Bee Robotics patents drones for fully automated farming

Currently farming is done by using powerful ground equipment or aircraft that weigh several tons and treat uniformly tens of hectares per hour.

Bee Robotics envisions automated farming that is done using small, agile, lightweight, energy-efficient automated robotic equipment that flies to do the same job, even able to farm on a plant-by-plant basis, allowing for new ways of farming.

Automated farming will use drones that are equipped with detachable implements and reservoirs. Automated farming will use high-precision GPS and other precision positioning and vision technology to autonomously and precisely perform crop dusting, planting, fertilizing and other field related farming or husbandry tasks. Several subsystems will be used for the control, refill, recharge and communication of the aerial farm robots.

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Automated farming is an alternative to current farm mechanization that will allow us to implement a farming model that drastically optimizes productivity in a sustainable and economic manner. It also allows existing large scale monoculture operations to move to more ecological and economical viable models while significantly increasing yields per hectare.

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Image Credit: TheSkyGuys
Patent Information
Publication number: US 9,382,003
Patent Title: Aerial farm robot system for crop dusting, planting, fertilizing and other field jobs
Publication date: Jul 5, 2016
Filing date: Mar 20, 2014
Inventors: BHarm urema; Anatoly Filin;
Original Assignee: Bee Robotics Corporation

US9382003