Robotics & Automation in Indoor Agriculture FINAL · PDF fileROBOTICS & AUTOMATION IN INDOOR AGRICULTURE OCTOBER 2015 4 1 INTRODUCTION On August 10, 2015, American astronauts sampled

ROBOTICS& AUTOMATION

October 2015

IN INDOOR AGRICULTURE

ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION IN INDOOR AGRICULTUREOCTOBER 2015

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

NewbeanCapitalisaregisteredinvestmentadviserthatmanagesearlystageventurecapitalmandatesforinstitutionalinvestors.Itsfounder–NicolaKerslake–hasalongstandinginterestinagricultureinvestment,havingpreviouslycoveredagriculturestocksasanequityanalystandmanagedinstitutionalinvestmentportfoliosthatcoveredthesector.ShefoundedtheIndoorAg-Coneventthreeyears'agotoprovideameetingplaceforthosewhoareaspassionateassheisaboutthepromiseoftheindooragricultureindustry.

[email protected]

LocalRootsisathoughtleaderinindooragriculture,dedicatedtosolvingsystemicfoodchaininef�icienciesthroughinnovationandtechnology-drivensolutions.LocalRootsiscurrentlypioneeringmodularcontrolledenvironmentagriculturetechnologiesthatenableyearroundcropproductioninanyclimate,inanygeography.LocalRoots'Missionistoprovideeveryoneaccesstofresh,healthy,andaffordablelocally-grownproduce.

[email protected]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Theauthorswouldliketothankthefollowingfortheirinputintothispaper:YurijDudaatArgusControls,ChrisHigginsatHortAmericas,HenryAykroydatIntelligentGrowthSolutions,BillWhittakeratPriva,PaulSelinaatVillageFarms,JustinvanderPuttenatVisserNA,Dr.JochenHemmingatWageningenUR,EriHayashi.

DISCLAIMER

ThispublicationhasbeenproducedbyNewbeanCapital,aregisteredinvestmentadviser.Readershipofthispublicationdoesnotcreateaninvestmentclient,orotherbusinessorlegalrelationship.Itprovidesinformationabouttheindooragriculturemarkettohelpyoutobetterunderstandthisindustry.Thispublicationdoesnotpurporttoprovideinvestmentadvice,normayitberelieduponasasubstitutefor,speci�icinvestment,legalorotherprofessionaladvice.

NewbeanCapitalhasactedingoodfaithtoprovideanaccuratepublication.However,NewbeanCapitaldoesnotmakeanywarrantiesorrepresentationsofanykindaboutthecontentsofthispublication,theaccuracyortimelinessofitscontents,ortheinformationorexplanationsgiven.NewbeanCapitalhasnoobligationtoupdatethisreportoranyinformationcontainedwithinit.

NewbeanCapitaldoesnothaveanydutytoyou,whetherincontract,tort,understatuteorotherwisewithrespecttoorinconnectionwiththispublicationortheinformationcontainedwithinit.Tothefullestextentpermittedbylaw,NewbeanCapitaldisclaimsanyresponsibilityorliabilityforanylossordamagesufferedorcostincurredbyyouorbyanyotherpersonarisingoutoforinconnectionwithyouoranyotherperson'srelianceonthispublicationorontheinformationcontainedwithinitandforanyomissionsorinaccuracies.

ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION IN INDOOR AGRICULTURE OCTOBER 2015

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYFrom1948to2011,totalfactorproductivityinagriculturegrewbyaround150%,withimprovementscommonlyattributedtosuccessivewavesofnewagriculturaltechnology.Thishasespeciallybeenthecaseforcapital-intensiveindooragriculturewherecostfallsseenoverrecentyearshavebeenalmostallowingtotechnology,suchaslowerLEDlightprices,cheapersensors,andbetteraccesstooff-the-shelfinternetofthingstechnologiesthroughwhicheverydayobjectscansendandreceivedata.

Akeyaspectofreducingbothcapitalandoperatingcostsistheintroductionofmoreautomationandroboticstoindoorfarms,atrendwhichmanagementconsultinggroupBostonConsultingGrouprecentlycitedasthesecondmostin�luentialtrendinagriculture.Thetopicispertinentnowaslaborcostscontinuetorise,skilledprofessionalsareeverscarcer,thereareincreasingpressurestominimizeresourceusage,foodsupplychainsarebeingrestructured,andconsumersareincreasinglydemandinglocalfoodthatcannotbegrownoutdoorsyear-round.

Thereisawiderangeofautomationandrobotictechnologydeployedinindoorfarmstoday,andalargerarrayofavailableandreadilyadaptabletechnologiesthathavenotyetfoundtheirwayintoindoorfarms.Thevastmajorityofgrowersutilizeatleastsomeautomationequipment;forinstance,60%ofgrowersuseirrigationcontrols.Someautomationsolutionshavebeenaroundforthirtyyears–suchasenvironmentalcontrolsystems–whileothersareinpilotstage.

Thepaththatindooragriculture'sinvolvementinautomationandroboticswilltakefromhereisprimarilydeterminedbyindustryadoptionratesandthespeedoftechnologycommercialization.Optionsareplentifulin“traditional”areasofautomation,suchasirrigationcontrols,butfarmorelimitedinthemoreadvancedroboticsanddata�ieldssoughtbylargegrowers.Further,thereareveryfewproductsthattargetmid-marketandsmallergrowers.There'sadistinctneedforsimplerdeviceswithfewerfunctionsandintuitiveuserinterfacesthatabeginninggrowercanpickupinafewhours;4outof5beginningfarmersdidnotgrowuponafarm.

Thankstotheproliferationofcheapsensorsandatleast54mnavailableplantsfromwhichtosampledata,weexpectawaveofanalyticsplatformsadaptedforuseindoors,andofuserinterfaceproductsthatassumeminimalfarmingknowledge,therealizationofthelong-heldexpectationthat“bigdata”willrepresentthedemocratizationoffarming.Datacouldturngoodgrowersintogreatgrowers,usingdataonplantbehaviortoestablishnormsthatgrowerscanfollow,andthatsmartersystemscanusetoautomaticallyadjustthemselves.Supplychainswilltightenasgrocerystoreinventorysystemsintegrateintofarmcontrolones,enabling“justintime”growing.

Aspotentialmarketsizesforindooragricultureequipmentaresmall,weanticipatethatitwillbetoughfor“singleproduct”technologystartupstothriveinthespace,andinsteadexpecttoseeentrepreneurstacklemultipleindustriessimultaneously,developseveralproductsinparallel,partnerwith�irmsthathaveestablisheddistribution,ordevelopproprietarytechnologiestoimproveyieldsattheirownfarms,asourceofcompetitiveadvantage.

