Chicago Tribune (April 19) -- University of Illinois ABE researchers have built a robot that can wheel itself around farms to monitor plants — an invention that could let farmers collect data on crops cheaper and easier than ever before. The robot — called TERRA-MEPP — weighs about 65 pounds and drives itself around on two caterpillar tracks like the kind found on tanks. Able to transmit real-time data about growth and development using cameras, lasers and other sensors, the robot will help identify individual plants with desirable characteristics linked to bigger yields, researchers believe.
Robo-farming
4/19/2017