Robotics in Agriculture - Thematic Intelligence

Robotics in Agriculture - Thematic Intelligence

Summary

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots. Robots are machines capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, either programmed by a computer or using artificial intelligence (AI). Agricultural robots assist farmers with a wide range of operations. The leading adopters of robotics in agriculture are investing in robotic intelligence, drones, field robots, inspection, cleaning, and maintenance robots, and industrial collaborative robots (co-bots) to automate operations, enhance agricultural outputs, and reduce their environmental impact.

This thematic report takes an in-depth look at the importance of robotics to the agricultural sector. Firstly, the value chain section provides an in-depth description of each segment of robotics and outlines the specialist vendors and leading adopters of robotics in the agricultural sector.

The challenges section outlines the key challenges currently faced by the agricultural sector. This is followed by an impact assessment detailing the areas in robotics where agricultural companies should focus and outlines how these challenges have accelerated the need for robotics.

The case study section highlights the deployment of robots within the agricultural sector.

A data analysis section provides market size and growth forecasts, mergers and acquisition activity analysis, a robotics timeline, and insight into patents, company filings, and hiring trends.

Finally, the report profiles companies making their mark within the theme.

“The agricultural sector is undergoing a technological revolution, and the adoption of robotics is central to this, promising solutions from vertical farming to drones. Robotics helps farming become smarter as robotics help with precision agriculture. Drones assist with imaging and surveying crops, collecting crop data to better understand crop health. There is rapid innovation in the area, with drones now increasingly being tasked with crop spraying and terrain monitoring.”

Key Highlights

• The agricultural industry is undergoing a technological revolution, and the implantation of robotics is central to this. According to GlobalData forecasts, the global robotics market was worth $45.8 billion in 2020 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29% between 2020 and 2030, reaching $568 billion by 2030. Field robot sales reached $1.1 billion in 2020 and will hit $11 billion by 2030.
• Over the next few years, commercial drones will overtake military drones and become the largest segment of the drone market by revenue. The adoption of agricultural drones is a key driver of the commercial drones’ market. Drones already provide imaging and surveying, while crop spraying and terrain monitoring are key growth areas. The Chinese drone industry is the largest in the world, and the country is leading innovation in agricultural drones, with Chinese companies DJI and XAG leading the way. These drones can plant seeds, spray crops, and monitor crop health.
• Limited land and labor availability have sparked increasing interest in vertical, indoor farming systems. Incorporating robots into indoor farming operations can improve efficiency as robots can move through spaces, perform multiple actions, and adapt to their environments. Robots inspect and assess the quality of crop growth using computer vision. They also collect crop health data to optimize the application of agricultural inputs, reducing waste and minimizing costs. For example, Iron Ox has developed two robots to operate their closed-loop indoor farming system autonomously, using 75% less energy and 90% less water than traditional field farms.

• This report provides an overview of robotics in the agricultural sector.
• It explains why robotics will continue to grow in importance for the agriculture industry.
• The report outlines how drones and robotics in vertical farming are improving the efficiency of agricultural operations.
• It also provides examples of what companies and organizations in the agriculture industry are doing in relation to this theme and how they create differentiation.
• Finally, the report highlight agriculture companies that are leading in this theme.

• To understand robotics and its current and future impact on the agriculture industry.
• To understand how key challenges that the agriculture sector is facing have accelerated the need for the deployment of robotics.
• To identify the leading robotics adopters and specialist robotics vendors.
• GlobalData’s thematic research ecosystem is a single, integrated global research platform that provides an easy-to-use framework for tracking all themes across all companies in all sectors. It has a proven track record of identifying the important themes early, enabling companies to make the right investments ahead of the competition, and secure that all-important competitive advantage.