Dec 14, 2022
A worker at Avisomo tends to leafy greens in a CEA facility. Credit: Avisomo.
Editor’s Note: The following list details some of the many automation companies involved in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector. As there are numerous suppliers around the world that specialize in automation for indoor farms, this list is not exhaustive but rather meant to illustrate the variety of ways in which suppliers are creatively meeting the needs of their customers.
Written by: Sarah Jordan and Justin Hyunjae Chung
December 14, 2022
In vertical farming, efficiency is key for those looking to increase their profit margins. Automation is one way to cut costs and increase efficiency in a vertical farm. By using robots to help with various aspects of farming, we can supplement the need for human labor to complete tasks such as seeding, transplanting, tray washing, harvesting, packaging, labeling, and fertigation.
Automation is important to maintain constant levels of certain farm inputs such as dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and water, and it also helps to cut out repetitive human labor in seeding or harvesting. Since these factors determine the quality of a crop yield, choosing the right automation technology for your farm is no easy task. Automated sensors can let a farm operator know when something in their setup has gone awry and needs fixing. This can be very helpful to busy operators, and some systems even allow you to control the farm remotely via an app.
So, who is changing the game in automation? We have a few contenders:
TTA
TTA’s Flexplanter machine in use at an InFarm facility. Credit: TTA.
Founded in 1996, this Dutch company creates automation equipment for handling and selecting young plants. They also offer harvesting equipment to streamline processes for indoor farmers and farm operators. Their ultimate goal is to provide an automated solution for the entire production process of indoor farming.
TTA encourages potential clients to explore their automation options during the planning process of building their farm. By thinking about the possibilities of automation in the beginning, you can avoid future headaches like not having enough space in the facility for automation equipment. Their equipment is trusted by partners worldwide, and includes the innovative Lowpad, a transit system utilized for in-warehouse travel of pallets and similar horticultural structures.
Priva
One of Priva’s automation solutions in use at an indoor farm. Credit: PB Tec.
Priva’s software and hardware systems allow farmers to precisely control the conditions of their grow environments. This family-owned business has been working in the field for over 65 years and has years of experience implementing automation strategies.
By having humidity, CO2, lighting, and temperature controls all in one place, your job as a farm operator can be much more manageable. Priva’s digital services are available remotely via smartphone, tablet, or computer, so you can be assured that you can always monitor and adjust your farm’s settings. Their integrated solutions can be linked, so that all of your processes can be automated and controlled in one place.
Logiqs
Logiqs bench systems in use at a CEA facility. Credit: Logiqs.
This Dutch company, Logiqs, offers automation solutions for a variety of challenges facing the industry. With their design tool, you can create a mockup of a possible equipment configuration in your space. This innovative solution allows clients to critically think about the possibilities of different automation solutions in their own vertical farm.
Logiqs’s automatic mobile benches are a great automation tool for those looking to maximize their farm’s footprint. They are also great for moving plants between climate zones, which avoids having to adjust the climate in one growing area. Logiqs’s benches can even have built-in intelligent irrigation systems, which can sense precisely when a plant needs to be watered. This type of precision can put farm operators at ease that their plants will be cared for properly. Logiqs also offers long-term support for their hardware solutions.
Green Automation
Green Automation’s hardware in use at a commercial leafy greens facility. Credit: Green Automation.
This Finland-based company aims to advance greenhouse growing by providing fully automated NFT growing systems. Their products are intended for use with leafy greens and are used by CEA farmers globally. They offer a number of automation solutions, including seeding, germination, nutrient management, irrigation, harvesting, washing, and packaging. With over 10 patents in various countries, Green Automation is trusted by farmers around the globe.
One company that works with Green Automation is Revolution Farms based in Caledonia, Michigan. By using Green Automation’s gutter system, they can decrease labor costs and human contact with the plant, saving the farm money over time and keeping the plants safer for consumers. Revolution Farms states that they chose Green Automation for their good reputation among growers and because they offer the scalability for expansion.
Green Automation is also focused on data acquisition. Having access to real data ensures that their machinery operates with optimal plant growth in mind. Their data-backed plant science is perfect for commercial farmers dealing with many plants at once.
Avisomo
A farm worker utilizes Avisomo’s software to control automated processes. Credit: Avisomo.
Norway-based Avisomo provides automated software solutions to help indoor farmers optimize their efficiency and plant health. It allows for customization of various factors, including irrigation, fertilization, and lighting. Avisomo’s software also comes with “digital plant recipes,” which allow for automated cultivation, and they are fully customizable to meet any farmer’s specific needs. Plus, every grow cycle is logged and saved in the cloud, so if one harvest goes exceptionally well, you can replicate it exactly in the future.
Avisomo’s software and hardware solutions can be paired for easy integration. They offer racking, irrigation, sensor, and lighting hardware that is easily scalable for farmers. Avisomo also has automated solutions for internal logistics. Their robotic hardware can help speed up production and lessen a farm’s reliance on human labor for harvests. Plus, if you ever have trouble with any software or hardware from Avisomo, their team of engineers is prepared to help troubleshoot.