From drones that monitor and spray the crops to state-of-the-art harvesting robots and laser machines that can destroy harmful weeds, agriculture is constantly evolving and switching to more autonomous solutions every year. The Solix Sprayer robot is one such solution and it promises to promote the rational use of chemicals to spot treat and preserve crops.
Human farmers are gradually being replaced by more effective and capable machines in the field, which can do anything from monitoring the crops to spraying them, harvesting, planting seeds, and so on. Last year, I covered the Carbon Robotics’ Weeder robot, a high-tech four-wheeler packed with high-resolution cameras, GPS, and lasers. It can get rid of over 100,000 weeds per hour, tremendously increasing effectiveness and reducing manual labor costs. The Solix Sprayer from Solinftec also focuses on keeping the fields weed-free, but it uses a different approach.
Solinftec was founded in 2007 by a team of automation engineers from Cuba, whose goal was to offer the best technology for agriculture. Today, it has headquarters all over the world, in the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Colombia, and China, operating in over 10 countries around the globe.
Unveiled as its latest product, the Solix Sprayer autonomous robot was designed to detect and spray weeds. The machine will be manufactured in collaboration with McKinney Corporation and will be suitable for anyone involved in agriculture, from farmers to retailers and cooperatives.
The Solix Sprayer is powered by four solar panels that control both its drive system and its spraying system. It can service up to 100 acres (40 ha) per day, depending on the terrain and field shape. It provides weed spot-spray maps with analysis on inputs saved, reports on crop populations, it identifies weed types and densities, provides nutrient deficiency identification, and more.
Just like the company’s original robot, the Solix Scouting, the Solix Sprayer can monitor and scan the fields, but it manages weeds in a different way, spot-spraying into the plant instead of from above. According to Solinftec, this eliminates drift and soil compaction caused by larger machines, reducing the environmental impact.
The Solix Sprayer will become commercially available in 2023 and will be offered as a “clean fields as a service.” We have no pricing info at this point. You can see the new Solix Sprayer in action in the video below.
Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News