Whilemostcommentatorsdonotexpectcommercialroboticandadvancedautomationproductstoplayamajorroleforatleastanotherdecade,historytellsusthatsuchchangeshappenfasterthanmostpredict;themeatlessstem-cellbasedhamburger,forinstance,wentfroma$325,000scienti�icpipedreamin2011toa$20productby2015.Thefuturemaybeheresoonerthanweknowit.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary 2

1 Introduction 4

Chart One: Overview Of Agriculture Productivity & Technology Development Over Time 5

Chart Two: Most Influential Trends Affecting Farming Practices Through 2030 5

Chart Three: Plant Factory Cost Components 6

2 State of the Industry 8

Chart Four: Equipment & Automation: Who Has What? 8

A Nursery Operations 8

Chart Five: An Overview of Indoor Agriculture Automation & Robotics Technologies 9

Case Study: The Coming Fully Automated Vertical Farms 11

B Process Control 13

C Plant Management 15

D Resource Management 15

E Harvesting 16

F Post Harvesting 16

Chart Six: Ten Examples Of Robotic Harvesting Projects 17

3 What Comes Next 19

4 Conclusion 20


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1 INTRODUCTION

OnAugust10,2015,Americanastronautssampledthe�irstlettuceevergrowninspace,declaringtheaeroponically-grownproduce“awesome”¹.Theachievementwasonefurtherstepintheage-oldrelationshipbetweentechnologyandagriculture,acorrelationthatisnowheremoreobviousthanintheindooragriculturesector.

Thiswhitepaperlooksatoneaspectoftherelationship;thecurrentstateandprospectsforautomationandroboticsintheindooragricultureindustry,whichwede�ineasgrowingproduceinhydroponicsystemsinwarehouses,greenhousesandcontainers.Forthepurposesofthiswhitepaper,weviewautomationandroboticsasanyprocessthatutilizesmechanizationormachine-baseddatainterpretationtoreducefarmingcostsorincreasecropyield.Thisisabroadchurch,sowede�ineitmorecloselyinsectiontwobelow.Itisintentionallyaimedatthosewhoarespecialistsinneitherroboticsnorindooragriculture,anditsauthorsdonotconsiderthemselvesexpertsineithertopic.Ourintentistolookattheglobalpicture,butmanyofourreferencesarebasedintheUnitedStatesasitisourhomebase.We’veassumedthatreadershaveageneralknowledgeoftheindooragricultureindustry,andreferthosethatdonottoourMarch2015whitepaper“IndoorCropProduction:FeedingtheFuture”.Theautomation,roboticsandindooragricultureindustriesarejargon-rich,andwe’veattemptedtode�ineanyindustrytermsinfootnoteswhererelevant.Bytheverynatureoftheexercise,therearedoubtlessmanyworthwhileprojectsanddevelopmentswhichhavenotbeenincludedhere.

Asisshowninmoredetailinthechartoverpage,from1948to2011,totalfactorproductivityinagriculturegrewbyaround150%²;inputsfromlabormeanwhilefellbyanaverageof2.4%annuallyoverthesameperiod.Muchofthisproductivityrevolutioniscommonlyattributedtothespreadofsuccessivewavesofagriculturaltechnology,suchas,modernfertilizers(1940s),geneticallymodi�iedseeds(1994³),anddriverlesstractors(2008⁴).Thishasespeciallybeenthecaseforcapital-intensiveindooragriculturewherethereductionsincapitalcostsseenoverrecentyearshavebeenalmostexclusivelyowingtotechnology,suchaslowerLEDprices.LeadingacademicProfessorKozai,formerlyofChibaUniversity,forecaststhatplantfactory⁵laborandelectricitycostswillhalveoverthenext�iveyears⁶,anecessarydevelopmentiftheindustryistoreach‘�ieldparity’,thepointatwhichproducegrowninindoorsystemsiseconomicallycompetitivewith�ield-grownproduceyear-round.

Akeyaspectofreducingbothcapitalandoperatingcostsistheintroductionofmoreautomationandroboticstoindoorfarms,atrendwhichmanagementconsultinggroupBostonConsultingGroupcitedasthesecondmostin�luentialtrendinagriculturethrough2030inrecentsurvey⁷.Thetopicispertinentnowforseveralreasons:laborcostscontinuetorise,skilledprofessionalsareeverscarcer,thereareincreasingpressurestominimizeresourceusageincludingwaterandenergy,foodsupplychainsarebeingrestructured,andconsumersareincreasinglydemandinglocalfoodthatcannotbegrownoutdoorsyear-round.Wetakeanoverviewofeachofthesedrivingforcesinturnbeforemovingontolookatcurrenttechnologiesandthefutureofthesector.

1“Space-GrownLettuceTastes"Awesome,"AstronautsSay”,SarahFecht,PopularScience,August10,20152“AgriculturalProductivityGrowthintheUnitedStates:Measurement,Trends,andDrivers,ERR-189”,SunLingWang,PaulHeisey,DavidSchimmelpfennig,andEldonBall,EconomicResearchService/USDA,July20153Calgene’sFlavrSavrtomatointroducedin19944FarmingequipmentmajorJohnDeereintroduceditsITECProtractorinearly2008,per“DeereTakesNextStepTowardsDriverlessTractor”,CharlesMurray,DesignNews,February4,20085PlantfactoriesareaJapanesetermforverticalfarmsthatareentirelyclosedenvironment,soexclusivelyusingLEDlighting6SpeakingatInternationalCongressonControlledEnvironmentAgricultureinPanamaCity,PanamainMay20157“CropFarming2030,theReinventionoftheSector”,BostonConsultingGroup,April2015


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LaborIssues

Asformuchinagriculture,thelargestdriverofroboticsandautomationadoptionistheneedtomanagelaboravailabilityandcost;laborcostsmakeup26-40%⁸oftotalproductioncostsinindoorsystems.Theproblemisnotcon�inedtotheUS:Indiaislosing2,000farmersadayowingtodrought,urbanizationanddebt-relatedsuicides,andhasseenitsfarmingpopulationfallfromathirdoftheworkforcein2001tojustunderaquarteroftheworkforceby2013⁹.BackintheUS,broaddemographicshiftsandregulatorychangesrenderfarmlaborevermorescarce,whilesocietalchangesincreasescrutinyongrowers.It’simportanttonotethatfarmworkersareunavailableatkeytimes,leavingcropsunharvested,andthisistheprimaryreasonforadoptionofautomatedharvestingequipment,ratherthanadesiretoreplaceworkerswithrobots.

