September 2024

errors through a satellite navigation system. “This is a fast and easy process. The first step is for a human worker to click every strainer post in the vineyard with the app Global Positioning System (GPS) Logger. Then the worker can create a mission, or task-focused trip, for the robot. For example, the robot can drive down every row or every other row to complete a task. The process of logging a block and then creating a mission takes approximately two hours for a 50-acre block,” says Kersley. The robot navigates down the rows using

A diagram of the Oxin vineyard robot, manufactured by SmartMachine in New Zealand. [Photo courtesy SmartMachine]

connected to internet service. “We use cellular networks where available or satellite networks like Starlink when cellular is not, for high- speed satellite internet access that ensures the operator is connected to machines,” says Kersley.

light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a remote-sensing technology in which laser beams measure distance. “We have added radar for heavier canopies and crops. An operator with a connected device like a tablet can run up to six machines at once, 24-7 if they wanted,” says Kersley. He says workers supervising an Oxin need to remain

Farmworkers concerned Farmworkers are concerned that these and other robots

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September 2024

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