the right time.
Recent progress in agricultural robots
The popularity of robots across the farming landscape is being fueled by new breakthroughs in robotic technology. Here are a few examples of recent progress in this field.
Laser-guided robot farmers
A new navigation system developed by researchers in Japan uses “LiDAR and real-time feedback to keep robots within 2 inches of their target path and maintain proper orientation, even on uneven terrain,” according to a summary from StudyFinds.
The outlet notes that this new capability could be a game-changer for smaller farms struggling with labor shortages.
“Rather than expensive GPS systems or having to install special markers in fields, these robots use a straightforward approach that mimics how humans navigate: they keep a consistent distance from the crop beds while moving, adjusting as they go,” StudyFinds explains.
The technology makes use of both “waypoint navigation” to move between general areas and “cultivation bed navigation” within the crop bed.
“This hybrid approach helps robots move accurately through farm rows, even in places where GPS and other positioning tools don’t work well,” the outlet says. “Between rows of strawberries, a robot’s sensors detect limited distinctive features, making it hard to know exactly where it is. By using the cultivation beds themselves as guides, the robot can move accurately without perfect self-localization.”
Robotic insects
In a recent MIT News article published early this year, writer Adam Zewe describes how researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been tweaking the design of a “bug-sized bot” to make it fly “100 times longer” than previous versions.
One goal of their work is to make it possible for farmers to grow crops within controlled indoor environments with the help of robotic insects that could eventually “swarm out of mechanical hives to rapidly perform precise pollination.”
But past versions of the mechanical pollinators were no match for their natural counterparts in terms of “endurance, speed, and maneuverability,” Zewe says.
Perhaps until now. With the anatomy of nature’s pollinators as inspiration, the researchers have upgraded their design.
“The new bots can hover for about 1,000 seconds, which is more than 100 times longer than previously demonstrated,” he writes. “The robotic insect, which weighs less than a paperclip, can fly significantly faster than similar bots while completing acrobatic maneuvers like double aerial flips.”
In addition to more endurance and durability, the upgraded insect bots even have room for cargo.
“The new design also has enough free space that the robot could carry tiny batteries or sensors, which could enable it to fly on its own outside the lab,” Zewe adds.
Although the researchers still haven’t been able to replicate the amazing capabilities of bees, the progress so far has been promising.
“The amount of flight we demonstrated in this paper is probably longer than the entire amount of flight our field has been able to accumulate with these robotic insects,” said Kevin Chen, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), head of the Soft and Micro Robotics Laboratory within the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE), and the senior author of an open-access paper on the new design. “With the improved lifespan and precision of this robot, we are getting closer to some very exciting applications, like assisted pollination.”
For additional details about the research and future plans, please see the full article.
Cutting-edge milking robots
Although automated milking systems (AMS) — aka milking robots — have been around for decades, the companies who make them are making the most of technological advancements to maintain a competitive edge.
One example is DeLaval, an industry leader in this space that recently unveiled a “faster, smarter, bigger milking robot model,” according to the April 30 announcement.
The company says the 2025 model of its voluntary milking system (VMS) V300 series, the DeLaval VMS™ V300 2025 model “incorporates the latest technology to make robotic milking better than ever – smarter, faster, gentler, and more flexible – through the introduction of several key features,” which include:
- More spacious milking robot: “A larger box accommodates a wider range of cow breeds and sizes, providing greater comfort during milking.”
- Flow-Responsive™ Milking: “This new functionality sets a new standard for robotic milking by maintaining a steady pre-set teat end vacuum, resulting in a better milking experience for the cow and reducing milking time – with customers reporting a reduction of up to 40 seconds per cow per milking.”
DeLaval also lists add-on features that include advanced digital services with DeLaval Plus and DeLaval BioSensors Milk Cell Analysis (MCA): “DeLaval’s newly launched MCA sensor can be added as an optional feature to further enhance the milking experience. This revolutionary, compact sensor uses advanced optical technology to monitor udder health and count somatic cells in milk, helping farmers improve udder health management, milk quality, and detect subclinical mastitis early. It also aids in making dry-off decisions, reducing unnecessary antibiotic treatments, and promoting responsible dairy farming practices.”
Thibault Burg, EMEA Solution Manager for VMS, DeLaval, says: “With the introduction of the VMS V300 2025 model, DeLaval takes another significant step forward in milking technology. This new model addresses the critical needs of modern dairy farmers by enhancing productivity, animal welfare, and supporting sustainable farming practices. Farmers can use the extra capacity for more milkings per cow, more cows per station, or more idle time for a stress-free operation. Overall, it allows customers to milk better than ever – that’s what we call milking without compromise.”