19501940 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

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AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH OF INPUTS (%)

1940s

1941-5 > frozen food popularized1945-70 > change from horses to tractors1948 > Norbert Wiener of MIT publishes ‘Cybernetics’, describing concept of communications and control in electronic, mechanical, and biological systems

Late 1950s - 1960s > Anhydrous ammonia increasingly used as cheap source of nitrogen fertilizer, spurring higher crop yields1959 > Planet Corporation markets the first commercially available robot

1964 > Artificial intelligence research labs opened at M.I.T., Stanford University, and the University of Edinburgh. 1965 > 99% of sugar beets harvested mechanically1968 > 96% of cotton harvested mechanically

1970s > No-tillage agriculture popularized1973 > 1st commercial minicomputer-controlled industrial robot – T3 - developed by Richard Hohn for Cincinnati Milacron Corp.

1980 > industrial robot markets takes off, new one introduced each month1980s > introduction of seed plug & more automation in greenhouseLate 1980s > focus switches to reducing inputs in farming using sustainable ag techniques

1990s > dairy farmers began using robotic milking machines1990s > development of precision farming1999 > MIT scientists turn RFID into networking technology by linking objects to Internet through RFID tag

2005 > cheap microcontroller platform Arduino created2005 > Cornell University creates self-replicating robots2009 > Harvest Automation founded to create nursery robots

2011 > John Deere introduces driverless tractor2015 > IBM unveils ADEPT project, joint with Samsung, that creates a distributed IoT using block chain tech

1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Sources: Newbean Capital, various including IBM, RobotWorx, Forbes

Chart One: Overview Of Agriculture Productivity & Technology Development Over Time

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Labor Shortage

Source: “Crop Farming 2030, the Reinvention of the Sector”, Boston Consulting Group, April 2015

Automation

Precision Farming

44%

28%

60%

Chart Two: Most Influential TrendsAffecting Farming Practices Through

826%�igureisforplantfactoriesperProfessorKozaiofChibaUniversity,40%�igureisforgreenhousesperdiscussionswithgrowers9“IndiaLosing2,000FarmersEverySingleDay”,InternationalBusinessTimes,May2,2013

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2030

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Interestinmanuallaborasanoccupationisdwindlingasthenumberofcollegegraduatesrises.Between2002and2012,thepercentageof18-24yearoldsenrolledincollegerosefrom37%to41%¹⁰.TheNationalCenterforEducationStatisticsprojectsthatcollegeenrollmentamongunder25yearoldswillrisebyafurther12%from2012to2023¹⁰.

10NationalCenterforEducationalStatistics�igures,mostrecentavailable11“RobotsinNewPlanting,HarvestingRoles”,NASDAQ,April30,201512“RobotsGrabHoldofGrowers’MaterialHandlingNeeds”,GreenhouseGrower,March2,201513Basedon20acregreenhousewith3plantsperm214“Opinion:ThePlanetNeedsMorePlantScientists”,AlanMJones,TheScientist,October1,2014

Source: Professor Kozai, Chiba University

Labor

Other; consumablesseeds, repair, supplies,

water, land rental,miscellaneous

Packing, shipping& transportation

Electricity

Depreciation

11%12%

23%

28%

26%

Theundocumentedworkersthathavetraditionallymadeupalargepartoftheagriculturallaborforcemayalsobelessavailable;thePewResearchCenter,athink-tank,saysthatthenumberofillegalimmigrantsintheUSpeakedin2007andhassincefallenowingtoincreasedjobsinMexicoandtighterUSborderpatrols¹¹.Morestringentimmigrationenforcementisasigni�icantfactorinsomepartsoftheUS,withprogramssuchasI-9audits–whichrequirethatgrowerslayoffundocumentedworkers–frequentlycitedbygrowersasacauseforconcern.

Withtheissueoffarmworkerconditionsnowreceivingattention,thereisanimpetustoimprovehealth,safetyandwell-beingofworkers.Roboticsandautomationcanplayapartintheseimprovements.Forinstance,onegreenhouseoperation–AltmanPlants–usedtohave4-5injuriesperseasonfromspacing,aphysicallytaskingjob,butnowhasnonethankstotheincorporationofnurseryrobot�irmHarvestAutomation’sspacingrobotsintowork�low¹².

Thescarcityofexperiencedplantscientists–whohelpgrowerssolveeverythingfromdiseaseoutbreakstocropyieldconundrums-isaseparateconcern;weestimatethataplantscientistcanlookat5,000plantsaday,yetamediumsizedgreenhousehousesapproximately250,000plants,or50days’worth¹³.Asasociety,wehavebeengraduatingtoofewplantscientistsforaverylongtime.AcademicAlanMJonespointedout–inanopinionpieceinOctober2014’seditionofTheScientist¹⁴–thatoverthelastdecade,theUSmintedonly800plantscientistsworkinginappliedagriculturescienceannually,fewerthanthe1,000newemployeesrequiredinthedisciplinebythesixlargestplantsciencecompaniesalonethisyear.Theabilitytodelegatesimplerobservationtaskstomachines,andtoobserveplantsremotely,willaidinaddressingthisconcern.

ResourceManagement

Inconversationswithgrowersandindustrysuppliers,wefoundthat–whilelaborremainedthekeymotivationforautomation–otherresourcesareagrowingconcern.Thisisespeciallythecaseinareasofdroughtforwater,andingeneralforenergyusedforheatingandcoolingneeds.Itappliestobothgreenhouseand�ieldfarmingalike.Theirinterestisdrivenbothbyadesiretocontaincostsandtostaveoffcriticismaboutresourceusageinagriculture.

Chart Three: Plant Factory Cost


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ReshapingofFoodSupplyChain

Theseadvancementscomeinthecontextofwiderreshapingoftheglobalfoodandagriculturesupplychain,primarilydrivenbyachangeinattitudeswherebyconsumersviewfoodchoicesasawaytoexpresstheiridentityandrepresenttheirbeliefs.Inturn,thishasledtoarenewedfocusonsmaller,nichefarms,onnewdeliverymodels(18%ofAmericanshaveboughtgroceriesonline¹⁵)andontheuseoftechnologytoenablepersonalizedfood.Thetrendbene�itsindoorgrowersabletousetechnologytobettermeetdemandforlocalproduce.

Ag3.0

LanceDonny–CEOofagtechstartupOnFarmSystems–isoneofahandfulofinnovatorswhohavehighlightedthepotentialfor,ashecallsit,Ag3.0,adata-richapproachtofarmingthatutilizesinputsfromdiversesourcestomakebetterfarmingdecisions–includingsensorsonplantsandfarmequipment,weatherstationsandsatelliteimages¹⁶.Withcheapsensorsnowallowingustoconnecttoandunderstandthephysicalworldinawaythat’sbeenimpossibleonsuchascalepreviously,farsmartercommentatorsthanushavedescribedthe“bigdata”movementaspotentiallylargerthantheinternetrevolutionofthelate1990s.

