The robotics sector is poised to lead an "agricultural revolution," concludes a new report from GlobalData, with robotics increasingly used to automate processes and support vertical farming.

According to the GlobalData Robotics in Agriculture report, the robotics industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17%, from $63 billion (€58.39 billion) in 2022 to $218 billion (€202.04 billion) in 2030 and will be increasingly used in agriculture to minimize waste and production, as well as to increase the industry's workforce.

Tedious and monotonous tasks

"Robots can perform the tedious and monotonous tasks that lead to injuries and fatigue," commented Holly Anness-Bradshaw, Associate Thematic Analyst at GlobalData. "The agricultural industry is investing and innovating in many parts of the robotics industry, including drones, field robots, and robotic intelligence.

"Robots can be found in vineyards, with Burro's robots helping workers transport up to 500 kilograms of crops around fields and back to sorting facilities."

According to Anness-Bradshaw, robots will assist agricultural workers, not replace them, as they aim to increase productivity and production.

"Traditional agricultural companies like John Deere and Cargill, as well as agricultural startups, are all hiring and innovating in robotics," she said. "The agricultural sector is becoming increasingly aware of the potential and need for robotics to support the workforce and increase agricultural productivity.

"Robots will support human workers by automating repetitive and heavy tasks, such as soil processing, but will also learn crop health and growth patterns."

Farm management

Farm management is also likely to be improved by implementing robotics, as robots learn the growth patterns of specific products.

"Companies like Dogtooth aim to completely automate the lifecycle of strawberries to alleviate the pressure of labor shortages leading to excessive food waste, so crops don't go unpicked," Anness-Bradshaw added.

"Dogtooth is a robotic strawberry picker arm, integrated with sensors, cameras, and AI. The robot can navigate through rows of strawberries, determine if they're ripe, delicately pick the berries, and then pack them into trays." (Photo: Freepik)