These Robots do More on the Farm Than Their Scarecrow Predecessors            

 

        To revolutionize Australia’s agriculture industry, a professor named Salah Sukkarieh from the University of Sydney has come up with an ingenuous advancement in robotics technology. Robots named Mantis and Shrimp have been created to maximize the productivity and minimize the cost of farming in Australia. With a limited labor force and high hourly wages ($15 per hour), Australia really needs to make the most of this robotic and drone technology. These robots have been designed to judge the watering and fertilizing needs of crops. Also, they will be able to tell if the time is right to harvest the crops or if they will need more time to be ready. This purpose will be achieved as these robots are able to detect up to 12 colors. These robots are roughly equal to the height of a normal man. They can also move about with the help of wheels attached which increases their functionality. According to Luke Matthews of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, plans of expanding the market to Asia are also in the pipeline. As the mining industry of Australia is not performing up to the mark to support the national economy, the government is looking forward to advancements in agriculture to bear the load. Currently, agriculture makes 2% of the total gross domestic product of Australia, and the government is planning to increase this figure to 5% of the total GDP.