An Autonomous Rock Picker Could Be the Future of Farming

An Autonomous Rock Picker Could Be the Future of Farming

The agriculture industry has done a fair job of reducing manual labor, but one chore remains a major pain point for farmers: picking rocks.autonomous rock picker These pesky obstacles wreak havoc on equipment and can delay harvest in critical windows of the growing season. Fortunately, an applied robotics and AI startup has raised venture capital funding to solve this problem once and for all.

A company called TerraClear has developed an autonomous rock picker that hooks up to farm equipment to help clear fields of rocks.autonomous rock picker Using mapping technology, computer vision and AI, the system can detect and identify rocks, determine their locations, size and the best path to remove them. Then, the system directs the hydraulically-controlled implement, which resembles a rubber-belt attachment that’s hooked up to a skid steer loader or tractor, to grab the rocks and pull them into the bucket. The device has been in development for 3 years and is now ready to hit the farm market.

Brent Frei, TerraClear’s co-founder and CEO, says he got the idea for the technology by thinking about the logging industry, which uses similar devices to grab logs out of the ground. He figured that by mimicking the design of these machines, his team could build something that would make it easy for anyone to operate. The latest version of the system requires a little bit of skill to operate, but it’s still much easier than picking rocks manually.

The system also provides a number of other benefits, such as:

Increasing Nutrient Availability

Rocks clog soil pores, preventing nutrient distribution and inhibiting crop growth. Additionally, rocks can break and damage plows, cultivators and harvesters, leading to costly repairs and downtime during critical planting and harvesting windows.

According to Frei, the company’s software is capable of detecting rocks of all shapes and sizes, even in densely tilled fields. It is also designed to work in any weather conditions, and can be redirected to concentrate on areas that are particularly troublesome. In addition, the software identifies weed species and calculates an effective chemical application score, which can save significant time in the field by targeting only problem areas.

The system integrates with TerraClear’s own mapping software and 3rd party drone services to provide a comprehensive rock clearance solution that combines information with an on-the-ground physical solution. TerraClear is demonstrating the system at the 2024 Iowa Ag Expo Jan. 30 – Feb. 1 in Des Moines. The firm’s robotics and automation technologies are on display at booth 1026. The Autonomous Rock Picker is currently being offered for pre-order. The investment from Madrona will be used to scale production and sales of the product, and to further develop the autonomy that will eventually allow it to run completely independently. LUCID’s high-resolution GigE camera is ideal for the rugged conditions encountered on a farm machine, and its IP rated housing, shock resistance and M12/M8 connections ensure it will continue to perform well as it undergoes regular exposure to dirt and dust.

Tags:compact tractor rock picker | field rock picker | hydraulic rock picker