A fully automated farm replaces workers with robots and artificial intelligence. The human farmers of the future may not have to work in the field.
A farm that is controlled by AI and robots will appear in Australia at a cost of $20 million, according to ABC News.
The hands-free farm project is being developed by researchers at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia, in partnership with the Cooperative Research Center Food Agility.
When complete, the 1,900-hectare farm will be a demonstration of robotics and artificial intelligence capabilities in agriculture. Technologies on display will include drones, robotic tractors, combines and sensors to measure carbon emissions and other indicators. Research on farms where work in the field is controlled by robots is about to undergo hands-on testing.
The farm being converted to full automation is already operating commercially and growing a wide range of crops, including wheat, canola and barley, as well as vineyards, cattle and sheep. The first tests will allow it to work at night while farmers sleep.
