Senwes Scenario December 2018 / January 2019 | Page 17

INNOVATION
tute the core of the company's hydropo­
nics system.
"We've laser cut, designed our own
wrapping system for the modules and
even the pots that the plants grow in. We
have developed this food-safe injection
moulded plastic to be both robot friendly
and to allow good root growth."
But rather than expecting teams of
humans to haul the modules around
Iron Ox's 8,000-square-foot facility in
San Carlos, California, the company has
designed a 1,000-pound robot dubbed
Angus to perform the heavy lifting.
Angus’ job is to autonomously navigate
throughout our greenhouse, find one of
these hydroponic grow modules, pick it
up and bring it over to our processing
area anytime an operation needs to hap-
pen.
IRON OX – ROBOTIC ARM
It is equipped with a 3D-camera that
immediately scans every module placed
in front of it to confirm the “real-world
state of things.” It uses that information
to calculate things like, how do I pick up
this plant without hurting the nearby plant?
With less than an acre of space, the com-
pany is able to produce 26,000 heads of
produce (from more than a dozen variet-
ies) annually.
Abbreviated from https://www.engadget.
com/2018/10/03/future-indoor-agriculture-verti-
cal-farms-robots/
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/03/future-indoor-agriculture-vertical-farms-robots/
SENWES SCENARIO | TEGNOLOGIE
SENWES
& INNOVASIE
SCENARIO •
| TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION 2018
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