When it comes to farming, it is no secret that robots and machinery is the way of the future. After all robots and machines require no rest and they are precise and efficient. However there is the argument that robots mean that jobs done by humans are replaced, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing for California’s wine scene.
Due to the shortage of water and workers, producing wine in California has become increasingly difficult. This is why winemakers in the region have approached researchers at the University of California to come up with an irrigation system that will require minimal human input, thus solving some of their problems.
The result is a robotic irrigation system called RAPID (Robot Assisted Precision Irrigation Delivery) in which it was designed to reduce water usage, but at the same time improving yields. This is done by using drones to survey the ground conditions and water use, and in turn adjust the amount of water needed.
The best part is that apparently RAPID will be compatible with current irrigation systems, which means that winemakers don’t need to overhaul their current setup. Plus it also functions 24 hours a day, which in turn also reduces the need for human input.