91Ƶ

Smart Agriculture Drives 18.5 Billion US Dollars and AI Data Is the Key!
Market News

Smart Agriculture Drives 18.5 Billion US Dollars and AI Data Is the Key!

The era of AI smart agriculture is coming, and whether enough data can be collected to train robots to solve the problem of automated harvesting will be the key to digital transformation.
Published: Sep 13, 2022
Smart Agriculture Drives 18.5 Billion US Dollars and AI Data Is the Key!

According to the "World Agrochemical Network" report, the application-based "smart agriculture" market is expected to reach a scale of US$18.45 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 13.8%. Smart agriculture has a wide range of applications, such as remote data monitoring of sunlight, temperature and humidity in farms, crop growth monitoring, fruit picking robots, even pest control, and regional 3D vegetation detection. The scope of smart agriculture.

Facing The Trend of Smart Agriculture, Countries Around the World Offer "Data" To Solve the Problem

France, as the EU's largest agricultural producer, bears the brunt of this. The French government, agricultural organizations, and private enterprises have collaborated to establish an agricultural information database covering planting, fishing, animal husbandry, and even agricultural technology research and development, commercial markets, and legal policies. French farmers don't have to go out under the sun, just swipe their mobile phones, and they can master the world's "farming affairs" with one hand.

In Asia, Japan is notoriously aging country, with the average age of farmers as high as 67 years old. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan estimated that in 2015, there were still 1.5 million agricultural employees, but by 2030, it will drop all the way to 750,000, and it will be reduced by half within 15 years. This figure made the Ibaraki prefectural government decide to take action to save local agriculture.

Ibaraki Prefecture is located in the northeastern part of Japan, with a vast area of agricultural land, about the size of 460 Tokyo Domes. In April of this year, Ibaraki Prefecture launched the "Tsukuba City Future Co-creation Project". Through industry-government-academia cooperation between the government, farmers and new start-ups, it will jointly develop AI robots for smart agriculture with farmers, and introduce robots in a low-cost way. Locally grown tomato, cucumber, green pepper, lychee and other farms. Committed to creating time-saving, labor-saving and "earned-money" agriculture with AI video surveillance, creating the prosperity of sustainable agriculture in the next 100 years.

Smart Agriculture Starts with Data Collection

The smart agriculture projects I have handled in the past have covered main types such as automatic harvesting, growth monitoring, and pest control. Some of the clients are from large enterprises, start-ups or agricultural organizations, among which Japan has the most clients.

Before embarking on digital transformation or AI industrialization, "data collection" is an important way to start. For example, we all know that a top-quality Wagyu beef needs to have fine meat quality and evenly distributed oil flowers, and a good data set is very similar to Wagyu beef and needs to have the following characteristics at the same time:

  1. Is the “quality” of the images clear and correct?
  2. Are the “proportions” of various target objects and field situations evenly distributed?

If a batch of AI data is collected from the wrong angle, or if there is a large deviation in the number of images among various target objects, and the images are blurred, it is easy to cause machine learning errors.

Taking the AI application of the growth monitoring of flower farmland as an example, a high-angle aerial camera is generally used for framing, and when collecting pictures, the surrounding objects that will cause interference, such as weeds, vegetation, other mixed objects, are not overlooked. Flower varieties, etc. If necessary, even the influence of sunny and rainy days should be taken into consideration.

The AI application of fruit harvesting robots needs to be photographed from a head-up angle, and may focus on obtaining features such as stems, leaves, buds, flowers, and fruits that are similar in proportion and clear, in order to learn quickly and well. .

After the data collection is completed, it enters another important link - data annotation.

91Ƶ To Label Ai Data Is the Key

The AI data labeling of smart agriculture is actually not simpler than the general data labeling, because it involves a lot of "botany" and pays great attention to details.

For a while, we had an entire row of potted tomatoes in the office. After a while, tomatoes were replaced with raspberries, lilies and other plants. Some customers come to visit, thinking that these potted plants exist to beautify the environment, but in fact, the project management and AI data annotation team can grasp the characteristics and details of the annotation in order to observe the details of plant growth up close. When encountering problems that cannot be solved, we will also consult experts related to agriculture, so as to fully understand the growth characteristics of plants, so that the labeling work can be done in place and with high quality.

Because there is abundant data labeling experience as a nutrient, when dealing with different agricultural projects, past experience can be quickly copied to other project types. Take the case of the raspberry harvesting robot, for example.

If only the fruit and flower parts are framed when labeling, and machine learning is performed, a blind spot will be found: that is, the "branches" also need to be labeled, and the difference between the trunk and the branches must be clearly distinguished. Why do you say that?

If only the fruit is marked, the machine may directly cut off the branches in order to achieve the goal of harvesting the fruit, causing serious agricultural damage. At the same time, the branches are divided into two types: the main trunk and the branch trunk. The machine must be clearly told several principles that do not contradict each other, so that the machine can know which parts should be cut and which ones must not be cut.

