Artificially Intelligent Agriculture Anyone? Aquabyte, Plenty, and Soft Robotics Take Agribusiness into the Robotic Age

Agribusiness is a formidable economic force. The UN estimates that agriculture uses approximately 11% of the world’s land, but in more developed economies like the UK, the figure is nearing 70%. Yet this may still not be enough. University of Cambridge researchers predicted that we could see a shortage of agricultural land of approximately six million hectares due to an ever-increasing population. Something needs to change. If history tells us anything, it’s that there’s always an innovation around the corner that could solve the problem—and it’s the same with modern agribusinesses, which must look out for disruptors and emerging technologies to ensure they can keep up with the rapidly growing demand.

Historically, most applications of emerging technologies have been in consumer-driven industries, where fintech startups, for example, boast the latest AI or analytical view of customer data. However, the sheer size of industries like agriculture means digital is transitioning from these white-collar trading worlds to the world of the prairie or open sea.

Aquabyte: Using AI to eliminate manual intervention and increase productivity in the fishing industry

First up is Aquabyte, an innovative start-up making waves in the fishing industry. Aquabyte combines tried-and-tested methods with AI to enhance and increase business efficiency. Many modern fish farms use cameras to monitor fish, which is often a manual task that requires employees to pay attention 24/7 to assess factors such as calorie consumption and health. Aquabyte’s technology eliminates the need for manual intervention, considerably reducing costs by using computer vision algorithms to monitor the fish in detail.

The ramifications stretch beyond removing the reliance on manual monitoring. For example, sea lice are one of the biggest challenges faced by the salmon fishing industry. They often leave fish unsuitable for human consumption and subsequently can significantly impact the financial stability of enterprises operating in the market. Aquabyte software pledges to solve this with its monitoring software by tracking sea lice in real time, offering enterprises the opportunity to intervene early to remove the pest.

The global fishing industry is estimated to be worth over $140 billion, so there is plenty of room for exploring innovations and methods that will increase productivity and maximize profits. Aquabyte is one of the first to the party, so it has an excellent opportunity to set the benchmark for success.

Plenty: Combining vertical farming with AI to produce high-quality, organic fresh produce

Our next start-up, Plenty aims to use AI to completely change the way we grow fruit and vegetables. Plenty uses a method known as vertical farming, building twenty-foot towers that grow produce almost identical to that of a conventional farm, although Plenty argues that the products are more nutritious than conventionally grown produce. To do this, Plenty uses machine-learning technology to understand each plant’s requirements and then provides them with the optimal conditions needed for growth. By using this technology, it can eliminate the need for any pesticides or herbicides and all the food is non-GMO (without genetically modified organisms).

One of the standout selling points of Plenty’s technology, which has attracted investments from the likes of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, is that in addition to being space efficient, the technology gives farmers the opportunity to shrink the supply chain and locate production near supermarkets. Could this be what is giving Plenty’s produce the edge? Without the need for a long transport, there is no need to chemically treat produce—it can be 100% organic. Furthermore, the lack of lengthy transportation times means the fruit and vegetables will have a considerably longer shelf life and a smaller carbon footprint per product. This model has the potential to benefit everyone: consumers will get access to fresher and more varied products, inner cities can develop a localized agricultural industry, and the environment is saved the significant carbon footprint from global transportation.

But there are challenges too. Vertical farms may suffer from some of the perception challenges other innovations in the space have struggled with. The image of a farm in a skyscraper plopped in the middle of the city is far from the image many consumers have of how natural farming looks. The technology also competes with a global economy that carries goods from low-cost production areas to where the demand is, placing considerable economic pressures on the model. But as the human population grows and we become more conscious about what we consume, we may soon see machine-learning fueled vertical farms popping up in major cities.

Soft Robotics, Inc.: Enhancing robotics technology to efficiently handle produce

Finally, there’s robotic automation disruptor: Soft Robotics, Inc. is a company that has already been recognized for solving a widely encountered problem in robotics. As recently as 2018, the firm won the CES Innovation Award in the Robotics and Drones category. The focus of the firm is relatively simple: take the already hugely successful robotic automation idea and include its own patented material science and AI algorithms to produce soft robotic gripping systems that can manipulate items in the same way as a human hand. Until very recently, the level of dexterity and active feedback mechanisms that allow humans to apply the right grip to grasp an egg without breaking it, for example, have been far out of reach for most robotic systems.

It’s when this technology is applied to the agriculture industry that its real potential is unleashed, solving challenges such as labor shortages and difficult terrain. Because the system is designed to replicate the capabilities of the human hand, Soft Robotics’ gripping system can handle products that robots were previously unable prepare using AI packaging lines, releasing enterprises from their reliance on manual intervention from packaging firms to supermarkets. Reducing manual labor simultaneously significantly reduces production and processing costs.

But, the media often hold AI and robotics solutions like these in a negative light. The fact that this device can now mechanize work that was previously considered unthreatened by automation, may shine a spotlight on a market that is becoming increasingly mechanized. The fact remains that in many geographies, over-reliance on human labor is somewhat risky. In some nations, agricultural labor shortages can bring enterprises to their knees. While automation may be the bogeyman to some commentators, for some industries it’s the knight in shining armor.

Bottom line: A healthy agriculture business environment is essential to fulfilling basic human needs, but it’s time for agribusinesses to look outside the usual suspects to fulfill their digital innovation desire

Digital 1.0 focused on the customers and their data, targeting and selling products in the most efficient way. Digital 2.0 is looking at ways we can directly improve the processes within enterprises across the entire scope of industries. This is where these agribusiness start-ups are stepping in—looking at how technology can improve both the whole product lifecycle and individual customer touch points.

Agribusiness has unique challenges, which these new start-ups hope to tackle. It’s imperative to remember that the agriculture industry is more sensitive than most others; any significant disruption can severely impact food chains and, subsequently, quality of life. Leaders in agricultural enterprises would do well to investigate how disruptors are changing the market—and embrace the change.