AccordingtoCisco,the9bndevicescurrentlyconnectedtotheInternetwillriseto50bndevicesby2020¹⁷.That’smorethansixdevicesforeveryhuman¹⁸.Thesectorisinitsinfancy,andagricultureisbutoneofthenumerousindustriesacrosstheglobaleconomythatwillbeimpacted;managementconsultantMcKinseyGlobalInstituteestimatesthat25-50%offarmsgloballywilladoptprecisionfarming¹⁹,andindoingsoincreasingcropyieldsby10-20%²⁰.

WhilethebulkofinvestorandmediainterestinAg3.0hasthusfaraccruedtothelargertraditionalagriculturesector,indooragricultureisarguablybetterplacedtocapitalizeonthetrend.Indoorfarmshavefarfeweruncontrolledvariablesthan�ieldfarms.Givenauniformenvironment,moredatacanbecheaplycollectedonindividualplants.Further,indoorgrowershavetheabilitytoeasilyimplementdata-derivedobservationsinacontrolledenvironment.Andtheopportunityislarge;evenifweassumedthatallNorthAmericangreenhouses(soexcludingthe20orsocommercial-scaleverticalfarms)plantedonlyrelatively-sparselyspacedtomatoes,therearestill54mnplantsfromwhichtocapturedata²¹.

Forthecommercialsideoftheindooragriculturesector,weseetwoparticularbene�itsfromthiswaveofinterconnectivity.WeseeAg3.0asthedemocratizationoffarmingbecauseitoffersthepromisethatsomeofthespecializedknowledgethatcommercialfarmingrequirestodaywillbeavailabletoall,regardlessoftheirfarmingprowessoreconomicsituation.Thisispertinentatatimewhenmanypotentialgrowerscomenotfromfarmingbackgrounds,butinsteadtransitionintogrowingfromcareersasdiverseas�inanceandthemilitary.ANationalYoungFarmers’Coalitionsurveyfoundthat4of5farmersunder35weren’traisedonafarm²².Asaconsequence,oneofthemostsigni�icanthurdlesfornewgrowerstoovercomeisthatofeducation,somethingwithwhichbetteraccesstodatafromsensorsandothersourcescanhelp.

Forestablishedgrowers,there’sthepromisethatdatacouldturngoodgrowersintogreatgrowers.Usingdataonplantbehaviortoestablishnormsthatgrowerscanfollow,andthatsmartersystemscanuseto

15BostonConsultingGroup�igure16“TheInternetofThingsandtheFutureofFarming”,SteveLohr,NewYorkTimes,August3,201517“SeizeNewIoTOpportunitieswiththeCiscoIoTSystem”18Basedonglobalpopulationforecastof7.7bnin2020perGeoHive19De�inedasaninformationandtechnologybasedmethodoffarmmanagement20De�inedasconsumersurplus21BasedonCuestaRobleConsultingtotalgreenhousecapacityof4,436acresforNorthAmerica,whichis18mnm²andwithplantspacingof3perm²22“BigBotsinLittleAgriculture”,MarieLawrence,Slate,June1,2012


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automaticallyadjustthemselves,isonewayofmaximizingplantscientists’time.Supplychainscanbetightenedasgrocerystoreinventorysystemsareintegratedintofarmcontrolsystems,enabling“justintime”producegrowing.Academicresearchwillbehastenedbyaccesstoplentifulrealtimedata.

23“Equipment&Automation:WhoHasWhat?”,GreenhouseGrower,December22,2011

A. NURSERY OPERATIONS

Nurseryoperationsincludeseeding,propagating,grafting,transplantingandspacingplants.Commercialseedingmachines–whichplaceseedssuchthatplantshaveequalaccesstolight,waterandnutrients–havebeenavailableforwelloveradecade,andtherearereliablelowcostmachinesthatbreakevenattheequivalentofonly40hoursofweeklyseedinglaborbyourcalculation.Elsewhere,spacingrobots–primarilysuppliedbyHarvestAutomation–havebeencommercialforonlyafewyears.

CompanyExamples:BerrySeeder(seeding),ConicSystems(grafting),HamiltonDesigner(seeding),HarvestAutomation(spacing),HelperRobotech(grafting),Iseki(grafting),ISOGroup(grafting),Seederman(seeding),VisserNA(seeding,propagation)

2 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Thereisawiderangeofautomationandrobotictechnologydeployedinindoorfarmstoday,withthevastmajorityusingatleastsomesuchequipment,forexample,trademagazineGreenhouseGrowerfoundthat60%ofgrowershadirrigationcontrols²³.Theyvaryintheirsophistication;acomplexenvironmentalmonitoringsystemthatworkswellforalargemono-cropgreenhousewouldlikelynotbea�itforasmallmulti-cropverticalfarm.Withcompletecontroloverlightingconditions,verticalfarmsdon’tnecessarilyneedacomplexmonitoringsystems.Someofthesesolutionshavebeenaroundforthirtyyears–suchasenvironmentalcontrolsystems–whileothersareinpilotstage.Asisshowninthechartoverpage,wedividethesectorintoeightbroadstagesofthegrowingprocessandbrie�lyoutlineactivityineachbelow.

ImageCourtesyofNewlux

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Chart Four: Equipment & Automation: Who Has What?% who use


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Chart Five: An Overview of Indoor Agriculture Automation & Robotics Technologies

NURSERYOPERATIONSe.g. Plant SpacingSeeding

e.g. Control Systems,Data Capture (Drones,Sensors) & Interpretation

e.g. Grafting, Pruning& Thinning

e.g. LED Lighting,Water & EnergyManagement

e.g. Harvest Robots

PROCESS CONTROL POST HARVESTINGe.g. Cleaning, ConveyorSystems for AutomatedPacking

PLANT MANAGEMENT

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

HARVESTING

UseCase:DutchsupplierVisserNAisbestknownforitshigh-precisionseedingmachines,butalsosuppliesapropagator,the‘NewluxLighthouse’,thathouses15,000-25,000plugsinlessthan20ft²ofgreenhouse�loorspace.TheCompanydescribestheproductas‘plug-inandgrow’asitcomesfullyassembled,andsaysthatithaslowpowerconsumption,andcanbeusedtoslowdownorspeedupproductiontimesusingadjustablecontrolsoverlightintensityandpower.

What’sNeeded:Spacingtechnologiesarenotreadilyavailabletosmallerfarms.Amethodofcontinuousplanttransplantthatischeapandeasilyinstalledinaverticalfarmwouldbebene�icial.


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Image Courtesy of Intelligent Growth Solutions

CASE STUDY: THE COMING FULLY AUTOMATED VERTICAL FARMS

Oneoftheholygrailsoffarmautomationhaslongbeenthenotionofafullyautomatedverticalfarmforleafygreensandothercommoditycrops,afeatthathasalreadybeenachievedinthebiopharmaceuticals�ieldbycompaniessuchasKentuckyBioProcessing,whichwaspartofagroupofcompaniesthatdevelopedanexperimentalZMappserumforEbolatreatmentusingtobaccoplants²⁴.

