Ask HN: Does anyone know of an open source Farming robot, project, or effort?
I was inspired to ask this after seeing Farmbot mentioned on Hacker News again this morning. One of the comments more accurately describes that project as a gardening robot.
I am both a farmer and a software engineer. Like many, I have more ideas for software projects than I can realistically undertake, and my time is further limited by the demands of running my farm.
Traditional farming typically involves very high-cost, large machinery used across hundreds or thousands of acres. Gardening, on the other hand, is much smaller in scale and involves more careful tending to individual plants or smaller groups of crops, rather than massive fields like a 50-acre plot of wheat.
There is a middle ground that might be called "Small Farming" or "Market Gardening." Our production space is about 2 acres, and our beds are a standard 30 inches wide.
Over the years, I've seen many articles and posts about new AgTech products, such as AI-driven laser weeding, drone spraying, and the now common autopilot systems aboard tractors and other machinery.
What I would love to see, and may end up starting myself, is an Open Source FARM Robot. Perhaps something like a wheeled unit with a wheelbase that comfortably fits over the standard 30-inch bed. The drive unit/chassis could allow for modular payloads like a weeder, seeder, or amendment hauler and distributor (compost, fertilizer, etc.).
Is anyone aware of projects or folks working on something along these lines? - [FarmBot | Open-Source CNC Farming] - [A New Open-Source Farming Robot Takes Shape | Hackaday] https://hackaday.com/2021/03/05/a-new-open-source-farming-ro... - [agricultural-robotics · GitHub Topics · GitHub] Twisted Fields: https://github.com/Twisted-Fields (open-source precision farming rover) Check out twisted fields: https://youtube.com/@twistedfields?si=U04aXhWmqWOaxlBf A couple of hours ago on HN:
[Open Source Farming Robot](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41150095) The author mentions that this was the inspiration for the question, and called it more a gardening robot, while they’re looking for something that works at a larger (medium) scale. Check out https://farm-ng.com/. Not open-source, but I think it's close to the form factor you imagine Interesting ... SO is there a home version of the ai laser weeder? Dunno about that but There is though a laser that shoots certain parasites... On farmed salmon's bodies.