Japan?s Dream Project is a farm run by robots

The tsunami and earthquake that hit Japan last March saw thousands die, homes destroyed, a nuclear reactor meltdown, and power issues for many months afterwards. But Japan is recovering slowly, and using the disaster as an excuse to try something new in areas of the country affected by those events.

One of the most interesting new ideas is called the ?Dream Project.? It?s a new farm being planned for a 600 acre site in Miyagi Prefecture that was flooded with sea water during the tsunami. This farm isn?t very typical though, as it will be run entirely by robots.

The farm will grow fruit, vegetables, rice, soybeans, and wheat. They will be planted and harvested by robotic tractors, and then boxed up by other robots before being shipped for us humans to enjoy.

As well as being unmanned, the farm also aims to minimize the use of chemicals and pollution. With that in mind, the carbon dioxide produced from the robotic tractor engines will be stored and fed back into the crops. Pesticides are out, in their place will be special LED lighting.

The company?s involved in the farm project include Ajinomoto, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Ito-Yokado Co., NEC, Panasonic, Sharp, and Yammer. Meaning we?re sure to see some advanced robotic designs and behavior.

Considering the size of the site and technology involved, there is significant investment required to set the farm up. $52 million will be invested over the next 6 years by the Japanese ministry of agriculture, with a further $78 million of investment coming from private companies.

If successful, the robotics and techniques used will certainly filter down into machinery for all farms. We may even one day get the chance to turn our home gardens into mini-farms run by robots and producing fresh food for us to eat everyday.

Read more at AFP

Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/japans-dream-project-is-a-farm-run-by-robots-2012017/

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