Revolutionizing Agriculture: Zordi’s Journey Towards Autonomous Farming
At the heart of Zordi, a pioneering startup in autonomous agriculture, lies the enthusiasm of founder Gilwoo Lee for robotics, healthy eating, and sustainable farming. Even before completing her Ph.D. in AI and robotics at the University of Washington, Lee, along with co-founder Casey Call, embarked on a mission to transform farming practices. Founded in 2020, Zordi has since made significant strides in bringing their robotic innovations to market, particularly in the cultivation of strawberries.
The Evolution of Autonomous Farming
Zordi operates with two primary types of robots within its hydroponic systems:
- Scouting Robots: These gather critical data on plant health using foundational AI models.
- Harvesting Robots: These are tasked with delicately picking fruits and handling other intricate tasks.
Headquartered near Boston, Zordi’s engineering team collaborates with farms in southern New Jersey and western New York. Utilizing NVIDIA GPUs for training their AI models, Zordi’s robots are adept at various functions, from assessing crop health to ensuring optimal fruit quality.
Expanding Operations and Reducing Carbon Footprint
With an eye on sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation, Lee envisions deploying autonomous greenhouse systems globally. Recently, Zordi expanded its partnerships to include greenhouse farms in New Jersey and California, aiming to meet increasing consumer demand with fresher, more sustainable produce.
Embracing AI for Sustainable Farming
Zordi’s adoption of NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin modules marks a significant step towards scalable, sustainable farming. These modules help gather sensor data and run models that monitor plant health, detect early pest and disease symptoms, and manage hydration and nutrition needs efficiently. The energy efficiency of Jetson and the use of affordable high-performance cameras enhance Zordi’s capabilities significantly.
Tackling Labor Shortages with Robotics
One of the major challenges in agriculture is the labor shortage, which often leaves crops unattended. Zordi addresses this with its scouting and harvesting robots, which are designed to handle tasks that are typically labor-intensive. This not only ensures timely harvesting but also enhances the overall productivity of farms.
Future Prospects with Digital Twins and Simulation
Looking ahead, Zordi aims to further integrate AI with its operations using Omniverse Isaac Sim for simulations and digital twins. This will allow for real-time monitoring and optimization of indoor growing environments. Their platform already offers a live dashboard for spatial mapping and plant health analysis, making it easier for farm operators to manage crops remotely.
By leveraging simulations for more delicate tasks, like pruning leaves and handling different types of crops such as cucumbers and tomatoes, Zordi is poised to extend its robotic capabilities. This approach is expected to enhance the shelf life of produce by handling them with greater care.
Vision for the Future
Zordi’s ultimate goal is to create a fully autonomous farming system that simplifies and profits from farming activities. AI-driven decisions on sustainable crop care combined with robotic labor promise a future where agriculture is not only easier but also more efficient and environmentally friendly.
“We’re literally one step away from putting this all into Isaac Sim and Omniverse,” says Lee, highlighting the future potential of their technology.
Zordi’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of AI and robotics in agriculture, paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient future.
