Russia’s Semikhatov State Unitary Enterprise Scientific and Production Association for Automation has tested a robot harvester driven by artificial intelligence, Head of Roscosmos State Corporation Dmitry Rogozin posted on his Facebook page.
The intelligence system is equipped with computer vision, with the vehicle motion controlled with the help of Russia’s GLONASS space-based satellite navigation system.
These technologies will allow increasing the processing accuracy to 2 millimeters, Rogozin said, which cannot be attained by even the most experienced combine driver operating a typical vehicle.
“Combine operators will soon be out of job”, the official wrote.
The Scientific and Production Association for Automation is a leading enterprise in manufacturing operating systems and radio and electronic equipment for rocket and space systems, as well as industrial technological process automation. The Yekaterinburg-based company is working on hi-tech projects, such as developing the control system for the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket, various ballistic missiles, and others.
Earlier, Russia’s Cognitive Technologies software company successfully tested a so-called agrodroid, a smart system for unmanned operation of various agricultural equipment. The orders for such systems have already been received from China, Argentina and Brazil. The move has marked Russian developers’ entry into the market of smart harvesters and tractors, which is estimated at $100 bln.