TL;DR:
- Precision AI is developing drones equipped with AI systems for weed control in agriculture.
- The current technology for weed control is wasteful and has negative environmental impacts.
- Precision AI’s technology has the potential to reduce herbicide use by up to 90% compared to traditional methods.
- Precision farming is expected to grow from $8.5 billion to $15.6 billion by 2030.
- Precision AI’s drones minimize collateral damage, potentially allowing farmers to produce more on the same land.
- Precision AI plans to commercialize its on-demand spraying service and sell the spraying drone to farmers.
- The company has attracted investors and is collaborating with Deere & Company on future agricultural technology.
- The viability of agricultural drones still needs to be proven, and there are regulatory hurdles to overcome.
- Precision AI’s approach has the potential to revolutionize the industry and lead to a more sustainable future.
Main AI News:
Revolutionizing the Farming Industry: Precision AI’s Drone Technology
For the past three years, Terry Aberhart, a sustainable farming enthusiast, has been keeping a close eye on the skies over his farm in Canada’s Saskatchewan province. The reason? The spindly, fixed-wing drones zip across the big skies, testing the future of weeding technology. Developed by local start-up Precision AI, these drones are fitted with an artificial intelligence system that allows them to identify and eliminate weeds with pinpoint accuracy without drenching the entire crop in chemicals.
“I’m on the list for one of the first machines when they become available,” says Aberhart. According to him, the current technology is meant to cover everything in the field and is designed for maximum coverage. For decades, crops such as corn and wheat on large farms have been treated using spraying tractors that release a large number of herbicides to eliminate weeds as they move across the farmland. However, apart from the environmental toll, this conventional approach also results in massive financial waste.
In 2022 alone, Aberhart spent nearly C$1 million ($745,000) on herbicides to protect the wheat, canola and pulses growing on his farm, which is larger than Manhattan. He believes that Precision AI’s technology has the potential to save farmers like him a significant amount of money. “Even if we could save 50% on average, it’s a huge saving,” he says. As the world progresses, the agriculture industry is also adapting, and Precision AI’s drone technology is expected to play a significant role in this transformation.
Sustainable Farming: The Future is Here with Precision AI
The need for sustainable weed control in agriculture is more pressing than ever, with global warming causing certain weeds to grow at an accelerated rate and compete with crops for nutrients. Herbicide usage in agriculture not only poses a threat to food security but also has severe environmental consequences such as soil pollution, drinking water contamination, and reduction in biodiversity. A recent study has also indicated that exposure to weed killers, including those considered safe by regulators, can harm water fleas which play a vital role in the aquatic ecosystem.
In light of these challenges, Precision AI is leading the charge in using advanced technology to address the overuse of chemicals in agriculture. Founded in 2017 by serial tech entrepreneur Daniel McCann, the company trains computer algorithms using images of 15,000 plant species to differentiate between crops and weeds. With a camera that can “see” anything larger than half a sesame seed and an AI system that identifies weeds with 96% accuracy, Precision AI’s drones are capable of reducing herbicide use by up to 90% compared to traditional methods.
Precision AI’s drones are equipped to carry five US gallons of liquid per flight and cover up to 80 acres per hour. As the drone flies 4 to 6 feet above the ground, its AI system makes real-time decisions, applying herbicides only where necessary. This cutting-edge technology earned Precision AI recognition as one of the 2023 Pioneers by BloombergNEF, an award that highlights early-stage climate tech innovators with game-changing potential.
“We can’t continue to do things the way we’ve always done them,” says McCann. “We have to grow food smarter.” Precision AI is at the forefront of revolutionizing the agriculture industry, offering a more sustainable and effective solution for weed control.
Precision Farming: The Future of Agriculture
The integration of robotics and computer technology in agriculture is not a new idea, with researchers exploring the possibility of a robotic orange picker as early as the 1980s. However, recent advancements in AI, coupled with the worsening labor shortage and growing consumer demand for ethical and eco-friendly food, have spurred innovation in the field.
“We’re closer than ever to starting to utilize these technologies,” says Manoj Karkee, a professor of agricultural engineering at Washington State University. The precision farming sector, which includes everything from AI-powered weeding machines to smart sensor-controlled irrigation systems, is predicted to grow from an $8.5 billion industry in 2022 to $15.6 billion by 2030, according to Markets and Markets.
Precision AI is focusing on controlling weeds from the sky, offering an added advantage over other companies that are upgrading conventional sprayers to be smarter and target individual weeds. Unlike conventional spraying tractors and ground robots that can cause collateral damage by compacting the soil, drones minimize such damage, potentially allowing farmers to produce more on the same land.
With the world needing at least 50% more food by 2050 to sustain its growing population, according to a 2019 study, precision farming offers a promising solution for sustainable and efficient agriculture.
Precision AI’s Next Step: Fully Autonomous Spraying Drones
Precision AI is aiming to introduce a fully autonomous spraying drone that will be able to operate without human intervention once regulatory approval has been obtained. The drone will be capable of taking off, flying, and landing on its own. Precision AI plans to commercialize its on-demand spraying service in the coming year, allowing farmers to book the service as needed, much like ordering an Uber. Precision AI plans to offer farmers the option of purchasing the spraying drone and charging them a fee for the usage of its AI operating software through a pay-as-you-go model. This allows farmers to have more control over their crop management.
This business potential has attracted investors such as At One Venture and BDC Capital, who have invested more than $20 million in venture funding into the company. Precision AI is also among eight start-ups selected by Deere & Company, a leading farm machinery manufacturer, for a collaboration on the exploration of future agricultural technology.
However, not everyone is convinced that the future of farming will be dominated by flying robots. Mark Siemens, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, believes that agricultural drone makers still need to prove the viability of their technology, especially at scale. Nevertheless,
Precision AI’s ground-breaking methodology for controlling weeds in agriculture has the capacity to transform the industry and open up a path toward a more environmentally sustainable future.
Conlcusion:
The integration of AI and drones in agriculture is a promising solution for sustainable and efficient farming. Precision AI’s drone technology has the potential to revolutionize the industry, reducing herbicide use by up to 90% and minimizing collateral damage.
The precision farming market is expected to grow from $8.5 billion to $15.6 billion by 2030, attracting investment and collaboration from leading companies in the industry. Despite regulatory hurdles and skepticism about the viability of the technology, Precision AI’s innovative approach to weed control has the potential to lead the way for a more sustainable future in agriculture.