Thevisionisthat–withfewlaborrequirements–facilitiesshouldbeabletoreach�ieldparityfasterthanmoretraditionalverticalfarms,andtoscalemoreeasilywithouttheneedforhighly-skilledplantscientistandtechnicalstaff.Capitalcostsandthevagariesofnature–gettingplantstobehaveuniformlyisunderstandablydif�icult-havepreventedsuchdevelopmenttodate,butseveral�irmscontinuetoworktowardsthisgoal.

Spread,Japan

Inspring2015,JapanesegrowerSpreadannouncedthatitwillbuilda1.2acre(4,800m²)fullyautomatedplantfactorynearKyoto,Japan.The�irmhasdevelopedaproprietarycultivationenvironmentcontroltechnologythatlowersproductioncostthroughef�icientresourceusage.Forinstance,98%ofwaterwillberecycled.Thefacilitywillbefullyautomated,everythingfromseedingandwateringtoapplyingfertilizerandharvesting.Itisslatedfor2017startup²⁵.

IntelligentGrowthSolutions,UnitedKingdom

Followingtwoyearsofresearch,IntelligentGrowthSolutionshasdevelopedacommercialscalefullyautomatedverticalfarmdesign,forwhichitintendstoconstructaproofofconceptataresearchinstituteinDundee,ScotlandinJanuary2016.TheCompany’sfocusisoncompetinginacommoditymarket,offeringleafygreensthatareatleastasgoodascompetitorsbutnotassumingthatconsumerswillconsistentlypayasigni�icantpremiumforhydroponicallygrownproduce.

Asaconsequence,itsfocushasbeenondesigningasystemthatminimizescosts,boththrougheconomiesofscale–“selling50-100towerstoonecustomerratherthanoneatatime”–andbyemployinginnovativewaysofreducingenergyandlaborcosts.Thekeys,accordingtotheCompany,areinitsapproachtolighting,powergenerationandautomation.Itintendstousealowcost,�lexible‘quadpower’system,throughwhichitsaysithasseensavingsinexcessof50%onpowercosts.Inmanycases,ithasadaptedtechnologiesfromotherindustries,forexample,itstowersystemismodi�iedfromoneoriginallydesignedatsomecostforSwedishfurnitureretailerIKEA;plant-�illedtraysrotatetothebottomofthetower,sosubstantiallyreducingthelaborinvolvedinrackingtrays.TheCompanyiscontinuingtoiterateitsdesign,seeingparticularbene�itsinincorporatingsensorsintotrays,whichwilleventuallyallowreal-timemodi�icationstotheenvironmentalconditionsofeachindividualtrayofplantsaccordingtotheirneeds.

Thesystem–likemostverticalfarms–iscapitalintensive,withtheminimumcommerciallyviableunit'scapitalcostbeing$16mn(£10mn²⁶)accordingtotheCompany.Atscale,itestimatesthatitscapitalcostperm²willbeintheregionofthatofagreenhouse.Itforecastsa�iveyearpaybackperiod,andexpectsthatitsprimarycustomerbasewillbethelargeEuropeangroceryretailersforwhomsupplychainstabilityisanever-presentconcern.

24“TobaccoplantmaybekeytoEboladrugs”,MadeleineStix,CNN,October3,201425“EntirelyRoboticLettuceFarmtobeBuiltinJapan”,TerezaPultarova,Engineering&TechnologyMagazine,August4,201526£1:$1.56exchangerateasatSeptember17,2015


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LangmeadGroup,UnitedKingdom

WhilealreadyanestablishedgrowingmethodintheNetherlandsinparticular,automatedgreenhousesarenowspringingupelsewhere.InJuly2015,BritishfarmerstheLangmeadGroupdebutedafullyautomatedgreenhouseinWestSussex,UK.The$4.7mn(£3mn)facilityona3acre(1.2ha)sitecanproduce5mnpotsofherbs–basil,parsley,mint,thyme,chives–annually,requiringminimalhumanintervention.It’suniqueautomaticpotting,sowingandgrowingsystemcanrun24hoursadayandenables,forexample,growingbenchestobesownandmovedrobotically.Heatedbyabiomassfuelsystem,thefacilityusesnotapwater,insteaddrawingfromalocalreservoirandrecyclingallwastewater²⁷.

B. PROCESS CONTROL

Systemsthatmonitorandcontrolenvironmentalconditionsingreenhousesandverticalfarmsarelongstandingmainstaysofindoorfarming.Environmentalcontrolsystemshavebeencommercialforthirtyyears,thoughmorerecentiterationsnaturallyreactmoreintelligentlytodatathandidtheirearliercounterparts.Severalsuppliershaveofferedaremote-accessversionoftheirsoftwaresincethedaysofdial-up.Establishedindustryplayershavealreadycapturedsubstantialamountsofdataregardingplantsandoperations,forexample,oneleadingcontrolscompanytoldusthattheyhavemillionsofpiecesofdatastoredonserversforclientuseatsomestage.Morerecentdevelopmentsincludeenhanceddatacapture–whetherviasensorsordrones–andmoregranularresponsestodatabyfocusingonindividualplants.Asisdescribedinsection3below,webelievethatthisareawilllikelybemostimpactedbyAg3.0.

CompanyExamples:ArgusControlSystems,Autogrow,ClimateControlSystemsInc,Nepon,Priva,Stolze

UseCase:Withcomparativelylowcosts,easeofuseandhigherqualityimages,droneshavebeenrapidlyadoptedbytraditionalfarming,andhavenowbeentrialedingreenhouseapplications.TheSpanishCentreforAutomationandRobotics(CAR)hastrialedagreenhousedronethatmeasurestemperature,humidity,luminosityandcarbondioxideconcentration,andthenusesthisdatatoimproveclimatecontrolsystemsandmonitorcrops.Ithasacontrolleron-boardtosenddataviaWiFi.Todate,theprojectisattrialstage²⁸.

AnexampleoftechnologydevelopmentfromestablishedplayersisDutchcontrolcompanyPriva’sTopCropproduct,whichusesaninfraredcameratomonitorplanttemperatureandthencompareittogreenhousetemperaturetogetameasureofplantstresslevels.AftersuccessfulDutchtrials–oneofwhichledtoanincreasein�loweringinplantsfrom50%to85%–theproductisbeingtrialedby�iveNorthAmericancustomers.

