Stone picking machine
Automate Rock Picking With an Automatic Rock Picker
Automate Rock Picking With an Automatic Rock Picker
When you're growing crops, rocks in fields aren't just an annoying nuisance, but a significant threat to farm equipment and costly delays in critical planting windows.automatic rock picker So, if there's any ag technology that has the potential to save growers time and money, it's an automatic rock picker. And that's exactly what Brent Frei, a Grangeville, Idaho-based agricultural engineer, is working on with his company, TerraClear, an applied AI and robotics startup that develops solutions to clear farms of rocks.
According to a press release, TerraClear has raised $25 million from investors including Madrona Venture Group and Founders Fund for its end-to-end field automation system that uses drones and robots to automate the process of clearing rocky fields.automatic rock picker The company's current Rock Picker solution — which can be mounted on a skid steer, tractor, or other vehicle — clears an average of 400 rocks per hour and can handle sizes up to 300 pounds.
The first step in the process involves aerial mapping using advanced sensors, GPS, and trained neural networks that identify a field's rocks and their locations. Then, a hydraulically controlled implement mounted on a tractor or skid steer carries out the picking operation. When the implement is positioned in front of a rock, computer vision on the device identifies it and mechanically snags it and pulls it into the loader bucket.
One of the key challenges in designing the Rock Picker was ensuring it could pick up rocks of all shapes and sizes without snagging other objects, such as soil or stubble, Frei said. "We wanted it to be a tool that anyone on the farm, regardless of age or skill level, can use effectively," he added. "That's why we made a commitment to make it simple and intuitive to operate."
A farmer can then take a GPS-enabled tablet with the company's map application into the field and navigate their skid steer or other vehicle along an optimized path that's been charted by the software. The next time they drive up to a rock, the dot on the map that represents it will disappear. "So, you'll never have to worry about whether or not you missed the target," Lindsley said.
The next stage for the company is to create a fully autonomous piece of machinery that can operate completely on its own, he added. But he acknowledges that may be several years down the road.
With the Rock Picker, farmers can reduce their need for temporary labor during rock-clearing seasons and improve their crop yields by spending more time in the field. And with the company's new funding, Frei says they can ramp up production and expand their team in Idaho and Washington.
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