The reason sounds simple, but from the perspective of customers and AI robots, we need professional insights into data and innovative solutions. Through the feedback mechanism, it not only optimizes the labeling principle, but also saves the time for customers to correct data errors back and forth.

The era of AI smart agriculture is coming. Under the promotion of production, government, and education, with the assistance of AI data, the work of harvesting rice in the future may be easier, and may no longer be hard work.

Published by Sep 13, 2022 Source :

Further reading

You might also be interested in ...

Headline
Market News
Smart Milling Machines, IoT, and High-Speed Milling
Technological advancements in the machine tools industry are constantly shaping the way manufacturers approach production. The integration of Smart Milling Machines with the Internet of Things (IoT), often referred to as Industry 4.0, propels the industry toward unprecedented levels of efficiency and productivity.
Headline
Market News
CNC Milling AI Technology and Nano-Machining
Advancements in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling technology have propelled CNC milling machines into a new era of precision, speed, and efficiency. Nano-machining allows the fabrication of components and structures with dimensions on the nanometer scale, typically ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers. These technological advancements, combined with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, have had a profound impact across manufacturing industries.
Headline
Market News
Innovations in Grinding Wheel Technology: Materials, Design and 3D Additive Manufacturing
From the rudimentary stones used in ancient times to the highly sophisticated wheels of today, the evolution of grinding wheel materials and design has been marked by a relentless pursuit of precision and efficiency. Early grinding wheels were often made from natural abrasives like sandstone. Today, materials such as aluminum oxide and silicon carbide, along with advancements in design and the introduction of additive manufacturing, have revolutionized the grinding process.
Headline
Market News
Environmental Sustainability in Grinding Operations
Grinding operations have significant environmental impacts, contributing to carbon emissions and resource depletion. The manufacturing industry is transforming for sustainability, with grinding machines adopting eco-friendly practices and pursuing green certifications to enhance their role in sustainable manufacturing.
Headline
Market News
The Evolution of Advanced Precision Grinding Machine Technologies
The evolution of precision grinding machines has been nothing short of revolutionary. With the integration of cutting-edge technologies, the sector has witnessed remarkable advancements, including the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and Industry 4.0. The latest innovations in grinding machine technology include the seamless integration of AI and automation, advanced control systems, as well as the profound impact of Industry 4.0 on grinding processes, driving higher efficiency, precision, and adaptability.
Headline
Market News
EDM in the Era of Industry 4.0: Challenges and Solutions
The integration of Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) into Industry 4.0 marks a new era of smart manufacturing, where interconnected technologies, data-driven processes, and automation play pivotal roles. Incorporating EDM into the broader framework of Industry 4.0 has brought forth many new challenges, ranging from cybersecurity concerns to interoperability issues and the optimization potential of data analytics. These challenges have spurred the discovery of unique solutions to address them.
Headline
Market News
The Rise of Solid-State Drives: Accelerating the Future of Data Storage
As the demand for faster, more efficient, and reliable data storage solutions continues to increase at incredible rates, Solid State Drives (SSDs) have brought about a monumental leap forward from traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). Known for their robust performance, durability, and efficiency, SSDs have quickly become the preferred storage solution over traditional HDDs.
Headline
Market News
Optical Switches: Revolutionizing Data Transmission
Optical switches are devices used in optical fiber communication networks to selectively switch or route light signals from one optical fiber to another without converting the optical signal to an electrical signal. They are used in optical communication networks, data centers, and other industries where efficient signal routing and switching are paramount.
Headline
Market News
Lighting the Way: The Rise of Solar Powered LED Lights
Solar Powered LED Lights merge the low power requirements of LED technology with the renewable energy capabilities of solar power, offering an eco-friendly solution for diverse lighting needs across various settings. From emergency response and relief efforts to captivating art exhibits, creative minds are continually discovering new and innovative uses for this transformative technology.
Headline
Market News
Maximizing Connectivity: USB-C to HDMI+VGA+Audio Splitters
With the ever-increasing complexity of electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and PCs, there has been a corresponding need for versatile and efficient ways to transmit the ever-increasing data and multimedia. To meet these rising data transfer needs and enhance digital connectivity, various forms of connectors have been designed.
Headline
Market News
The Art of Bicycle Manufacturing: Blending Tradition with Innovation
From traditional craftsmanship to modern production techniques, bicycle manufacturing represents a blend of artistry, precision engineering, and technological innovation. The contrast between traditional and modern techniques can significantly affect the final product’s quality, performance, appeal, and brand loyalty. Quality control and testing protocols, along with collaborative efforts that drive innovation, and the enduring value of craftsmanship, significantly influence the art of bike building.
Headline
Market News
USB “Fast Charge” Car Chargers: Evolution and Technology
Staying connected in today’s digital world is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity. Reliable and continuous use of smartphones and other portable electronics would not be possible without the constant connectivity offered by portable USB chargers. One very important category of USB chargers is those used in cars, which convert the car's 12V electrical supply into a USB-compatible electric output suitable for consumer electronics. This has led to a robust market for USB car chargers, highlighting the unique applications and benefits of these types of chargers.
Agree