What’sNeeded:Thereareseveraldevelopmentsthatwouldaidprocesscontrol:newandcheapersensors,betteranalyticsandmoreintuitiveuserinterfaces.Inaddition,onesuppliernotedthattheirsoftwarecanaccomplishmyriadsophisticatedtasks,butthatthereisagapingrowers’understanding,forwhichtheyviewimprovededucationasthesolution.Therearecurrentlyfewanalytictoolsadaptedforuseingreenhouseandverticalfarmsettings,asituationthatcouldberesolvedthroughpartnershipsbetweengrowers,analytics�irmsandcontrolcompanies.Simpleruserinterfaceswithfasterlearningcurveswouldbeofusetothosewithlessexperienceinthegreenhouseandverticalfarm.

27“UK:FullyAutomatedGlasshouseOpenedbyLangmeadGroup”,HortiDaily,July24,201528“UsingDronesforBetterCrops”,Phys.org,July13,2015


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Nicola_Samsung

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C. PLANT MANAGEMENT

Pruning,trimmingandthinningplantsareamongthetime-consumingactivitiesinindoorfarms,andthereareconsequentlyanumberofresearcheffortsaimedatcreatingroboticthinningandtrimmingmachines.Companiesfocusedonweedingandthinning,suchasBlueRiver,haveoperatedintraditional�ieldagricultureforsometime.Pollinationisagrowingconcernforindoorcropproductionasmoreindoorgrowersproducehigh-valueberriesandfruitsthatrequirepollination.

CompanyExamples:AgriNomix,BlueRiver,Hortiquip(staking),Logiqs

UseCase:Thisisoneoftheleastexoticareasofthesector,howevertheresearchbrightpointisrobobees,bee-likemicro-aerialvehiclesthatcouldconceivablybeusedtopollinateindoorcropsinthefuture.AHarvard-basedteambelievesthatitsworkwillleadtorobobeeswarmsthatcanindependentlypollinateacropinassoonasadecade,thoughtherobobeeswill�irstneedtobeabletocarrymoreweight,to�lyunaidedandtomeshnetwork(“talk”)withoneanothertocarryouttasks²⁹.RobobeeswouldbeonlyastopgapmeasurewhilealternatesolutionsarefoundtoColonyCollapseDisorder,thephenomenonwherebynoadultbees,asidefromthequeenbee,remaininahoneybeecolony.

What’sNeeded:Ongoingresearchisdevelopingautomatedthinningmachinesthatarefaster,moreprecise,anddonotdamagecrops.Thefocusoftheseactivitiesshouldbeonmeasuringreturnoninvestmentasthesetasksareperformeddaily,andassuchdrawlessattentionthanperiodicharvestinglaborshortages.

D. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Optimizingenergy,waterandnutrientuseisanincreasinglyimportantissueinaresource-consciousworld.Itisespeciallypressingforverticalfarms,whereenergy-intensiveLEDlightingandHVACsystemsaccountformorethanaquarterofongoingcosts³⁰.Nutrientdeliveryandwatermanagementsolutionshavebeencommerciallyavailableforseveraldecades.Furthertechnicaldevelopmentswereseenwiththeintroductionandintegrationofalternateenergysources,primarilysolarandbiomass.Forexample,solarmodulecompanySolariaandgreenhouseintegratedphotovoltaicproviderSoliculturecollaboratedtocreateasolarintegratedgreenhousethatdoesnotimpactcropyieldsaccordingtothejointventure.The�irstinstallationisinNorthernCalifornia,andtheestimatedreturnoninvestmentisunder6years³¹.Thecurrentwaveofdevelopmentfocusesonusingdataandanalyticstooptimizeresourceusage,suchas,managingandcyclingLEDlightsinresponsetogridsell-inratesforsolarenergy.

CompanyExamples:CherryCreekSystems,DosatronIntl.,DRAMM,Solaria/Soliculture

UseCase:InApril2015,DosatronIntlintroducedaversionofitsfertilizerandchemicalinjectorproductdesignedspeci�icallyforcontrolledenvironmentagriculture.Theproductallowsgrowerstoautomatethe“delicatescience”ofcreatingtheperfectnutrientmix,sotakingtheguessworkoutofaprocessthatisessentialtomaintainingyields³².

What’sNeeded:Asforprocesscontrol,thereareplentifuloptionsavailableforlargerfarmsandforthoseseekingsophisticatedsolutions,butfewavailableforthoseseeking,lowcostnutrientdeliverysystemsorsimpleanalyticssystemsforenergymanagement.

29“TinyFlyingRobotsAreBeingBuiltToPollinateCropsInsteadOfRealBees”,DinaSpector,BusinessInsider,July7,201430PerProfessorKozaiofChibaUniversity31“GenerateGreenPVElectricityonGreenhouseRoofsWithZeroNegativeImpactonPlantYield”,PressRelease,July28,201532“DosatronInternationalIntroducestheD14MZ2intoControlledEnvironmentAgriculture(CEA)”,PressRelease,April27,2015


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E. HARVESTING

Findingsuf�icientlaborforharvestingisoneofthetougherchallengesfacedbygreenhousegrowersinparticular,primarilyasitisrequiredintenselyforacomparativelyshortperiod.Forinstance,onegreenhouseeconomicsstudycalculatedtomatoharvestingat27hoursforacrop,incomparisonto21hoursforallpruningactivitiesoveraperiodofmonths³³.Consequently,thereisagooddealofinterestin�indingroboticharvestingsolutions.Somehardyrowcropshavebeenharvestedmechanicallyformorethan50years,butdealingwithdelicateproducecropsisthebiggerchallengethatisnowbeingtackled.

CompanyExamples:Agrobot,AppliedFoodScience,FarmersFriend,Growponics,HarvestCroo

UseCase:Tenexamplesofroboticharvestingprojectsareshownintablesixoverpage;thebulkfocusonthelarger�ieldfarmingopportunityatpresent,butweanticipateiterationsofthesemachineseventuallymovingindoors.Moreover,weenvisage“semi-automated”solutionsproliferating,wherebyarobotharvesterworksovernightcollectingtheproducethat’seasiesttospotmechanically,andthenskilledfarmworkers�inishtheharvestduringtheday.

What’sNeeded:Theprimarydevelopmentsthatwouldmakeharvestrobotscommerciallyviablearebetterspeedandaccuracy.Costisalsoanissue,forexample,FrenchroboticscompanyNaio–whichsoldten�ieldharvestingrobotslastyear–predictsreturnsin5-7yearsforthisearlygenerationofmachines,comparedtothe1-2yearsconsideredacceptablebymostgrowers³⁴.

F. POST HARVESTING

Postharvestingactivitiesincludesorting,gradingandpackingproduce,aswellassystemcleandown.Theseactivitiestypicallyrequireconveyorsystems,whethermobileor�ixed,aswellasgradingmachinery,eachofwhichhavebeencommerciallyavailableforsomeyearsandwhichhaveoftenbeenadaptedfromotherindustries,suchasretailandwarehousing.Arguably,wemightalsoincludetrackingtechnologiesinthiscategory,suchasHarvestMark’ssystemtotraceproducefromverticalfarmtoconsumer.

