McLean County Farm Bureau

Robots and drones working U of I’s farm of the future

Some farmers wanting to plant cover crops earlier and at a lower cost could find the solution in automation. Naveen Uppalapati, University of Illinois research scientist, demonstrated a four-wheeled EarthSense robot capable of carrying 80 pounds of cereal rye seed at the Safety for Emerging Robotics and Autonomous Agriculture Workshop. It’s just one of the projects that demonstrates the future of U of I’s I-FARM. “We try to put farmers’ needs first so they can actually benefit from the technology,” said Isabella Condotta, an engineer and professor in the animal sciences department. Learn how they’re using a $3.9 million USDA grant to study digital technology in agriculture.