Smart and Affordable ‘Agricultural Robots’

“Smart and Affordable ‘Agricultural Robots’“

“Relatively Low Prices Alleviate Financial Burden on Farms“

“Future Additions Include Weed Control Functionality for Spraying and Transportation“

“Enhancing Battery Performance Through Technology Transfer from the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI)“

“Anyone can venture into entrepreneurship, but not everyone can succeed. Once you start, be prepared for a tough journey until your business takes off. Even with a good start, some may fail to seize the right timing or secure initial investment, leading to setbacks. Sometimes, despite developing innovative technology, additional value creation may be hindered due to the lack of other necessary technologies for commercialization. The place created to support such entrepreneurs is the Changwon Gangso Research and Development Special Zone. Changwon City has specialized in the field of integrating intelligent electrical technology into the machinery industry, spawning several promising small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the past three years. Among them, we introduce the promising SMEs leading innovation in the region over three sessions.

As the aging population in agriculture and the Fourth Industrial Revolution necessitate the introduction of AI robots to farms, it has become inevitable. Various agricultural technologies, from smart farms to pest control robots, are already being developed, but farmers’ perception and adoption remain limited. ‘AG Robotics’ is a company specializing in agricultural robots.”

“◇ Smarter obstacle avoidance driving = AG Robotics, based in Noseo-eup, Masanhoejeon-gu, Changwon City, was founded in October 2019 as a startup company. Their main product line is agricultural robots equipped with AI-based autonomous driving software and an integrated control system based on information and communication technology (ICT). The robots currently developed include pest control and transportation robots. These robots are smaller in size and more affordable than existing products on the market, attracting attention from farmers.

Jo Kyung-sik (47), the CEO of AG Robotics, comes from a family that has been running an orchard business for three generations. He used to help out on the farm during weekends and holidays, so news of accidents involving farmers always hit close to home for him.

CEO Jo stated, ‘Having worked in the defense industry’s robot development department for 15 years, I wanted to do something that would be helpful to the general public. As the labor shortage in rural areas became more challenging, I thought about creating agricultural robots directly to supplement farm labor.’“

“The existing products on the market did not satisfy CEO Jo. He mentioned, ‘Existing products use expensive sensors, making them costly, and they focus only on large-scale farms, neglecting the benefits for small-scale farms.’ He added, ‘Our robots are not only more affordable than existing agricultural robots on the market but also have advanced functionalities.’

Currently, AG Robotics’ agricultural robots only implement pest control and transportation technologies, but they plan to add functions such as weeding and harvesting using modular components in the future.

AG Robotics’ agricultural robots are equipped with integrated navigation sensor fusion technology and artificial intelligence, allowing them to accurately perceive the surrounding environment in real-time. Therefore, they can navigate directions and diagnose obstacles intelligently. If the robot misjudges an obstacle and stops operating, it can impact operational time and require the farmer’s intervention to restart, increasing the need for attention.

CEO Jo stated, ‘When a person is in the path, the robot stops moving, but if there are protruding branches from fruit trees, it continues moving without stopping.’ He emphasized, ‘While existing products with autonomous driving features stop when there are obstacles on the path, our robots assess shapes and make movement decisions accordingly.’“

“◇Acquisition of Crop-specific Management Techniques = They have also developed a user-friendly management system. Farmers utilizing AG Robotics’ robots can integrate the control system with their smartphones to monitor the movement and operational status of agricultural robots. If a technical error occurs and is detected by artificial intelligence, quick maintenance orders can be placed, minimizing the impact on operations.

CEO Jo mentioned, ‘As big data accumulates on the server, robots can acquire crop-specific management know-how from farmers.’ He further stated, ‘Once a system for autonomously managing farms is completed, it can contribute to lowering the barrier for returning to farming.’

With these advantages, they have a competitive edge in terms of price and performance compared to domestic and international competitors. AG Robotics’ robots are modular, allowing for both transportation and pest control, with plans to include harvesting and other functions in the future. They have higher compatibility compared to some competing robots that are dedicated only to pest control. AG Robotics is the only company offering a product equipped with artificial intelligence and a management system. Moreover, the price is relatively low, with a selling price of 30 million won and the option for service subscriptions.

CEO Jo emphasized, ‘More than 86% of domestic farms are small-scale, so we pursued a low price, thinking that high price competitiveness is crucial for widespread adoption.’ He added, ‘While the initial implementation cost may be significant, annual operating costs are expected to decrease by half in the future.'”

“The support from Changwon Gangso Special Industrial Zone has played a significant role in acquiring such technological capabilities.

AG Robotics participated in the 2022 Changwon Gangso Special Industrial Zone InnoPolis Campus project and was selected by the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERITOR) startup program. Subsequently, they received validation of their startup direction and expert mentoring support. Moreover, through a bidirectional technology exploration and collaboration support program, they conducted technology matching, technology transfer, and investment, with plans to establish a research institute by the end of this year. Additionally, they collaborated with the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute on a Tech-up project worth 50 million won, which included prototype development. Furthermore, they received tailored support tailored according to the stages of their business growth.

CEO Jo stated, ‘Receiving technology transfer from the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute allowed us to prepare a clear business blueprint and provided an opportunity for further enhancement.’

The transferred technology involves power conversion charging, which can enhance battery performance and is considered a core technology for driving and controlling agricultural robots.

AG Robotics also revealed plans to further advance toward modular harvesting robot systems. As they have already conducted pilot operations in areas such as Gunwi and Yeongcheon in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, they plan to enter the consumer market for both businesses and individuals as soon as successful outcomes are achieved.

CEO Jo expressed, ‘Our starting point may be pest control robots, but we aim to leap into a solution company that can autonomously manage the entire process in the future.’ He added, ‘By enhancing control performance and safety, we aim to lead not only the domestic market but also the global market with our differentiated technology.'”

Source: https://www.idomin.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=819135