CompanyExamples:Agemchtronix(EndofLineCounter),Aweta,BTM,CherryCreekSystems(Echo-Veyer),Greefa(Combisort),SBMachinerie(SB10),WPS(SmartFlo)

UseCase:DutchpeppergrowerDuijndamrecentlyreplacedanexistingtwentyyearoldgradingmachinewithonefromDutchgradingtechnologycompanyGreefa,speciallydesignedforgradingbellpeppers.Thenewmachinegradesonbothsizeandweight,animportantfeatureinamarketwherepeppersareoftenpre-packagedintocontainersbasedonweight,andallowsforpackagestobeplacedinshippingboxessemi-automatically³⁵.Inotherusecases,paybacksofunderayearhavebeenreportedforconveyorsystems³⁶.

What’sNeeded:Asverticalfarmsproliferate,therewillbeanincreasingneedformore�lexibleandmobileconveyorandpackingsolutionstoaccommodatethedifferinglayoutsofsuchfacilities.

33Figuresfromestimatedresourceuseanddirectcostsforspringtomatocropforgreenhouseproduction,Mississippi,2005,from“BudgetforGreenhouseTomatoes”,MississippiStateExtension,September200734“Frenchcompanydevelopsautonomousgreenhouserobot”,HortiDaily,June19,201535“GreefaCombiSortsortspeppersonsizeandweight”,HortiDaily,September4,201536“GardenState’sConveyors:AdvancedAutomation”,KevinYanik,GreenhouseGrower,June17,2009


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PROJECT

Agrobot

AutoControlSystems

BroccoliHarvestingProject

CROPSProject

EnergridTech

HarvestCrooRobotics

NaioTech

RoboticsPlus

VinelandResearch&InnovationCenter

WashingtonStateUniversity

TARGET CROPS

Field,Greenhouse

Field,Greenhouse

Field

Greenhouse,Orchard

Orchard

Field,Greenhouse

Field

Orchard

Field,Greenhouse

Orchard

LOCATION

Europe

US

Europe

Global

US

US

Europe

NewZealand

Canada

US

STAGE

Commercial

Research

Research

Research

Prototype

Research

Commercial

Research

Research

Research

DESCRIPTION

FrenchcompanyAgrobothasdevelopedastrawberrypickingmachine,pricedat$100,000.Ituseshighpoweredcomputing,colorsensorsandsmallmetalbasketsattachedto14roboticarmstoachievethis.A2ndlargerprototypeisunderdevelopment,andwell-knownberrygrowersarepartially�inancingdevelopment.

Cohasdevelopedarobotichanddesignedtoworkalongsidehumans,thatcanpickthingsupandputthemdown.Itaimstousethemforstrawberrypicking,andclaimsthatacommercialsystemwillhaveareturnoninvestmentofunderayear.

AjointprojectledbyProfTomDuckettoftheUniversityofLincolnisexploringwhether3Dcameratechnologycanbeusedtoidentifyandselectwhenbroccoli,usuallyahandharvestedcrop,isreadyforharvesting.FundedbyAgri-TechCatalyst,aUKgovernmentinitiativedesignedtodevelopagtech.

BeguninOctober2010,theEU-fundedCROPSprojectwasa14-universitycollaborationtodevelop"scienti�icknow-howforahighlycon�igurable,modularandclevercarrierplatformthatincludesmodularparallelmanipulatorsandintelligenttools(sensors,algorithms,sprayers,grippers)thatcanbeeasilyinstalledontothecarrierandarecapableofadaptingtonewtasksandconditions".Ofparticularinterestisthesweetpepperharvestingrobotthatiscapableof"selectiveharvestingoffruit(detectsthefruit,determinesitsripeness,movestowardsthefruit,graspsitandsoftlydetachesit)"

EnergridTechhasdevelopedaroboticcitrusharvestingmachinethatpicksat2-3secondsperorangeandhas80%thoroughnessinrecenttrials.Itusesaheavybase,thatcontainscameras,withaboom,thathouses"frogtongues"thatstrikethetreetodetachfruit.Itisexpectedtoretailfor$200,000-300,000perPattiOrtonKumawhitepaper.ProjectisfundedbytheUSDA.

Establishedin2013,HarvestCroohasraised$1mnfrombackerstodevelopanautomatedstrawberrypicker.Itexpectstoraiseafurther$1.5mnroundbeforereachingacommercialmodel.

Cothatisaimingtofullyautomatewaythatgrowersplant,maintain&harvestrowcrops.Hasreleasedarobotthatcanweeda�ieldunaided,basedonrowlengthandnoofrowsin�ield.Workingonadditionalfeatures.

AcollaborationbetweenRoboticsPlusLtd,UniversityofAuckland,UniversityofWaikatoandPlantandFoodResearchaimingtoautomateharvesting&pollinationofkiwifruit&apples.Teamhassecured$10mn+infunding.TheAutonomousMobileModularPlatform(AMMP)willbecapableofdrivingaroundanorchardbyitself,stoppingattheappropriatespotsfortaskstobeperformed.Thesystemismodular&cansupportoperationssuchas,sensingsystems,customroboticarmsorsprayingsystems,soallowingittomulti-task.

VinelandResearch&InnovationCenterisdevelopinganautonomousmachinethatcanchoosewhichmushroomtopick,processandmoveitgentlytoitspackagingcase.It'sbackedbyanalgorithmthatdecideswhentopickbasedonarangeofvariables.Cycletoselectandpickonemushroomtakes6seconds,andusesaproprietarygrippertopickmushroom,cutstemandputitinpackaging.

AUSDA-fundedcollaborationatWashingtonStateUniversityisfocusedondevelopingarobotichandtobetestedforspeed&effectivenessindetachingapples.Expectsitbereadyfortestingin5-7years,andforcommercializationin15years.

Sources:CompanyWebsites,NewsReports,DiscussionswithResearchers,NewbeanCapital

Chart Six: Ten Examples Of Robotic Harvesting Projects


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3 WHAT COMES NEXT

Thepaththatindooragriculture’sinvolvementinautomationandroboticswilltakefromhereis,inouropinion,primarilydeterminedbyindustryadoptionratesandthespeedoftechnologycommercialization.

It’snosecretthatagricultureisanecessarilyconservativeindustry,andasaconsequence,adoptionratesfornewtechnologiesaresigni�icantlylowerthanininternetorothertechnologyindustries.Oneindustrycommentatornotedthatsuccessivegenerationsofrobotshavebeenadoptedwithtoolittletesting,leadingtodisappointment³⁷.Suchskepticismwillbeabarrierforthoseseekingtointroducenewhardwareinparticular,where,lackingineconomiesofscale,paybackperiodsarealmostalwayswellinexcessofthoseconsideredacceptablebygrowers.

