TerraForce, based in Vincennes, Indiana, has secured $375,000 in funding from new investors to enhance its AI integration within the agriculture sector. The company focuses on developing AI-driven robotic harvesters capable of identifying and picking ripe watermelons and pumpkins with minimal human supervision.
"This oversubscribed round and presales of our recurring services serve as a powerful validation of our vision to reshape the future of farming," states Mike Jacob, founder and CEO of TerraForce.
Addressing labor challenges in melon production, Jacob highlights the technology's potential to alleviate labor shortages and costs. Conversations with growers were instrumental in the company's inception. Beyond harvesting, the technology can potentially automate the planting process, traditionally labor-intensive, by using robotic arms with specialized end effectors.
Jacob notes that the technology could impact the U.S. watermelon and pumpkin industries by making domestic fruit more competitive against imports. "If you look at the import trends for melons over the past 10-20 years, all the growth has been captured by imports. Domestic production is flat to slightly down. That's because we couldn't compete on price until now." TerraForce claims a potential reduction in labor expenses by $690 per acre.
The company is also exploring AI applications for harvesting other specialty crops such as tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers. Deployable AI, or Edge AI, facilitates autonomous field operations without internet connectivity, enabling the robot to identify and harvest crops efficiently.
Source: Hoosier AG Today