Fuji Heavy Industries outs friendless, autonomous farming robot
By Laura June 
posted Oct 29th 2009 1:17PM
posted Oct 29th 2009 1:17PM
Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan has announced what it's calling 'the first' autonomous farming robot. This bot, which is about six and a half feet long and runs on gas, sends and receives laser signals to orient itself by way of reflective plates placed every 30 feet, using them to judge distances. This bad boy can grow fruits and veggies all by its lonesome, and can even operate in a greenhouse. The farming robot -- which is expected early next year -- will run about $100,000, but we'd suggest you buy two so he can have a buddy.
Silent running!
"Take care of the Forest..."
My first thought exactly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oani3-RDvHw
Awesome
Yay for Subaru!
People farming...
Laura "just distances" correction - delete after reading.
"It's people!"
will it farm my farmville crops?
And how many farmville dollars does it cost.
WALL-EEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Is this one Huey, Dewey, or Louie?
I want a mini version for my yard.
Mechanical Eor
Number five is alive!!!!
It even distills its own ethanol fuel from the crops that it harvests. That would be something.
That's an interesting mix of observatio-fiction you've got there.
Seriously though, an autonomous robot growing genetically modified plants in an artificially sustained greenhouse. I'm not sure if we're screwed or saved..
If marijuana is legalized though, think of the revenue the state could make from nearly no overhead crops after the first year.. Craziness.
autonomous farming robot? am i the only one who just had a matrix flashback?
humans are batteries!
Who is going to be the first to try to fuck this farmer's daughter?
But can it sing "The Farmers in the Dell" while it is working.
Can it farm gold?
No. With the help of Cisco, however, it can turn crops into gold.
They can fix teh earth grow pizza plants while we chill out in outer space.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This machine is a long way from being able to take full charge of a piece of ground from planting to harvest to planting again, but it's a step in that direction. To do list: more sensory input, more intelligence, more versatility, lower cost, lower energy profile, ability to operate amid maturing crops without damage.