Science
Iron Ox
Angus, a 1,000-pound mobile robot
Iron Ox, a California-based technology startup, is pioneering the future of robotics and indoor agriculture.
After years of research and development, the company is launching the world's first autonomous farm featuring a 1,000-pound mobile robot, nicknamed Angus.
As alumni of robotics company Willow Garage, Iron Ox co-founders Brandon Alexander and Jon Binney realized they wanted to do more with the technology they were developing. They saw an opportunity in the agriculture industry, which had been using the same antiquated system for dozens, if not hundreds, of years.
The two friends took a road trip through California, asking farmers about the biggest pain points in their industry. The vast majority had the same answer: Newer generations simply aren't interested in farming, creating a massive labor shortage.
That's where Angus comes in. While the typical farmer has to check crops multiple times a day, making sure they have the proper amounts of water, nutrients, and nitrogen, Angus speeds up the process by transferring crops from the harvesting area to the production center.
"A lot of the technology we essentially had to develop from scratch, but now we have a real robot working on real plants that are thriving in our environment," said Alexander.
Take a look at how the technology works below.