Agriculture equipment manufacturers target the needs of large scale farms out of necessity, however there is still an opportunity for small acreage farmers to use robotics and make a profit on small parcels.
In mid-November, Jeff Chandler, Chief Executive Officer of Easton Robotics, presented at the 2021 Farms.com Virtual Precision Agriculture Conference & Ag Technology Showcase. He focused on the use of autonomous ground vehicles on small acreage farms with less than 50 acres in size.
Easton Robotics sees the opportunity for small acreage farmers to use robotics and is committed to develop a family of affordable products suited for small farms.
“A part of the secret to making affordable products is to try and build off of existing components and using existing implements and attachments, without reinventing every single thing,” shares Chandler.
Easton Robotics envision robotics to efficiently:
- Prevent crop loss with the ability to use image recognition, path planning and navigation to improve grain crops such as wheat, soybeans, corn, sorghum, and other densely planted crops.
- Enhance revenue by adding direct value to farmers through high quality or improved characteristics of crops, resulting in a better price per bushel.
- Reduce or eliminate labor costs in which the robot could perform multiple tasks instead of a human crew. A small robot requires less set up time, travel time, eliminates fuel costs, and can produce labour at any time during the day.
There are some key tasks that are unsuited for small scale robots such as planting, disking, and tilling.
“We understand that robotics are not changing fundamental farming practices by replacing big tractors, however we believe that autonomous ground vehicles have a place for small farms. We really think we can make a difference investing in the design and development of robotics to help the small acreage farmer,” says Chandler.
Within the next few years, Easton Robotics intends to have a task specific product prototype developed and released to the market.
Click here to view Easton Robotics website.
About Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler is an 11th generation farmer based in Easton, Maryland. After a long career in information technology management and consulting, Chandler founded Easton Robotics. He was previously CEO of American Technology Services Inc., a managed services firm based in Northern Virginia.
Chandler obtained his bachelor’s in science, physics degree from Davidson College and an MBA from the University of Georgia. Chandler lives with his wife in rural Eastern Shore Maryland where he is still actively involved in farming for his own property.