Afurtherconcernissecurity,especiallyforsystemsthatrequirecloudaccess.Thismaybepartiallymitigatedbytheintegrationoftechnologiessuchasblockchain³⁸thatenablemoresecuredistributeddatabaseswithnoWiFiorcellreception.

Aswasoutlinedabove,optionsareplentifulin“traditional”areasofautomation,suchasirrigationcontrols,butfarmorelimitedinthemoreadvancedroboticsanddata�ieldssoughtbylargegrowers,andextremelycurtailedwhenitcomestohardwareanddataservicesthattargetmid-marketandsmallergrowers.Forthisendofthemarket,devicesaresometimesover-engineered;they’remadetoocomplicatedandtoofeature-rich.Asoneindustryconsultantpointedouttous:“manyofmyclientsonlyeverendupusing20%ofthefunctionsofthebettersystems”.There’sadistinctneedforsimplerdeviceswithfewerfunctions,thekindthatabeginningfarmercanpickupinafewhours,andthatincludeintuitiveuserinterfaces.

Yet,muchofthetechnology,fundingandinnovationthat’srequiredtomeettheseneedsalreadyexistsinotherindustries,andagriculturehasastoriedhistoryofrepurposingtechnology.Forexample,agroupatIBMcreated30%moreaccuratesolarenergyforecaststhanthenextbestconventionalsystembyusingadeepmachinelearningtechnologythatcombinesdatafromsensornetworks,localweatherstations,cloudmotionphysicsderivedfromskycamerasandsatelliteobservations,andmultipleweatherpredictionmodels.Thisapproachcouldequallybeadaptedtogreenhousecontrolsystems³⁹.

Perhapsthelargestbarriertotechnologycommercializationwillbeeconomics,bothoftheequipmentitselfandofthebusinessesthatwillbringthemtomarket.Ifwetakeharvestingrobots,forinstance,agenerouscalculationofthecurrentNorthAmericangreenhousepotentialmarketsizewouldbe$60mn,whichisrespectable,butinsuf�icienttosustainanindustryalone.Asageneralruleofthumb,investorstendtolookatmarketsizesofatleast$300mnasviable.Thiscalculationassumesthateachofthe325NorthAmericangreenhousesinexcessof5acreshaveoneroboticharvesteratthemaximumviablepricecalculatedbytheEuropeanCROPsprojectof$200,000perunit⁴⁰.

Consequently,weanticipatethatitwillbetoughfor“singleproduct”technologystartupstothriveinthespace,andinsteadweexpecttoseeentrepreneurspartneringwiththosewhohaveestablisheddistributionintheindustry,aretacklingnumerousindustriessimultaneously,orarealreadyusingproprietarytechnologytocreateacompetitiveadvantagebyimprovingyieldsattheirownfarms.

37AbeVanWingerdenofMetrolinaGreenhousesquotedin“What’stheNextIndustryGameChanger?”,Growertalks,July201538Typicallyassociatedwithcryptocurrencies,blockchainisadistributeddatabasethatmaintainsanexpandinglistofdatarecordsthatareprotectedagainstrevisionandsecurity,evenfromownersofportionsoftherecords,callednodes39“30%JumpinSolarEnergyForecastingAccuracyGainedbyMachineLearning”,TinaCasey,Cleantechnica,July16,201540GreenhousemarketdatafromCuestaRobleConsulting,CROPs�iguresfromDr.JochenHemmingofWageningenUR


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Twobrightspotsinthisevolutionaretheadoptionoftechnologyfromoutsidetheindustryforuseinindoorfarmsandtheriseofreadilyavailableplantdata.Forinstance,intraditionalhardware,VisserNAandauto�irmToyotacollaboratedonanelectricforklift,theVisserVitoy,designedspeci�icallyforgreenhouseapplications.

Historically,there’sbeenaninformationasymmetryinthatestablishedcontrolcompaniesandgrowershaveaquorumofdataonplantbehavioravailabletothemthatlessexperiencedplayersdonot.Onecontrolcompanytoldusthattheyareholdingmillionsofpiecesofdatafortheircustomers.Itisonlyinthepastfewyearsthatcheapsensorshaveallowednearlyallgrowerstoeasilycaptureplantbehaviordata.Intheshortrun,establishedgrowerswilllikelystillretainacompetitiveadvantagefromtheirbacklogofdata,andwillnaturallybeloathtoshareitwithothers.Itremainstobeseenhowfast–andwhether–plentifullyavailabledatawillleveltheplaying�ield,primarilybecausewedonotyetknowifandwhenlowcost,simpleanalyticsplatformsanduserinterfaceswillenablesmallergrowerstotranslate“bigdata”intousableinformation.

4 CONCLUSION

Weanticipatethatfutureindoorfarmswilltakeawiderangeofforms,muchastheydotoday.Forclarity,noneofthescenariosthatweexaminedinthepreparationofthisreportresultinlabor-freefarms,eveninthelongrun.Therearetasksthathumansjustdobetterthanthemostsophisticatedmachines.Instead,weexpectlargescaleautomatedcommercialfarmsthatusefeedbackfromsensorstooptimizeeverythingfromfarminputstotimingharvestwithdata-connectedgrocerystoreanddistributorcustomers.Otherswillchoosetousebasicanalyticsprogramsthattranslatedataintoactionsforthem,andalertthemonlywhenhumaninterventionisrequired,alowtechresponsetohightechprompts.Forsure,thesechangescannotbeachievedthroughtheapplicationofroboticsandautomationtechnologyalone.Plentyoftechnologyadvanceswillnotbeinautomation.Theywillinsteadbedesign-led,suchas,anelegantstackingsystemorabetterwayofhandlingheatinacontrolledenvironment.TherewillbeimportantdevelopmentsinseedsandinthewaysthatweunderstandandutilizeLEDlighting.Progressinotherdisciplines,suchas,biomanipulation–theabilitytomanipulateindividualplants,orpartsofthem–wouldreducetheneedforthinningandpruning,andrenderautomationeasiertoimplement.Giventhecapitalintensityofindooragriculture,better�inancingvehiclesandmethodswillalsoplayapart.

Whilemostcommentators,donotexpectcommercialproductsforatleastanotherdecade,historytellsusthatsuchchangeshappenagooddealfasterthanmostpredict:themeatlessstem-cellbasedhamburger,forinstance,wentfrombeinga$325,000scienti�icpipedreamin2011toa$20productby2015⁴¹.Thefuturemaybeherefasterthanweknowit.

41“HowWillWeBuyFoodin2065”,BrianHalweil,EdibleBrooklyn,December11,2014

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