An Australian-born solar-powered agricultural farming robot RIPPA

Lawn mowing and weed removal are taxing for farmers especially laborin today’s agricultural sector which suffers labor shortage. To tackle this issue, a solar-powered farming robot was invented in Australia.

Automation of farming practices

RIPPA, the eco-friendly four-wheeled robot made to help people in agriculture, was invented by robotics specialists from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies Australian Centre for Field Robotics(ACFR). A built-in sensor inside RIPPA can measure soil moisture as well as soil temperature.

Making farming easier 24/7

RIPPA is powered by solar energy which is collected by the solar panels at the top of the machine. As long as there is solar power available RIPPA can run 24/7. A high-speed camera and remote sensing allow automatic weed removal as well as pesticide dispersion.
In addition, compared to conventional farming robots, RIPPA is a more affordable option. RIPPA, therefore, can be purchased by smaller-scale farmers and help them manage their farms better.

Sustainable farming for the future

Advanced technology has transformed solar energy into the labor force, helping people in need in modern agriculture.
As Japan’s farming population has been ageing and decreasing the agricultural sector faces a severe labor shortage. Robots and solar energy might help us protect the future of agriculture.

Source：RIPPA
https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2015/10/21/rippa-robot-takes-farms-forward-to-the-future-.html